by James Slater – It’s a heavyweight rumble fans have been asking for for quite a while now, and it’s a match-up that couldn’t help but to be one that provides fireworks. The fight in question is Chris Arreola Vs. David Tua, and if this fight did come off it’s likely the winner would become a most creditable contender for a version of the heavyweight title. But will this fight ever take place?
According to Tua’s promoter, Cedric Cushner, in talking to One News in New Zealand, he offered Arreola’s promoter Dan Goossen a deal which, if accepted, would see “The Nightmare” travel to New Zealand to face his fellow crowd-pleaser of a heavyweight.
Cushner says he offered/guaranteed Goossen 100-percent of the American revenue from the fight, which his says would be somewhere close to $3 million U.S. However, Cushner says Goossen had no interest in his warrior going to New Zealand to fight Tua, and turned him down “categorically..”
I’ve not read anywhere any comment from Goossen on this matter, but if Cushner is right in what he says, the head honcho of Gossen Tutor has turned down what is seemingly a very good offer indeed. Maybe there was more to the deal that we don’t know about, but I’d be willing to bet how Arreola – and Tua himself of course – would have taken this fight in a heartbeat. Neither of these two heavyweights know the meaning of the word fear, and as such they would both relish the idea of the sure-to-be-thrilling-rumble.
Respected writer Thomas Hauser, who also spoke to One News in New Zealand about Tua and his chances of ever again challenging for a world title, said that right now, Tua’s has given us “no reason to believe he is a creditable contender for either Klitschko brother,” but that if he were to beat Arreola, he would earn himself some credibility.
And Hauser is of course right; if Tua were to beat the Mexican/American slugger, his stock would rise and fans everywhere would almost certainly demand he face Waldimir or Vitali – especially if he were to beat Arreola in style.
As for Tua’s chances against the two all-conquering brothers, Hauser doesn’t right now feel “The Tuaman” would have much of a chance against either champion.
“He certainly wouldn’t beat Vitali,” Hauser said of Tua. “Maybe he would be able to whack Wladimir on the chin, I don’t know.”
If Tua continues his successful comeback and if he eventually does defeat a top contender (such as Arreola – and we can still hope this great fight takes place, can’t we!) it might be fun finding out how 37-year-old Tua copes with one of the giants.