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'I'd like to fight him right now' Tua hopes to get Lewis in ring before November
Posted: Wednesday May 03, 2000 12:03 AM
LAS VEGAS (AP) -- David Tua likes what he sees in heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis. And he would like to see more of him soon. Tua said Tuesday he came away impressed by what Lewis did in demolishing Michael Grant in their title fight Saturday night, but even more convinced that Lewis is ready-made for him in the ring. "Lewis looked great. He went out there and did what he had to do," Tua said. "But I'd like to fight him right now." That won't happen, of course, because in boxing nothing happens easily. But Tua is firmly in place as the IBF's No. 1 contender, and Lewis has to fight him by Nov. 13 or give up that piece of his title. "He's the world champion and the one everybody eyes out there," Tua said in a conference call. "But the fans deserve what they should get. They need to see David Tua go out there and destroy Lennox Lewis." Tua's handlers had tried to get him the fight that Grant took Saturday night, only to get knocked out in the second round by Lewis. That didn't happen, but Tua has been promised a Lewis fight by the November deadline. Promoters for Lewis said the champion will fight July 15, against Francois Botha in England, then take on Tua sometime in the fall. In the meantime, Tua (35-1, 30 knockouts) began training last week for a May 29 fight against an unnamed opponent to keep busy. "Lennox is obviously taking a road to avoid David," said Tua's promoter, Dan Goossen. "He can't avoid him by November, though. He has to fight him or give up the title." Lewis, of course, is already down one title, after a judge ruled the WBA could strip him for fighting Grant instead of its No. 1 contender. He's unlikely to want to lose another. Tua, of America Samoa, would be dangerous to Lewis if only because he is a big puncher who fights well inside. At 5-10, he would be seven inches shorter than the champion, but his swarming, all-out style could pose problems. "Lewis for many years has looked good against taller and bigger guys," Tua said. "All he has to do is punch straight at them. For me, he'll have to punch down. I'll slip punches, hit him in the body, hit him in the chest." Tua said he was also looking forward to a possible Mike Tyson fight in the future. That fight would match two boxers almost identical in size and shape and fighting styles in what would figure to be a brawl from the opening bell. "That fight should be on Independence Day because it would be fireworks," Tua said. "We're both strong guys, one from a different era and one from the present era but with two same styles of fighting."
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