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| Thursday, August 16 |
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| Tua a lean, mean fighting machine? By Fiona Manning maxboxing.com | |||
A funny thing happened during this week's tele-conference call with David Tua. The International Boxing Federation's No. 1 heavyweight contender told reporters his weight for his fight with Chris Byrd at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas on Saturday night would be 250 pounds -- which would be a career high.
The Samoan-born, New Zealand-bred fighter's handlers quickly reacted to his statement, telling the listening members of the media that they were not sure what weight Tua would come in at. The managers, promoters and trainers fell all over themselves to make the point that Tua's been in boot camp, that he's been dieting and he's changed his eating habits.
"Oh and did we mention he's been in boot camp?" Yes they did, over and over again.
It was all very confusing. The media was barely allowed to toss a question through the long monologues by Tua's PR men. Couldn't the fighter speak for himself?
Apparently not. He's too busy eating, according to trainer Kevin Barry who waxed lyrically -- and lengthily -- on the subject of Tua's eating habits during camp.
"He had his first meal at 7 a.m. every day, his last meal at 10 p.m. His nutritionist called seven to 10 times a day to check on him," Barry burbled (nice work if you can get it). "Tua grabbed the bull by its horns."
Then what did he do? Eat it?
The subject of Tua and food went on so long, reporters around the world scratched their heads in wonder. Is 'Tuaman: The Diet Book' forthcoming?
One reporter who'd asked the question about weight to begin with, finally interrupted the Weight Watchers pep talk and diet tips.
"But is he gonna weigh 250?" he asked.
Apparently this was not an easy question to answer.
Finally reporters were told, he would not be coming in at 250. That statement was a sample of Tua's er, wit. He needs comedian's boot camp next.
Tua says we are going to see a whole new Tuaman in this fight. Exactly what is new (apart from the George Foreman grilling machine) was never made clear.
"I have been training very hard for this fight," he said. The General (trainer Joe Goossen) has been very kind and hard on me."
Goossen officially banned Twinkies from the staple diet menu.
"The team has been great," Tua said. "I am just looking forward to going out there Saturday night and performing to the best of my ability."
When asked what exactly he had been working on in his camp, Tua offered up: "Talk is cheap. I am going to have to go out and let my actions
speak for themselves."
That ought to frighten the wily Chris Byrd.
Tua said he has been in camp for 10 weeks. He hasn't been happy about the low-carb, high protein diet, "I like to eat the exact opposite diet,"
he said.
Kevin Barry was swift to interject: "After last November, we knew we had to make some adjustments in our training methods and the way Tua was performing and living as a professional athlete.
"To his credit, Tua has made those changes. He has turned his whole life around. He is more disciplined and dedicated than he has ever been
before."
Tua acknowledged that Byrd is a tough customer.
"Byrd is a fighter nobody wants to fight," he said. "He can make you look bad. As far as the fans are concerned, that's not a very interesting fight but I've done my work and this will be a very good fight.
"I would love it if he tried to slug it out with me, that would be very silly of him, but I don't think he's going to do that. I don't think that's going to be part of his strategy."
Tua tried to discourage questions about how he'll handle Byrd.
"In the past I've talked a good fight but I haven't fought it. I'm doing everything the opposite way now," he said.
When asked if he yearns for a rematch with dethroned heavyweight champ Lennox Lewis, Tua admitted he was.
"Right now I am pouring all my energies into the fight with Chris Byrd, but yeah, I think about it," he said. "If I fought Lewis again, it would be different training because he's not a southpaw, like Byrd. We can upgrade things with intensity. We would cut off the ring more. It would be pointless for me to stay outside and be at the end of a longer man's punches."
And there would be those long weeks of the Jenny Craig diet to look forward to.
"When you are working hard, that confidence and self-esteem has to come from within. It does not work if you do not do the homework. It is just like anything else," Tua said.
"You have to prepare yourself for it. To have done all that, knocking out both current champions, (Rahman and Ruiz) is a great accomplishment for me, but I am not dwelling on that or using it to boost my confidence.
"Confidence is something I have in me. It is a part of me. It is a great feeling, but this is a different fight with a different strategy. It is
time to go to work."
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ALSO SEE A lighter Byrd prepares for Tua Tua-Byrd clash a classic contrast of styles | |
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