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 Tua, Rahman: Different Directions, Same Goal
By Sean Stowell (March 29, 2003)
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David Tua and Hasim Rahman both want a shot at Chris Byrd and the International Boxing Federation heavyweight title, but they seem to be heading in different directions to get there.
Tua, who weighed in at a solid 245 pounds yesterday, is climbing his way back up the rankings while Rahman, who scaled a career-heavy 259.5 pounds, continues an ever so slow descent down the list. They will run into each other Saturday night from the Spectrum in Philadelphia in an IBF elimination bout to be televised along with Bernard Hopkins's world middleweight title defense against WBC mandatory challenger Mourade Hakkar on HBO.
According to Tua’s manager/trainer Kevin Barry, the stocky Samoan completed an 11-week training camp in Las Vegas.
“David is well ahead of the game,” Barry told MaxBoxing.com from Philadelphia. “We were under no pressure, and were able to take our time and do everything right.”
If Tua is doing everything right, then it seems as if Rahman is doing everything wrong. After opening camp in Vero Beach, Fla. Rahman, 35-4 with 29 KOs, dismissed trainer Bouie Fisher and has seemed more interested in calling Rahman and Barry names than training. He’s referred to the 5-foot-9, 245-pound Tua as a “fat midget” and to Barry as “Crocodile Dundee.”
“That’s just Rock’s game,” Barry said in his heavy New Zealand accent. “He likes to talk and he always has. He’s trying to hype himself up. That’s not part of David’s makeup.”
Barry, who has known Tua for nearly 11 years, has kept him out of the spotlight this week leading up to the fight, allowing few media types to speak with him. Tua, 42-3 with 37 KOs also pulled out of a photo opportunity with Hopkins to run up the steps of the Philadelphia Art Museum ala Rocky Balboa. Reports said that Tua was driven to the top of the steps and walked down some steps and posed with Hopkins.
There are some interesting storylines surrounding this bout. First this is a rematch of Tua and Rahman’s 1998 bout that ended in controversy. Tua was behind on points going into the ninth round. After the bell sounded ending the frame Tua clocked Rahman. Still dazed as the 10th round began Tua took advantage of the situation and began pummeling Rahman. The referee stepped in and awarded Tua a TKO victory. Tua would go on to lose to Lennox Lewis.
A couple of years later, Rahman would drop an unprepared Lewis in South Africa to win the heavyweight title. He would later relinquish the title to Lewis. This time around Barry said there will be no time for controversy.
“David is going to knock him out quick,” he said. “David is the biggest punching heavyweight and Rahman has tasted the flavor of the canvas a few times.”
While Tua has been known for his devastating left hook, Barry said he has developed his right hand as well.
“He is a more complete fighter now,” Barry said. “We have been working to his strengths and we have designed a strategy for his opponents according to David’s physical attributes.”
Another intriguing aspect of this fight is the promotional matchup. Tua is promoted by Cedric Kushner Promotions who used to handle those duties for Rahman until he beat Lewis and signed with Don King, only increasing the lawsuits between the two outfits.
The bad blood between the two combatants has been brewing since their last fight. After Rahman defeated Lewis he told Tua to “enjoy the wait” for a
title shot.
Now both fighters are heading in different directions. After losing a 12-round unanimous decision to Byrd in 2001, Tua has a TKO victory over Fres Oquendo and a first round KO over Michael Moorer.
In Rahman’s last two fights he was KO’d by Lewis in the fourth and his fight with Evander Holyfield last June resulted in an eighth-round technical decision victory for Holyfield. A disgusting hematoma was protruding from Rahman's forehead at the time of the stoppage.
This might be the last opportunity for both fighters to get a shot at a heavyweight crown and only stepping into the ring will decide who goes up and who falls down.
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E-Mail Sean Stowell at seanstowell@hotmail.com
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