David Tua returns to boxing and his roots this Saturday March 19th (NZ time). Rick “Diehard” Whiteside catches up with Tua at the end of his sparring sessions.
RW: You have a number of new Team Tua members in camp with Chris Martin, trainer, and Malu Mainu’u, conditioning coach.
DT: Chris and Malu are awesome. They’ve studied Demetrice’s boxing style and adjusted my training to suit, as well as conditioning me for success.
RW: This fight is being promoted by your cousin, Inga Tuigamala as David Tua’s “Backyard Brawl.” Does the event have special meaning to you?
DT: Yes definitely. It’s really humbling to fight with so many talented NZers, Samoans, a Tongan and Aussies on the undercard – I’ve got a lot of respect for them. Finishing off such a good fight card makes me feel really privileged to be a Samoan, a Kiwi and a boxer. And we’re doing it all in South Auckland – ‘my place’. As for Inga, well he’s family so I’ll try to be modest and put it like this – he’s as good at being my promoter as he was as an All Black
RW: In your last two fights, against Friday Ahunanya (unanimous decision) and Monte Barrett (majority draw), you have proven that you can go the distance. Are you looking to make a statement by knocking Demetrice King out, given the fact that he has only been stopped twice by Shannon Briggs and Fres Oquendo, and likes to trade?
DT: I’m really looking forward to fighting Demetrice. Yeah he likes to trade and can do it well. I’m sure we’ll both go hard and test each other in the ring. At the end of the day, me and Demetrice have to be satisfied with ourselves – that we kept to our game plan, gave it everything we’ve got and can hold our heads high when we leave the ring.
RW: After your last fight with Monte Barrett, you mentioned that you injured your shoulder flipping tractor tires in training. In the fight, you were as explosive as ever for the first four rounds to the point that Vinny Maddalone, Barrett’s sparring partner and commentator for the fight, said that you were having your way with him. In the fifth, you changed your style, seemed to conserve your energy, and started stalking him the rest of the fight. Could you shed some light on whether something triggered the injury during the fight?
DT: Man, those tires! Yeah I knew I was doing well through round 4. I threw a jab and all of a sudden I felt something give way in my shoulder. I had to change my game plan which meant laying back for the rest of the fight jabbing here and there as much as I could so that I could land that one punch.
RW: It is rumored that you have a fight scheduled for New Zealand in June. When will you make an announcement as to who the opponent will be?
DT: You’ll have to wait and see. I’m hoping to get another fight but nothing’s confirmed.