16.08 - Get set for the annihilation of a former World Heavyweight Champion... Michael Moorer in a futile attempt to jump the queue for a shot at the Heavyweight Championship has decided to bite the bullet by signing to fight I.B.F No.3 and NABF Champion David 'The Tuaman' Tua. The 34 yr old Moorer is on a 4-0-1 winning streak against some pretty tame opposition since returning to the ring in 2000, after 3 years of inactivity following an eight round T.K.O loss in a rematch against Holyfield, who was bent on revenge.

The big question mark hanging over Moorer (43-2-1 34 KO's) is can he motivate himself enough to T-off against the dangerous Tua , Moorer admitted that in his rematch with 'The Real Deal' Holyfield he was unfocused and bored with the fight game but unless the 6'2 Moorer wants his head handed to him he better get focused because Tua is willing to trade his left arm for another poke at the big belt.

At this point a loss suffered by either fighter will spell certain doom for their careers as Tua has gone 3-2 in his last 5 fights and Moorer might have to invest in a walking stick as old age starts to creep up on him. But the winner will reap the rewards.....either a dual with the 6-7 Ukrainian Wladimir Klitschko for the WBO Title or John Ruiz for the WBA Title and after that possibly a shot at Lewis's belts.

However if Tua wins (and you can bet your life savings he will) a rematch with Ruiz is highly unlikely, it took the 5'9 David Tua 19 seconds to take Ruiz's last title off him and Ruiz had to be carried out of the ring on a stretcher destined for hospital! I don't think Ruiz will be willing to risk his WBA Title and his health in a rematch with Tua.

Yes the Tuaman is a nasty piece of work, brutal punching power combined with a chin that can take a direct hit better than a bomb shelter and a non-stop stalking style perfected by former mentors George Benton, Ronnie Sheilds and Joe Goosen.

Whatever or whoever got Michael Moorer to except this fight I do not know, perhaps Moorer is having illusions of evading Tua's left hook for 12 rounds like Chris Bryd successfully did against the Tuaman last year........then again the former World HeavyWeight Champion does not possess the same elusive style as Bryd, perhaps Moorer believes he can successfully carry out the same mobile battle plan that Fres Oquendo used to school Tua (40-3 35 KO's) for 8 rounds before inexperience caught up with Fres in the 9th round.........then again Moorer does not have Oquendo's quick legs and at times has looked ploddingly slow and easy to hit.

THE FIGHT ITSELF

Tua who is notorious for his slow pace starts will come out alot more aggressively in this fight, his meat hooks targeted at Moorers out-of-condition body as he tries to bring down the guard of the former IBF-WBA-WBC Titleholder and go headhunting from time to time in order to find a landing pad for that big left hook. Moorer for his part will tie Tua up in the opening rounds whenever Tua gets too close and try and tame the Tuaman with his jab.

I'm predicting Tua getting owned in the early rounds as he tries to come to terms with Moorer's jab, but catching Moorer with something savage and unholy in the 6th or 7th round.
This fight will be broadcast on HBO's "Boxing after Dark" series,17th August.