Exclusive Boxing Interview: David Tua

The hard punching heavyweight David Tua, 46-3-1 (40), will face Robert Hawkins, 21-6 (7) on Thursday, February 22, 2007 at the Roseland Ballroom in New York, NY.

Tua is known for his knockout power and seeks his fifth consecutive victory since his return to the ring in 2005. In an exclusive phone interview, SaddoBoxing had the pleasure to discuss Tua’s return to the sport, his outlook on his comeback and his future in the sport.

SaddoBoxing: I would like start out by talking a little bit about your boxing career. Why did you take off the two years after your draw with Hasim Rahman in March, 2003?

David Tua: “It was not by choice but it worked out for the best. I left because of legal situations with the managers I had in the past. Somehow a lot of positive things happened during that time. My body had been taking a beating for two and a half years.

“Even though it was some very challenging and frustrating times, somehow it allowed my body to have a good rest. So like I said, it wasn’t by choice but it worked out for the best; that time away did me a lot of good.”

SB: Do you feel better now than you did earlier in your career?

DT: “I feel great, I really do.”

SB: Are you able to talk about your legal complications or are they still pending?

DT: “It’s very simple. It’s all about money; money and trust. Obviously, in due time justice will prevail. It is important for me not to speak at this particular time about what’s happening. I need to respect the court because it’s still going. It’s important that I concentrate on getting my life in order and more importantly I need to get back to doing what I love which is to get back into the ring. In due time I will talk, but right now it’s not important.

“It’s black and white; it’s about money and trust. Obviously my trust had been abused and that’s what happens at times when there is a lot of money involved. Values and morals get thrown out the door and the real character of a person is revealed. Unfortunately these things happen all the time when your dealing with money, but that’s life.”

SB: It seems that the sport of boxing has a black eye when it comes to trust and money.

DT: “It is unfortunate for boxing. It almost seems like boxing is the only sport where that problem happens. I’m sure it happens in any sports. Unfortunately for boxing it has often been talked about not only amongst fighters but the media as well. But that’s the way it is; I can honestly say I’m glad this happened because it allows me to look at life a little different. I’ve grown up from it and I have become a better person.”

SB: It’s difficult when those situations happen, but it’s good that you have a positive way of looking at it.

DT: “Well it’s important, I tell you this; when my mother was admitted to the hospital, she had been a smoker for a long time. We thought she was going in for a normal heart operation. But to make a long story short, she ended up having a triple bypass; after the surgery was done the surgeon told me my mother was on life support, he lost her twice and the third time he thought she was gone, he carried on with the operation and everything went well and he hooked her up on life support.

“He advised the next eight to eleven hours would be very critical. For the next two days I didn’t sleep, I didn’t eat I just slept in my car. It was like a breath of life when she called and said she was ok. I realize through these challenging times in court with these guys, I knew why God had kept her because she had been so strong throughout. She advised me so many times; in challenging times when I wasn’t thinking straight.

“She was kept alive for a lot of reasons rather than just what I’ve gone through; the support of my family and everybody else but more importantly I’ve worked too hard. I’m sure there are people that have it worst than me but sometimes you get dealt with a bad hand of cards so to speak and you make the most of what you get. As fighters it is important not to roll over and play dead, you stick with it and stick with it and it’s going to happen.”

SB: Is that what prompted your return in 2005?

DT: “I have always wanted to be world champion, given the fact that I didn’t win. At times you go through the motions and you say things without thinking about them. As I’ve said the time I spent away have just put everything in perspective; the right perspective. I’m glad that it happened, for me it obviously took what happened to realize what I was going to do and it took my mother to advise me a lot of times.

“Apart from my wife and my kids this is what I want to do. At the end of the day you need to be self driven. You have to do things for the right reasons. I’m not doing it to prove to these guys that they can’t stop me, they can’t hold me down. I am doing it because the only thing that matters is to become world champion.”

SB: How would you describe your two year return to the ring so far?

DT: “It’s been slow, it’s been frustrating. I am no where near as active as I should be but this is the year. I need to be busy. I need to fight back to back without looking past Robert Hawkins. I need to be busy; I have been inactive for a very long time. I can’t expect to be where I am at now, fighting every six to eight months. It just can’t happen that way. I need to get back into the swing of things.”

SB: How many opponents do you think you will need to face before you are ready to once again take on the top 10 contenders in the division?

DT: “To be honest with you it might take 2, 3 or 4; it might take less than that. It’s a feeling factor if you know what I mean. It might take 3 fights to get the momentum going forward of where it used to be, or it maybe could be better. I don’t know that at this stage. I have to go with the feeling. But all in due time, I don’t want to put too much on it because the fact is the way I look at it; it’s about doing everything right from now on or I would rather not do it at all.”

SB: How do you rate the heavyweight division?

DT: “It’s exciting for me. It’s probably more realistic now for me to become champion of the world one day. Obviously because of the way it looks; but I don’t know, I guess these world champions that are holding the titles right now would not be called champions or would not have become champions if they didn’t fight for the right and win it. It may be weak competition but it is what it is.”

SB: Could you specifically rate the current belt holders?

DT: “Klitschko is the elite champion of the four belt holders.”

SB: Let’s talk about your upcoming fight this week with Robert Hawkins. Was there any specific reason he was chosen as your next opponent?

DT: “He’s a great opponent. He is a technical fighter. He’s a tough fighter; he went the distance with Samuel Peter and Peter is supposedly the hardest punching heavyweight in the division. It’s a good opponent; I don’t mean that in a disrespectful way. This guy is coming to fight and I am well prepared for it.”

SB: Are you hoping to make a statement with a knockout since it was something Sam Peter was not able to accomplish against Hawkins?

DT: “Definitely but I am not focusing on one particular thing; a win is a win. I need to win good, but I am not going to put too much pressure on myself. Certainly a good win against Robert Hawkins would be good enough for me.”

SB: How have you been preparing for the fight?

DT: “We have had our great training camp in Scottsdale , Arizona . I have sparred with a lot of good guys in camp. I sparred against a touch Mexican fighter George Garcia but he got hurt so I wasn’t able to work with him. I ended up working with a very good boxer by the name of Danny Batchelder.

“Sparring with him everyday is like playing chess. Everyday he doesn’t show up the same person that I sparred the day before which is very good. I am very well prepared for this fight physically, mentally and spiritually; I am prepared for anything.

SB: How long have you been in camp?

DT: “We have been there for about seven weeks.”

SB: Is that your typical preparation time for a fight?

DT: “Yes, about seven -eight weeks.”

SB: Do you have any predictions for the fight?

DT: “Yes. One word W-I-N. (Laughing) I’m not helping you too much am I?”

SB: No (laughing) that’s great.

DT: “I just want to say one thing as always, I want to thank the fans for there support and prayers, I appreciate it as always.”

SB: It has really been a pleasure speaking to you, I’ll see you Thursday and I wish you the best of luck?

DT: “Thank you very much for your time, I appreciate the opportunity. Have a great day.”