By James Slater – A few months back, heavyweight powerhouse David Tua announced how he was “retired…..for now.” The 39-year-old, who had struggled to find his old form in two tough distance fights with New York’s Monte Barrett, spoke of sorting out some personal issues and it sounded as though he had had enough of fighting.
Tua’s financial difficulties are well known, and it seems the Samoan slugger wanted to sort out these and others things before getting his head right to fight again.. And now, as he explained to 3 News in New Zealand, “The Tuaman” is looking at returning to the ring in either December of this year or early next year.
“I never did retire,” Tua stated. “I believe without being stupid that I have three or four years left.”
Referring to his time out of the ring as essential – “because it’s important for me to take care of a few things that needed done before getting back in the ring” – Tua says he wasn’t himself when he fought “Two Gunz.”
“Sadly for me, the two times we got into the ring to fight each other David Tua never turned up and that’s what I mean about being temporarily retired for the time to sort other things out because I can’t keep doing that.”
So, can a fully motivated and focused Tua give it one last run and achieve some big wins before his exciting yet somewhat disappointing career is finally over with? Having fought only sporadically since 2007 (just five fights), Tua, 52-4-2(43) last looked impressive in October of 2009, when he destroyed Shane Cameron in brutal fashion; the 2nd-round win reminding fans of the peak Tua. Since then, however, Tua has struggled with Barrett and also pounded out dull points wins over Friday Ahunanya and Demetrice King.
Cameron, as we know, took Barrett out in devastating style earlier this week: a classic case of styles making fights. But will Cameron now look to get revenge over Tua? Are we about to see another New Zealand “super-fight?”
Though the 2009 fight wound up being a savagely one-sided affair, Cameron will have gained a ton of confidence from his win over Barrett, as well as from the sight of Tua struggling with the New Yorker. A proud man, Cameron might well call the now “un-retired” Tua out. Personally, I think Tua would have a great chance of stopping Cameron for a second time – again, styles make fights. But what would a second KO over “The Mountain Warrior” do for Tua?
In any case, I for one am glad Tua is set to fight some more. A true puncher and an always-watchable heavyweight, Tua is, in my opinion, good for boxing. If he does indeed have three or four more years left in him, we could be seeing another eight or so fights from “The Tuaman.”