David Tua
Tua in 2019
Born	Mafaufau Tavita Lio Mafaufau Sanerivi Talimatasi (1972-11-21)21 November 1972 (age 52) Faleatiu, Samoa
Nationality	Samoan New Zealand
Other names	Tuaman The Tuamanator The Terminator
Statistics
Weight(s)	Heavyweight
Height	1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Reach	178 cm (70 in)
Stance	Orthodox
Boxing record
Total fights	59
Wins	52
Wins by KO	43
Losses	5
Draws	2
Medal record Men'samateur boxing Representing New Zealand Olympic Games 1992 Barcelona Heavyweight World Championships 1991 Sydney Heavyweight Oceanian Championships 1990 Nukuʻalofa Heavyweight

Mafaufau Tavita Lio Mafaufau Sanerivi Talimatasi^[1][2]ONZM (born 21 November 1972), known asDavid Tua, is a Samoan-New Zealand formerprofessional boxer who competed from 1992 to 2013. A highly rankedheavyweight contender for most of his career, Tua was known for his formidable punching power, especially in his lefthook. He scored sixteen wins byknockout in the first round, which included knockouts of world heavyweight championsJohn Ruiz andMichael Moorer within thirty seconds of the first round, as well as late stoppages of world championsOleg Maskaev andHasim Rahman. He was ranked by BoxRec in the world's top 10 heavyweights from 1996 to 2003, reaching his highest ranking of No.3 in 1998.^[3] He was also ranked the No.1 heavyweight contender in 2000 by the WBC and IBF, leading up tohis bout with Lennox Lewis. Tua ended his career with a knockout-to-win rate of 82.6%. In a 2003 article byThe Ring magazine, Tua was ranked 48th on a list of 100 greatest punchers of all time.^[4]

Nicknamed the "Tuamanator", his fast-pacedbob and weavepressure fighting style has often drawn comparisons toMike Tyson. Tua fought many of the best boxers of his era and challenged once for the unified world heavyweight title againstLennox Lewis in 2000. In his five professional losses, Tua was never subject to astoppage and was considered to have one of the most durablechins of his time.^[5]

Tua said that he lived with four brothers, four sisters and ten other relatives while growing up, and his mother held down three jobs while his father worked long hours.^[6] He claims that his father forced him to start boxing when he was seven years old, and is grateful for the introduction to the sport.^[7]

In his early career, Tua trained three days a week at a small gym in Mangere Bridge, under boxing trainerGerry Preston.^[8] Tua became New Zealand national heavyweight champion in 1988 at age 15.^[9]

At the age of 19 Tua won a bronze medal at the1992 Summer Olympics inBarcelona. He lost his semi-final toDavid Izonritei, whom he would later knock out as a professional.^[9] Tua turned professional later the same year.

Amateur career breakdown:^[10]

 Bronze at the1992 Summer Olympics,Barcelona, Spain (Heavyweight (– 91 kg))

Qualified at the 1992 National Olympic Trials,Apia, Samoa (Heavyweight)

 Bronze at the 1991 World Championships,Sydney, Australia (Heavyweight)

 Gold at the 1991 New Zealand Championships (Heavyweight)

• Finals: DefeatedToakipa Tasefa on points

1990Junior World Championships,Lima, Peru (Heavyweight)

 Gold at the 1990 Oceanian Championships,Nukuʻalofa, Tonga (Heavyweight)

 Gold at the 1990 New Zealand Championships (Heavyweight)

 Gold at the 1989 New Zealand Championships (Heavyweight)

 Gold at the 1986 New Zealand Juniors Championships (Juniormiddleweight)

Tua debuted in December 1992. Of his first 27 fights, 23 were won by knockout.^[11]

In Tua's 1997 fight againstIke Ibeabuchi, the two fighters combined to set the record for most punches thrown in a heavyweight fight on record. Ibeabuchi won the decision, handing Tua his first professional loss. Prior to this, Tua had scored devastating knockouts against future titlistJohn Ruiz (via 1st-round KO, in only 19 seconds) andDarroll Wilson. Tua also beatDavid Izon and future championOleg Maskaev to set up the fight with Ibeabuchi. After the loss to Ibeabuchi, Tua took on future champHasim Rahman and TKO'd Rahman in the 10th round. The victory over Rahman marked the beginning of Tua's struggles with his weight. He ballooned up to 253 pounds when he defeatedObed Sullivan in 2000 by KO. Later that year, he weighed 245 pounds in the loss toLennox Lewis. Tua was disappointing in the fight, with both fighters avoiding each other and Tua not throwing combinations. Tua lost a clear-cut decision.

The fight with Lewis was for theWBC,IBF, &IBO heavyweight titles and took place in November 2000. Tua lost on points by a wide margin.

Following the Lewis loss, Tua regained steam with a KO overDanell Nicholson but lost by a close decision in his next fight to future championChris Byrd. In 2002 he beat prospectFres Oquendo and demolishedMichael Moorer in his next fight with a powerful shot 30 seconds into the first round, which put Moorer out cold. In 2003 he drew in a 12-round rematch with Rahman.

Tua was inactive for over two years before he stepped into the ring on 31 March 2005 and bested Talmadge Griffis in a 10-round bout—ending the match and earning a TKO victory with 26 seconds remaining.^[12] Tua's next contest in October 2005 ended in a split decision over Cisse Salif with Tua dominating in the late rounds.^[13]

Tua defeated Edward Gutierrez by knockout in the fourth round of a scheduled 10-rounder on 26 July 2006. The fight was held at the Manhattan Center ballroom in New York City, and featured on ESPN2. Tua started slowly, scored a knockdown with his famous left hook in the second round, and put Gutierrez down for the count in the fourth round with a combination of two left hooks, one to the head and the decisive one to the body.^[14]

In November 2006 Tua defeated Maurice Wheeler in the seventh round of a scheduled 10-rounder by knockout. Tua ended the bout with a solid left uppercut to the body which immediately sent the howling Wheeler to the canvas.^[15]

Tua continued his comeback in February 2007 with a unanimous decision over Robert Hawkins in a 10-round bout. Tua ended the match being the aggressor and hurt Hawkins in both the ninth and tenth rounds with body punches, but was unable to end the match with a knockout.^[16]

Tua, looking in good shape and weighing in at 237½ lbs (his lightest fight weight since 2001), was featured as the main event of a Pay Per View show^[17] on 18 August 2007 inSandy, Utah and ended the bout quickly with a first-round knockout of Mexican championSaul Montana. Tua threw two powerful left hooks to the head that sent Montana sprawling to the canvas giving Tua his sixth win in a row.^[18]

Tua, again looking in good shape and weighing in at 234 lbs, fought the unheralded Cerrone Fox at theSoaring Eagle Casino,Mt. Pleasant, Michigan on 7 September 2007. Tua made short work of his over matched opponent ending the bout at 1:41 of the second round.

While Tua's promoter,Cedric Kushner, stated Tua was scheduled to fight an opponent on 18 October 2007,^[19] the fight never materialized.

Tua fought fellow New ZealanderShane Cameron at Mystery Creek, Hamilton on 3 October 2009 with Tua knocking Cameron out seven seconds into the second round to pick up theWBO Asia Pacific and Oriental Heavyweight titles. The promoters for the fight were John McRae and David Higgins of Duco Events. The fight had been scheduled for an earlier date, but was delayed due to Cameron having surgery on a fractured hand.^[20]

On 31 March 2010 Tua foughtFriday Ahunanya, winning on points after 12 rounds. The fight promoters for this fight were again John McRae and David Higgins of Duco Events.

The Tua-Barrett fight had been tentatively scheduled for 26 June in São Paulo, Brazil. However, the fight was moved to 17 July at the Tropicana Casino and Resort in Atlantic City in a bid to promote David Tua's career in the United States. At 38 years old, Monte Barrett (34-9, 20 KOs) was viewed by some as an easy opponent for Tua as he had lost his previous three fights. The match was a controversial draw with Tua being knocked down for the first time in his professional career late in the 12th round.^[21]

Tua foughtDemetrice King on 19 March 2011.^[22] Tua defeated King by unanimous decision with the scores of 100–91, 100–91, and 100–90.^[23]

Tua's rematch against Monte Barrett on 13 August 2011 resulted in a unanimous points decision going in favour of Barrett. The judges scored the bout 113–112, 115–112, and 115–112.

In December 2011, it emerged that Monte Barrett tested positive for banned stimulantmethylhexanamine following a urine test after his 13 August points decision over Tua. Tua's lawyer, Blair Edwards, called for action against the 40-year-old New Yorker requesting the return of Tua's WBO Asia-Pacific and Oriental titles and the restoration of ranking points.^[24]

In June 2013 it was confirmed that Tua was once again getting back into the ring.BelarusianAlexander Ustinov defeated him by unanimous points decision, following which he announced his retirement from professional boxing.^[25]Ringside Report were mixed in their evaluation of his career, referring to him as "one of the best heavyweights never to win a world title".^[26]

On 10 October 1992 Tua appeared on the New Zealand version of thegame showWheel of Fortune. He had asked for an "O for Olsen" (possibly a reference toOlsen Filipaina) but this was heard by some (and widely reported) as "O for awesome".^[27][28] He requested "P" when buying a vowel on the same episode.^[29] He was also heard to ask if he could buy a "constonant" during the same show.

From 1992 to 2003, Tua was managed by former boxerKevin Barry, who also trained him from 2001. In 2003 Tua ended his business relationship with Barry and financial manager Martin Pugh. Though Barry accepted his dismissal as trainer, he resisted Tua's decision to end their contract, which still had two years to go.In 2004, Tua's accountant learned that the boxer's finances with his boxing company, Tuaman Inc. Ltd., were tangled with company expenses; Tua no longer had most of his 20 million NZD in purses from his professional matches, and important assets Tua thought he owned alone were anything but, including a piece of coastal land atPākiri. Tuaman Inc. Ltd had business expenses flowing in various directions, involving companies and clients Tua had no knowledge of. Tua's own home was purchased with borrowed money, and the boxer's purses were linked to renovation costs for Martin Pugh's property. These findings were based on documents from Pugh's offices.

In 2005 Tua took Kevin Barry and Martin Pugh to court over their business arrangements. Barry and Pugh accused Tua of manipulating them to collect revenue, yet Tua maintained that he knew little of the men's affairs and did what they told him to do out of trust. The dispute gave both sides legal victories: over the issue of the coastal land property, the court ruled in favour of Barry and Pugh, since Tua failed to properly clarify his ownership over the land; on the issue of the terminated 2003 contract, the court ruled in Tua's favour, concluding he clearly owed no expenses to his former management from that contract. In October 2009, it was reported inThe New Zealand Herald that the parties had settled all previously unresolved matters arising from the protracted litigation.^[30]

In May 2007,Cedric Kushner, president of Gotham Boxing Inc. and Tua's promoter, filed a $5 million lawsuit against IBF heavyweight championWladimir Klitschko and promoterShelly Finkel among others – and while the lawsuit is unrelated to Tua, Kushner has stated he will drop the lawsuit if Tua is given a title bout against Klitschko in 2008, which ultimately failed to materialize.^[31]

In September 2009, Tua's aunt was killed in theSamoa tsunami. In early October he travelled to Samoa with cousinVa'aiga Tuigamala to see how they could help.^[32]

In the2019 Queen's Birthday Honours, Tua was appointed anOfficer of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to youth, boxing and the community,^[33] having previously been appointed aMember of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to boxing, in the2001 New Year Honours.^[34]

In 1996, Tua was honoured by the country ofTuvalu, with a stamp commemorating the1996 Summer Olympic Games inAtlanta, Georgia, United States bearing Tua's likeness and name on it.^[35]

• Tua is mentioned in an episode of the animated seriesFamily Guy, when characterStewie draws Tua's likeness on a wall.^[36]
• In 2020, he is seen to be in a gathering opposing the legalisation of recreational use of cannabis.^[37]

• 2022 Florida Boxing Hall of Fame
• 2020 US National Boxing Hall of Fame
• 2020 NZ Boxing Hall of Fame
• 2019 Gladrap Boxing Hall of fame^[38]
• 2019 Officer of theNew Zealand Order of Merit^[39]

• Official website
• Boxing record for David Tua fromBoxRec(registration required)

• 1972 births
• Living people
• Samoan male boxers
• Heavyweight boxers
• Boxers at the 1992 Summer Olympics
• Officers of the New Zealand Order of Merit
• Olympic boxers for New Zealand
• Olympic bronze medalists for New Zealand
• Olympic medalists in boxing
• People educated at Otahuhu College
• Boxers trained by Kevin Barry
• Boxers trained by Chris Martin
• People from A'ana
• Samoan emigrants to New Zealand
• New Zealand male boxers
• AIBA World Boxing Championships medalists
• Medalists at the 1992 Summer Olympics

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