The photo above says it all. Last night, David Tua lost a unanimous decision to Monte Barrett, despite dropping him in the final round. Tua got off to a slow start, which is exactly what I feared. By the time he got into his groove, it was the 10th round, and Monte's lead points had already sealed his victory. Tua needed a knockout to win, and almost got it.

Imagine if this were a 15 round fight. I have no doubt that Tua would have knocked out Barrett somewhere between rounds 13 and 15. Barrett was on shaky legs and looked to be finished. Either his age and waning stamina had caught up to him by round 10, or he was hurt by Tua's crushing power. It could have been a combination of both, but I think Tua surprised him by throwing bombs all of a sudden. Perhaps Barrett got a little too relaxed after an easy 9 rounds. This script has been followed for several Tua fights; a boxer would get comfortable after out-boxing Tua for much of the fight, but then gets knocked out late. (Watch Tua's fights with Rahman, Maskaev, Izon, and Oquendo)

If Billy Conn and Joe Louis had fought a 12 round fight in 1941, Conn would have won the heavyweight title from Louis, who didn't knock out Conn until the 13th round. If the original fight between Jersey Joe Walcott and Rocky Marciano had been only 12 rounds, Marciano would have suffered a loss and not won the championship. 
Because of the lack of championship rounds these days, I feel that Tua was robbed of the knockout he desperately needed.

When Tua dropped Barrett with a right hand in the 12th round, the crowd erupted. It was the punch they had been waiting for. Barrett got up, but survived by holding for the rest of the round. Just think; if Tua had been fighting aggressive like this from the opening bell, he would have knocked Barrett out. And early. Instead, he cornered Barrett in the last round with a barrage of lethal punches, but it was too late. He should have jumped on Barrett early on with the heavy artillery. (Evidently, he didn't read my previous blogs and take my advice).

I don't think Monte is a talented fighter. (Look at his resume. He has losses to Rahman, Valuev, Solis, Haye, and others.) He's also 40 years old. But he gave his testimony after the fight, and as a christian, I respect that. He poured his heart out after his victory. I don't respect Barrett too much as a fighter, but he's earned my respect as a man. 

A prime David Tua would crush him, though. I think Barrett came along at the right time to handle a declining Tua, just as Gene Tunney outmaneuvered an aging Jack Dempsey, and Holyfield outmuscled a fading Mike Tyson. Barrett, Tunney and Holyfield would not have had the same success against the prime versions of the men they dominated. To varying degrees, they struggled with the "old" versions.

As for Tua, this loss hurts him. Tua's promotor Cedric Kushner revealed that he was in talks to have Tua fight WBC Champion Vitali Klitschko soon. "I don't want to be the only person sitting up here not telling the truth. It's a very significant loss, because there was an opportunity to fight Klitschko and that opportunity may not be there tomorrow," he said. "I think I'll have to have a sit down with David and see what the right thing to do is." 


http://tvnz.co.nz/othersports-news/tua-title-shot-fades-loss-4350803


Most would suggest that the "right thing to do" for David is retire.
I think his chances of winning a title are up in smoke. However, I would he interested in seeing a Barrett-Tua 3. Barrett said after the fight that he's going to enjoy his victory and think it over. Personally, if he decides to retire, I won't slander him. He already put off his planned retirement once for Tua, and he finally got the victory that he should have gotten the first time. But then again, I'm very interested in seeing a trilogy. The first fight was exciting. The rematch didn't get exciting until Tua woke up in round 10. So I'm curious what a rubber match would be like. I know Tua is for it. 


I'm not going to jump on the bandwagon and say that Tua needs to retire. He's still a big draw and I always enjoy watching him fight. He's my favorite fighter. I'd still like to see him get in the ring with Holyfield before he retires. Or maybe Shannon Briggs. Or even Hasim Rahman again. These guys are long past their best, but I'd still like to see these fights.

David, you may not get a title shot, but if you choose to continue, there are still some potential fights out there. And if you never win a belt, you're still my favorite fighter. You'll always have that title.

I've stated in two recent blogs that I'm worried about David Tua in tomorrow's bout with Monte Barrett. Well, my worries were increased when I saw his weight at the weigh-in.

Did your eyes get as huge as mine did? Tua has struggled with his weight for years, but this is downright scary. I know some fighters feel that the bigger you are, the more power you possess. Not true. Joe Louis put on additional weight for his fight with Ezzard Charles in 1950, and regretted it. I think Tua is making the same mistake. Since his weight gain began back in 1998, Tua's speed has decreased. Looking at him now, I can't believe that David Tua used to look like this.

^^That's how he looked when he fought Lennox Lewis for the title 11 years ago. Although he was getting thick there, he still could have knocked out Lewis had he been more aggressive. Plodding forward like a zombie hoping to land one miracle left hook isn't going to cut it against a high class World Champion like Lennox Lewis, but that's a story for another blog.

Tua, if you're comfortable at this weight, then good. No one knows your body the way you do. But come out aggressive. Make a brawl out of this thing. Don't let Monte outbox you from the distance. Get in close and attack his body, and blast that chin when you get a good opening. Stay in Monte's face. Don't let up. If you let Monte get confident and become the ring general, then we're going to see this image again.

Barrett knocked you down in the last fight--he's the first man to ever officially drop you. He's confident in his abilities. I guarantee you that he's going to come out popping a jab and using his mobility to stay away from you. Don't worry about his size. He's nothing but a 6'3 inch target. You saw what Dempsey did to Willard. You saw what Frazier did to Ali. Size means nothing. Go out there and get him!!

My final thoughts? I'm desperately hoping for a Tua victory. But if he loses, I won't be surprised at all. :(

Expect a new blog from me tomorrow after the fight.

I'm a huge fan of many heavyweight boxers, from past and present. I watch and admire them all, from Lennox Lewis to Sonny Liston to Jack Dempsey. But my favorite heavyweight fighter of all time is still fighting today, and strangely enough, he's never won the heavyweight title. His name is David Tua, and his career is at its final crossroads. He is scheduled to fight Monte Barrett in a rematch on August 13th.

Here is a recent interview with the one we call The Tuaman.

David opened this video by saying that if he can't beat Monte Barrett in their upcoming rematch, then he's going to retire. I'm glad he isn't being delusional. If he can't beat a limited journeyman fighter like Barrett, he has no way of winning a heavyweight title, especially given his old age and the Klitschko brothers having a seemingly permanent lock on the heavyweight championships.

Why do I like Tua? It's quite simple. He KNOCKS PEOPLE OUT. Brutally. And, I've always enjoyed the small guys with a big punch--Joe Frazier, Rocky Marciano, Mike Tyson, Jack Dempsey, and of course, David Tua. David's left hook was once the most feared punch in the heavyweight division, but does it still have the power to win David a championship?

I have my doubts. As I've said before in a previous blog, David hasn't had a knockout since 2009 when he massacred Shane Cameron in two rounds. He was also officially knocked down for the first time in his career last year against Monte Barrett. Tua's thunderous power and iron chin are evidently fading, which happens with age. I had mixed feelings about David's last fight, when he won a decision over an outgunned novice fighter named Demetrius King. Yes, Tua won the fight. He looked great, and proved that he isn't going to rely only on his powerful left hook anymore. In the fight, Tua was jabbing, working the body, and putting together effective combinations. But if he failed to knock out Demetrius King, how is he gonna knock out Monte Barrett? Tua failed to deck him in their last fight. Instead, it was Tua who found himself on the canvas.

It sounds like Tua knows what's at stake here and is serious. Barrett, however, is a huge threat to Tua. He knows he can withstand Tua's bone-crushing power, and he knows how to box him. Barrett has the psychological edge here. He won their last fight but the judges robbed him.

               My Advice To David Tua For This Fight:

Go to work!! Don't waste any time. Go out there and throw punches...lots of them. Fight like Rocky Marciano. Don't give Barrett any room or time to counter. Press him, stay low, and bang him in the ribs, the body, and blast that chin when he drops his hands. 

If Tua can dish out 3 minutes of severe punishment in each round, he could brutally KO Barrett, or at least win a clear decision. We need the aggressive David Tua who KO'd John Ruiz in 19 seconds, not the lethargic, lazy David Tua who let himself get schooled by Maurice Wheeler for seven rounds.

Some fighters adapt gracefully to their declining skills. Muhammad Ali managed to squeak out some impressive wins during his final years in the ring. When he lost his quick speed and reflexes, he still found ways to outsmart his opponents, winning against George Foreman, Earnie Shavers, Jimmy Young, and other boxers when he was long past his prime. An aging Joe Louis came out of retirement in 1950 to fight Ezzard Charles for the championship, and did pretty well despite losing the fight, even closing Charles' eye. In fact, Louis was on a roll until getting knocked out by Rocky Marciano the following year. George Foreman went 31-3-0 with 26 knockouts during his second career. Unlike these great fighters, Tua looked bad in the ring as he aged, although his power would bail him out.

Here is my prediction...I think the fight will pick up where the last one left off. Tua will start slow and eat jabs and combinations from Barrett, who will dictate the pace. Last time, Barrett got confident during the middle rounds when he realized he could take Tua's shots. This time, he already knows what Tua has to offer and how to fight him. I expect Barrett to come out with his guns blazing. I think Tua may get knocked out for the first time in his career. If he gets careless, he'll definitely find himself on the floor again. He needs to throw a high volume of punches--one left hook on the chin isn't going to cut it with Barrett. 

Tua will be 40 years old soon. The upcoming bout with Barrett is the biggest fight of his career,(disregarding the title fight with Lennox Lewis in 2000).

This fight ultimately depends on Tua's mindset when the bell rings. I'm rooting for him, but based on his recent performances, I think this may be his last fight. I hope I'm wrong, but that's my honest opinion.

David Haye lost to Wladimir Klitshcko last night, just as I predicted a month ago in my "Summer Fight Predictions" blog. It unfolded just as I thought it would. Haye was hopelessly outclassed by the bigger, stronger athlete. He had no idea how to get inside and be effective. Wladimir, meanwhile, was popping his jab and using his skill to make sure that David couldn't reach his chin. Now he has all of the major heavyweight titles except for the WBC Championship, which is held by his brother, Vitali.

This is not my first time correctly predicting a Klitshcko fight. I boldly predicted that Shannon Briggs would lose to Vitali last fall. And guess what? He did. Badly. Why are the Klitschkos dominating so much?

Several reasons. First, it's a weak heavyweight division. There's nobody around to give them a decent fight. And the Klitschkos train harder than everyone else. It's pretty obvious. They never run out of gas and can fight 12 rounds without difficulty.

Seriously, since Lennox Lewis retired, who is there to give them any trouble? Evander Holyfield is still fighting at the age of 48, and is the current WBF Heavyweight Champion. But both Klitschkos have stated numerous times that they will not fight him. I respect their decision. Why beat up on an ancient fighter from your childhood? That's like me getting into the ring with Mike Tyson right now.

This leads me to the man many considered the "savior" of the heavyweight division....David Haye.

David Haye was overrated and overhyped for years--Klitschko has finally exposed him. He was on a roll against lackluster competition, but folded when he fought a legit champion. Haye's journey reminds me of guys like Ray Mercer and David Tua; men who appeared to be almost unstoppable until they stepped into the ring with an all time great and got humiliated. Making things worse was Haye's excuse of losing because of his "broken toe." 

I knew Haye would lose, but it would have been better for boxing if he'd won. He'd have three titles, and after fighting Vitali for the WBC crown, one of them would be the Undisputed Heavyweight Champion. Now the division is at a halt. Wladimir has three belts and will not fight his brother to become the Undisputed Champion.

In my opinion, the Klitschko brothers are not all time greats. Don't get me wrong...the Klitschkos have talent. Like Lennox Lewis, they move moderately well for men over 6'5. But there's so many flaws in their robotic styles that would get them steamrolled by several of the great heavyweight champions of the past. For example, I see Rocky Marciano knocking out Wladimir sometime before round 12, and outworking his brother Vitali to get a unanimous decision or late stoppage. Jack Dempsey and Joe Louis both had the speed and the attack to lay out the Klitschkos.

Vitali is the more of the brawler between the two brothers. He has an excellent chin--he hasn't been put on the canvas yet. (He took some crushing punches from Lennox Lewis in their 2003 battle, and stayed on his feet) Vitali also packs a serious wallop. But, he drops his left hand after jabbing. He also has poor balance at times. But he has hasn't fought anyone smart enough to counter him or take advantage of these flaws.

Wladimir backpedals often, leading me to suspect that an inside pressure fighter would have an easy time forcing him against the ropes and landing at will. Someone like Joe Frazier would love a big , retreating opponent like Wladimir Klitshko. Wladimir also has an average chin--a soli could knock him cold if they get inside and catch him flush. It happened when he fought Corrie Sanders in 2002. But, no one is talented or clever enough to do it in today's heavyweight division.

The Klitshkos are being guided through their championship years by the genius of Emanuel Steward in their corners. Without his intelligent ring strategies, they would not have won the belts anc kept them this long.

And, there's no one around to fight them. The only fighters around who could beat them are too old to pull it off today. Of today's roster, I think a prime Evander Holyfield would have beaten both fighters. David Tua would have knocked out Wladimir, but would defeat Vitali on points or by late TKO in a slugfest. A peak Shannon Briggs may get a quick knockout over Wladimir, but loses to Vitali.

I never thought I'd say it, but I'm now a Klitshcko fan. I have no choice. I've got to respect them. But I guarantee you that if we could rewind the clock and put them in the ring with the heavyweights from previous eras, they wouldn't have much success at all.