By James Slater: Heavyweight veterans who can still rise to the occasion, David Tua and Monte Barrett, met in Atlantic City last July, and the resulting fight proved to be as controversial as it was engrossing. Looking like an easy Tua win on paper, Barrett instead fought with renewed vigour as he became the first man to put “The Tuaman” on the floor. Despite this great effort, however, “Two Gunz” was awarded only with a 12-round majority draw.
Ever since, the proud New Yorker has wanted a rematch (even though Monte did say before the first meeting that this would be his final fight). Guess what? Tua has craved a rematch also; due to the way he is sure only a shoulder injury he carried with him into the fight affected his performance. Tua is now 38 and Barrett turns 40 at the end of May.
According to British trade paper Boxing News, the return will go ahead in New Zealand on July 9th. Barrett, in speaking with the magazine, said he will be more sure of himself going into the fight compared to how he felt ahead of the 2010 encounter, and that he is looking to either get a stoppage or a “good decision.” Barrett knows everything will be against him, what with Tua having home advantage, but he says he feels “blessed” to be in the position he is in now, seeing how his career was thought to be over “years ago.”
Does Barrett have Tua’s number, and will he prove this again in July? Barrett had better hope his last fight – a lacklustre draw with the oft-beaten Charles Davis – was merely a bad night. Not that Tua looked all that great in his last outing: when he hammered out a points win over U.S journeyman Demetrice King.
The July 9th clash could even be the last big-stage fight for both men. If Barrett loses, he must surely retire. If Tua wins but looks unimpressive, he may struggle to get any bigger fights. Barrett accepts that the rematch fight is a gamble, and he could undo the good work he did in fight-one if he is KO’d this time. Tua says he needs to redeem himself for the draw he perhaps deep down knows he lost.
It is to be hoped the action in fight-two will match that of fight-one. Sure to be a big deal in New Zealand, where Tua enjoys nothing short of hero status, the return will attract a big audience. Hopefully, fans in the U.S and U.K will get a chance to see the prospective rumble.
It’s tough to know what either guy has left. Barrett, 34-9-2(20) surprised us last time so you never know, but I would guess Tua, 52-3-2(43) will pick up a win this time around – either by points or by late stoppage.