Tua returning to 'home of boxing'

JOHN SELKIRK

ALL GOOD: David Tua reckons he has got the best of both worlds with fights in New Jersey and New Zealand confirmed.

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David Tua reckons he has got the best of both worlds with fights in New Jersey and New Zealand confirmed in a three-bout deal designed to position him for another shot at a world title later next year.

Tua will fight American former world champion Bruce Seldon in Atlantic City on February 7.

The second fight will be in New Zealand on March 27 against Nigerian Friday Ahunanya at a venue yet to be announced.

The thirds fight will be in Honolulu on May 1 with an opponent to be named in the new year.

Tua is thrilled to be heading back to the United States where he made his name as a punishing heavyweight in a career highlighted by his title shot against Lennox Lewis in Las Vegas in 2000.

"It's great to be going back to the States. It's the home of boxing. It's where I need to be," said Tua who will split his training between Auckland and a Florida base.

But he's equally excited at getting another fight in New Zealand after the success of his October demolition of Shane Cameron, a result that has got his career back on track after two years of inactivity because of legal battles.

"Another opportunity to fight in New Zealand is the greatest feeling."

The venue will be announced next week by promoters Duco who put on the Cameron-Tua fight.

Asked where he would like to fight in New Zealand, the big South Aucklander chuckled: "Mangere."

The three-fight schedule, run over 84 days, will get rid of Tua's prohibitive TV deal with Maori Television. All three fights will be broadcast by Maori TV and Tua will then be cleared to cash in on the lucrative pay-per-view market.

Tua said he had to pay respect to Seldon despite the 42-year-old Atlantic City native clearly being past his best.

"He's got a good record. He's been there done that. He's a former world champion and in this business one punch can do all the damage, particularly in the heavyweight division," Tua said.

Seldon has 40 wins (36 KOs) and eight losses (7 KOs) in a professional career dating back to 1988.

He has kept active, boxing twice this year but the highlights of his career date back to the mid-90s.

Seldon beat Tony Tucker for the vacant WBA heavyweight title in 1995 when their scheduled 12 round fight was topped in the seventh round because of swelling to Tucker's eyes.

He then battered Joe Hipp in his first defence of the title four months later with the fight being stopped for the same reasons in round 10.

A year later he defended the title against Mike Tyson and was knocked out one minute and 49s into the first round.

Amongst his other losses are some big names - Oliver McCall. Tony Tubbs and Riddick Bowe and Kevin Johnson.

Kushner believes Seldon is a good opponent to get Tua back into action.

"Seldon will front up ... it's a big opportunity for him. But this fight is all about David Tua. America is waiting to see him again," Kushner said.

"These fights will raise David's profile. It's a busy schedule but keeping him active will make it easier to get noticed by the world sanctioning bodies."
Tua is ranked No 3 with the WBO and will be putting his Asia-Pacific and Oriental belts on the line in all three fights.

Kushner promised to up the ante with the third opponent, someone designed to make Tua irresistible to the world title holders.

Kushner, who flew to Auckland from his New York office for yesterday's announcement, said mandatory challenges in front of champions David Haye, Wladimir Klitschko and Vitali Klitschko meant Tua could only realistically look at a world title fight in the second half of next year.

"Our aim is to have him as the No 1 challenger by then ... someone they can't refuse. And potentially that world title fight could be in New Zealand."

But as Tua said: "I've got to take things one thing at a time. It's nice to have three fights lined up but let's get them done one after the other and then see where we are."

- © Fairfax NZ News