David Tua is ready for the world
On Saturday (3rd October) the biggest fight in New Zealand boxing history rocked Mystery Creek, Hamilton when local boy Shane Cameron took on seasoned Samoan David Tua in an elimination bout for the right to challenge one of the Klitschko brothers for the Holy Grail of boxing, the world heavyweight championship.
In the lead-up to the fight both boxers taunted each other and predicted wins. Cameron, with 22 victories from 23 fights, said the trim Tua had lost his power with his weight. Tua on the other hand had beaten 3 future champions in Hasim Rahman, Oleg Maskaev and John Ruiz. His most disappointing performance was a sleeper against undisputed world king Lennox Lewis in 2001.
This time reports from the Tua camp in Onehunga were that the Tuaminator had never been more focused and was on a mission to terminate. One sparring partner had to seek medical attention after he began to feel mental gaps from the bumps on his head – he was subsequently put on medical leave. This should’ve warned the Cameron camp!
In another incident, reminiscent of George Foreman’s preparation before the “Rumble in the Jungle” in Zaire in 1974, a hushed silence descended on the gym when a heavy bag got ripped as Tua bobbed and let loose one of his vaunted left hooks. The bob, the hook and the overhand right are part of the Tua arsenal. What he needed was to pile pressure and cut off the ring like Jo Frazier and later Mike Tyson used to do.
Cameron on the other hand, punches in combinations. He needed to keep moving against his shorter opponent and keep away from the left hook. I’d written earlier, “if he can frustrate the Tuaman and keep him at a tantalizing distance, he just might break the focus that Tua has always had problems maintaining.”
As we left home for the fight, one niece said “you guys might be in for an early night.” It sounded right, but somehow that boxing bug pulled us along with the hope to see something spectacular. And spectacular it was; we’d just forgotten how devastating a focused Tua could be, and that Cameron was over-matched.
As the boxers circled each other after the opening bell, I immediately saw that Cameron was wide open for Tua’s left hook and in went 2 that probably scrambled any plans the Cameron corner might have hatched. That was the beginning of the end. After the Mountain Warrior fell for the 2nd time, a pathetic and dangerous scene unfolded.
First, referee Bruce McTavish looked like he’d taken the head punch himself as he thought he heard the bell when in fact the ringing was in Cameron’s head. Then he started a delayed count as the bell went to end round one. And he could’ve salvaged things right there, but no, the slaughter would continue.
As Cameron’s corner revived the proud fighter, McTavish waited for business as usual in round 2, and sure enough the proud Cameron took 16 unanswered head punches before slumping to the floor all out for anyone to see. This is where the disappointment and anger raises its concerned head.
Why was the fight allowed to continue when Cameron was clearly done after the first 2 knockdowns? Everybody knows a KO when you see one. Tua is a devastating tightly-wound machine with TNT in both hands when focused. That’s when the bombs fly with terrible precision.
The referee and Cameron’s corner should’ve known that and not allowed the proud, battered warrior to come out for round two – he should instead have been seeing the ring doctor. A terrible mistake was made in managing that fight and only time will tell the ultimate effect of those 16 unanswered and unnecessary blows to Cameron’s head.
Apart from that, one would have to question Cameron’s tactical preparation. He did come to fight on the night, but not to fight Tua because Cameron didn’t seem to have anything against Tua’s acclaimed left hook. Instead he was served on a platter for that left and the rights just came in to complete the job.
In the lead-up to the fight I was asked for my prediction; this is what I wrote, “I’ve looked closely at Tua’s responses on TV and there is no doubt that he means business. He has the same look in his eyes that Buster Douglas had in Tokyo in 1989 before beating Iron Mike Tyson. If Cameron loses his legs and gets drawn into a slugfest we’ll witness a famous KO at Mystery Creek.”
There is little arguing that Tua was devastating on the night – he is now ready to take on any world champion. There is however, a promotional wrangle with Maori TV who hold the right to airing Tua’s next 3 fights for $50,000. This is the only obstacle in Tua’s way to world glory if he can stay hungry.
Hasim Rahman is chewing at the bit for a shot in Aotearoa in December. Come what may, the Tuaman is back as the Tuaminator, and New Zealand owns heavyweight boxing’s most exciting and devastating package. By next year, we should have the world’s first Kiwi/Pacific heavyweight champion.
Widely regarded as the “encyclopedia” of boxing in Fiji, Subhash Appana has acted as match-maker, time-keeper, ring announcer and judge on a number of occasions. subhasha@ais.ac.nz
On Saturday (3rd October) the biggest fight in New Zealand boxing history rocked Mystery Creek, Hamilton when local boy Shane Cameron took on seasoned Samoan David Tua in an elimination bout for the right to challenge one of the Klitschko brothers for the Holy Grail of boxing, the world...
On Saturday (3rd October) the biggest fight in New Zealand boxing history rocked Mystery Creek, Hamilton when local boy Shane Cameron took on seasoned Samoan David Tua in an elimination bout for the right to challenge one of the Klitschko brothers for the Holy Grail of boxing, the world heavyweight championship.
In the lead-up to the fight both boxers taunted each other and predicted wins. Cameron, with 22 victories from 23 fights, said the trim Tua had lost his power with his weight. Tua on the other hand had beaten 3 future champions in Hasim Rahman, Oleg Maskaev and John Ruiz. His most disappointing performance was a sleeper against undisputed world king Lennox Lewis in 2001.
This time reports from the Tua camp in Onehunga were that the Tuaminator had never been more focused and was on a mission to terminate. One sparring partner had to seek medical attention after he began to feel mental gaps from the bumps on his head – he was subsequently put on medical leave. This should’ve warned the Cameron camp!
In another incident, reminiscent of George Foreman’s preparation before the “Rumble in the Jungle” in Zaire in 1974, a hushed silence descended on the gym when a heavy bag got ripped as Tua bobbed and let loose one of his vaunted left hooks. The bob, the hook and the overhand right are part of the Tua arsenal. What he needed was to pile pressure and cut off the ring like Jo Frazier and later Mike Tyson used to do.
Cameron on the other hand, punches in combinations. He needed to keep moving against his shorter opponent and keep away from the left hook. I’d written earlier, “if he can frustrate the Tuaman and keep him at a tantalizing distance, he just might break the focus that Tua has always had problems maintaining.”
As we left home for the fight, one niece said “you guys might be in for an early night.” It sounded right, but somehow that boxing bug pulled us along with the hope to see something spectacular. And spectacular it was; we’d just forgotten how devastating a focused Tua could be, and that Cameron was over-matched.
As the boxers circled each other after the opening bell, I immediately saw that Cameron was wide open for Tua’s left hook and in went 2 that probably scrambled any plans the Cameron corner might have hatched. That was the beginning of the end. After the Mountain Warrior fell for the 2nd time, a pathetic and dangerous scene unfolded.
First, referee Bruce McTavish looked like he’d taken the head punch himself as he thought he heard the bell when in fact the ringing was in Cameron’s head. Then he started a delayed count as the bell went to end round one. And he could’ve salvaged things right there, but no, the slaughter would continue.
As Cameron’s corner revived the proud fighter, McTavish waited for business as usual in round 2, and sure enough the proud Cameron took 16 unanswered head punches before slumping to the floor all out for anyone to see. This is where the disappointment and anger raises its concerned head.
Why was the fight allowed to continue when Cameron was clearly done after the first 2 knockdowns? Everybody knows a KO when you see one. Tua is a devastating tightly-wound machine with TNT in both hands when focused. That’s when the bombs fly with terrible precision.
The referee and Cameron’s corner should’ve known that and not allowed the proud, battered warrior to come out for round two – he should instead have been seeing the ring doctor. A terrible mistake was made in managing that fight and only time will tell the ultimate effect of those 16 unanswered and unnecessary blows to Cameron’s head.
Apart from that, one would have to question Cameron’s tactical preparation. He did come to fight on the night, but not to fight Tua because Cameron didn’t seem to have anything against Tua’s acclaimed left hook. Instead he was served on a platter for that left and the rights just came in to complete the job.
In the lead-up to the fight I was asked for my prediction; this is what I wrote, “I’ve looked closely at Tua’s responses on TV and there is no doubt that he means business. He has the same look in his eyes that Buster Douglas had in Tokyo in 1989 before beating Iron Mike Tyson. If Cameron loses his legs and gets drawn into a slugfest we’ll witness a famous KO at Mystery Creek.”
There is little arguing that Tua was devastating on the night – he is now ready to take on any world champion. There is however, a promotional wrangle with Maori TV who hold the right to airing Tua’s next 3 fights for $50,000. This is the only obstacle in Tua’s way to world glory if he can stay hungry.
Hasim Rahman is chewing at the bit for a shot in Aotearoa in December. Come what may, the Tuaman is back as the Tuaminator, and New Zealand owns heavyweight boxing’s most exciting and devastating package. By next year, we should have the world’s first Kiwi/Pacific heavyweight champion.
Widely regarded as the “encyclopedia” of boxing in Fiji, Subhash Appana has acted as match-maker, time-keeper, ring announcer and judge on a number of occasions. subhasha@ais.ac.nz
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