By Paul Barker
29.07 - If history really does have the tendency to repeat itself, Michael Moorer had better be on his toes August 17. He'll be up against David "The Terminator" Tua, a fighter eerily reminiscent of the guy who robbed him of his WBO and IBF heavyweight titles back in '94. And I do mean robbed! Does anyone recall Moorer's tussle with big George Foreman (the thief in question) that November night in Vegas? Moorer was boxing circles around him, only to get tagged - and bagged - by an explosive right hand.
David Tua does remind me of Foreman, in that he's physically imposing, can knock you out with one punch, and is often hopelessly behind on points by the time he catches you with that punch. What makes Tua even more dangerous, in theory, is the hand speed he possesses. Yeah, yeah, I know. If only his feet were as fast as his hands…
It should be an intriguing fight. Is Moorer enough of a technician to keep Tua at bay? Will "Tuaman" fall victim to his own Butterbean-ish girth and (lack of) mobility? And then there are the gray areas to consider: Moorer, the boxer, can punch up a storm, while Tua's stamina is nothing short of incredible.
In terms of "chin composition," Tua is superior. There is simply no comparison between the two fighters. Tua's chin was hewn from the same granite slab as Foreman's, of that I am sure. In fact, I'll go so far as to say that Tua has one of the most durable chins of all time, and leave it to Moorer to prove me wrong.
Moorer is coming off a string of victories (well, there's a draw in there somewhere) to Tua's one, but this doesn't tell us anything. Tua's opposition in recent times has been far more impressive. Less impressive has been Tua's tendency to LOSE to his opposition, but I'm hoping the New Zealander has picked up a few pointers since his pathetic showings against Lewis and Byrd.
Still, it's kinda the way Tuaman fights. Round after round he stalks his quarry, looking to land his mammoth left hook, waiting for that one impossibly perfect opportunity to present itself. Again, the comparisons to Foreman - the older Foreman - are apt. Watch Lewis/Tua and Grimsley/Foreman back-to-back sometime. They are infuriating fights to sit through, for essentially the same reasons. Both Tua and Big George were at their shambling, headhunting worst.
Moorer, by contrast, is quicker on his feet. (A former light heavyweight in a division populated by 250 lb+ giants had damn well better be!) While some claim he's not a legitimate heavyweight in terms of body structure, he sure seems to fight like one. He entered the heavy class in 1991, and immediately made an impact, knocking out his first four opponents and scoring respectable victories over Bert Cooper, James "Bonecrusher" Smith, and - wait for it - Evander Holyfield!!
It was all downhill from there. Not a precipitous drop, but a gentle descent. Moorer struggled gamely to redeem himself after the Foreman Fiasco, even winning back a chunk of his heavyweight title (the IBF belt) from Axel Schulz. After eking out victories over Francois Botha and Vaughn Bean, he walked smack into a supremely pissed-off Evander Holyfield, who made him pay big time for their previous encounter. Moorer was decked five times by the "Real Deal" before the ref finally put an end to their bout in the eighth round.
One mildly impressive comeback later, and Michael Moorer is ready to face David Tua. The two actually are good friends, and I can't help but wonder how this will affect the softhearted Tua's ring performance. Personally, I have Tua winning the thing by a mid-fight KO, but I may be dead wrong for any or all of the following reasons: 1) Moorer's southpaw style may confound Tua. 2) Moorer has the technical skills necessary to outbox The Terminator (hell, so does Donald Duck.) 3) Tua, as alluded to above, may be reluctant to decapitate his buddy.
One thing is for certain: whoever wins will be in a position of power. The odds are good he may next face either Wlad Klitschko or John Ruiz for their respective titles.
I wonder who Big George likes in the fight…
