November 10, 2000
Boston, MA
J
ust one day from this year's first and only heavyweight superfight, many
have pondered the possible outcomes of the intriguing match-up between
heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis and his number one challenger, David "The
Terminator" Tua. Though Tua is listed as a 3 ½ -1 underdog, many have given
the stout Samoan power puncher more than a chance to upset the towering
Lewis. According to web site polls conducted by the House of Boxing and
ESPN, Tua is just slightly behind in the total percentage of votes however;
over 45% of the voters feel that Tua will win the title via knockout.
Whether they'll admit it or not, most observers who do the good deed of
covering boxing matches haven't had as difficult a time in seeing who will
walk out of the ring with the heavyweight title. In a poll taken by the
CBZ, Lewis defeated Tua in many minds. Here are what members of the CBZ
staff and others covering the beat had to say about tomorrow nights ring
version of Bush vs. Gore.
"My prediction is Lennox Lewis by unanimous decision. Also the fight will go
over 1:30 seconds of round seven. Tua has a solid chin and a good defense,
with enough offense to keep Lewis at a distance.
MEL BARON,
Gaming Today
"Lewis KO 3 Tua. Lennox is a slow starter."
GEORGE KIMBAL,
Boston Herald
"The only way Tua can defeat Lewis is if he brought a ladder. Lewis by
decision or late round TKO."
BERT RANDOLPH SUGAR,
Publisher, Fight Game Magazine
"Lewis will win the fight by knockout in the 8th round, but Tua will test
him
early. You heard it here first..."
DOUG HASTINGS
Assistant Sports Information Director,
Bentley College
"As hard a puncher as Tua is, he cannot find a way to win this fight. If
Lewis rises to the occasion, he takes him out in four rounds. Otherwise he
wins a lopsided decision. I think the latter will happen. It will be a
boring, one-sided battle."
BOB MLADINICH,
The Fist Magazine
"Lewis will be winning the fight big, get lazy, and get caught by a Tua
bomb. Ten seconds later, there will be a new heavyweight champion. Tua KO11
Lewis."
TOM GERBASI,
House of Boxing
"Lennox Lewis by 3rd round Knockout"
DAVE IAMELE,
Freelance Boxing Writer
"I think that Tua will simply be too strong for Lennox. Styles make fights
and
I see a Tua right hand coming over a lazy Lewis jab, followed by a left hook
to the jaw that puts the champ away in round 7. Tua has fought plenty of
solid competition and doesn't seem as though he can be hurt. Lewis will try
to fight the way he did against the smaller Holyfield, but he will find that
Tua is far and beyond where Evander is at this point. My prediction, with a
highlight-type KO. Tua KO7 Lewis."
MICHAEL NOSKEY,
SecondsOut.com
"I like Lennox by a late stoppage. Everybody is talking about what a granite
chin Tua has, and perhaps he does, but he's never tasted the kind of power
Lennox will be dropping on him. Lennox' confidence is soaring right now and
I don't think he'll hold back on
this guy the way he did with Evander. Tua, especially if he's coming in
around 250 pounds, will have a nightmarish time getting inside of Lewis.
Lennox uses the ring so well for a bigger guy and I expect him to throw the
jab with some authority and keep Tua on the
outside. Tua really offers little more than big power, which Lennox has
dealt with many times before. He's handled punchers like Ruddock, Golota and
Morrison with ease. His boxing ability will overwhelm Tua and I expect him
to expose the Samoan quite a bit. He'll
punish Tua throughout the fight with the jab and frequent right hands and
then get him out of there around round 9."
TED BODENRADER
Ring Magazine, House of Boxing
"Lewis is confident for this fight. Tua has good punching power so it can go
either way."
IKE ENWEREUZOR,
Jacular Boxing
"Tua is dangerous enough that Lewis will avoid mixing it up with him. He
will use his superior size and reach to keep his distance and his boxing
skills to out-point him and win a boring, but easy decision. It will be the
type of fight that will give Tyson fans hope, false hope.Lewis WUD 12."
STEVE TOBEY,
Boxing Digest
"LENNOX LEWIS WU12 DAVID TUA - Lewis is just too big and has too big of a
reach. Lewis is a smart fighter and knows that Tua is a big puncher so I
think he will fight a
cautious fight and try and keep it on the outside. Tua has trouble with guys
that have reach (Ike Ibeabuchi) but he also has a granite chin (never seen
him hurt) so I think Lewis will play it smart and box his ears off. Tua will
be frustrated and will be unable to cope with Lewis' jab. If Tua can connect
then who knows what will happen - but I think
Lewis will make every effort to ensure that Tua does not land a clean punch."
TED "Dr.TKO" PANAGIOTIS,
Director of Boxing Operations,
Classic Entertainment & Sports, Inc.
"Tua much jabbing, Tua much experience under fire, Tua much right hand
power,
Tua much Lennox for this aggressive midget. Lewis by KO in five."
MICHAEL MARLEY, lawyer and manager or adviser to SHANNON BRIGGS, ORLIN
NORRIS and rising welterweight TONTON SEMAKALA.
"Lewis TKO8......Tua unable to get inside, Lewis keeps improving."
BOB TRIEGER,
Publicist for John "The Quietman" Ruiz & "Irish" Micky Ward.
"Lewis by unanimous decision"
BoxingRules1,
Cyber Boxing Zone
Tua KO2 Lewis
"Should be just like the 'old' Tyson; short and fierce fight."
BARRY LINDENMAN,
CBZ, Boxing World, Boxing Monthly, etc.
"I believe that Tua is going to score an eighth round TKO. I think he'll
start fast and surprise Lewis with an aggressive attack. He'll get under
Lewis' jab and work the body and take the first three rounds. Lewis like a
real champion will come on and win the 4th and 5th rounds with a snappy jab.
The pace will start to wear on Lewis beginning with the sixth and he'll
start breathing heavily. Tua will take the sixth round. Tua will surprise
Lewis in the seventh and drop him for a short count with an overhand right.
Lewis will survive the round by holding on. A winded Lewis will come for the
eighth looking for a knockout and will run into a Tua left hook that will
drop him on his back. Lewis will show the heart of a
champion by getting up. But, Tua will not be denied and will rain an
avalanche of punches on a now defenseless Lewis causing the referee to stop
the fight."
DAN CUOCO,
Director, IBRO/ Cyber Boxing Zone
"Most people see two likely scenarios unfolding. The first being that
Lewis' tremendous size advantage (height/reach advantage) will enable him to
keep the slower Tua at a safe distance and pile up a one-sided points
victory. The other scenario is the same thing happening but with Tua
knocking the champion out before the 12 rounds is up. At this point, I'm
going with the latter. Lewis fights well aggressively, however it is a
doomed tactic against Tua. Lewis' best strategy would be to keep Tua from
getting inside. I don't think that this will be as easy a task as everyone
thinks. Lewis and his corner are well aware of Tua's power and infighting
skills. Just as they had respected and fought cautiously against the aged
Evander Holyfield, don't expect Lewis to come forward with his vaunted
power. As we had seen against Holyfield, Lewis never hurt Holyfield
fighting cautiously and therefore, will not hurt Tua. I believe that Tua's
persistent pressure will wear the champion down and remove him from the
undisputed throne. Tua by knockout."
JD VENA,
Cyber Boxing Zone
"Tua TKO10 Lewis"
Phrank Da Slugger,
Editor/Publisher "Bob's Feints" boxing journal/Cyber Boxing Zone
"Hell, I don't know. My left brain says Lewis by decision. My right says Tua
by TKO, in maybe 9 rounds. Since we're not playing with real money here,
I'll go with Tua on a hunch."
LUCIUS SHEPARD
Cyber Boxing Zone
"I like David Tua by a knockout in the late rounds, probably 10th 11th or
twelfth. Lewis has been tagged by an older, slower version of Holyfield.
Also, McCall nailed him when he was younger in the only way he could have
won the match. He survived Mercer, but only barely. None of these fighters
can be compared to the young, hungry, hard-hitting David Tua. Tua has been
absorbed the best punches thrown by Ike Ibeabuchi and Oleg Maskaev. He has
the chin and sturdy legs to last. Is he too short? Is his reach too short?
Was Dempsey to short against Willard or Louis against Buddy Baer or Frazier
against Ali or Marciano against anyone? David Tua is not too short. He'll
win and then on to Tyson. Lewis is too big to stay away from Tua for twelve
rounds. David will make him work and he'll tire and get nailed. Tua in the
late rounds by knockout."
ROCKY ALKAZOFF,
Cyber Boxing Zone
"In my humble opinion, I think that Lennox Lewis will win by a decision or
late-round KO. Tua does have a punchers chance, but I believe that's all he
has going for him. Lewis has fought (and for the most part dominated) all of
the top heavyweights of his era. His jab, foot speed & defense will be HUGE
advantages against a plodder like Tua. I also feel that Lennox' power is
vastly underrated by a majority of the boxing community. I also believe in
my heart that if Lennox hadn't looked past Oliver McCall on that night in
London we may be discussing if he is the best heavyweight champion of all
time. Tua hasn't exactly looked the part of a champion when he's been in
with QUALITY opposition. Oleg Maskaev almost beat him, Hasim Rahman was also
beating him until he too was caught with the Tua left and Ike Ibeabuchi
almost killed David when he beat him. If David had trouble with these above
average heavyweights, just wait & see what a GREAT heavyweight like Lewis
can do with him. That said, the Tua left hook is a real wildcard in this
fight."
STEVE COUGHLIN,
Cyber Boxing Zone
"It is likely that this fight will initially appear to be a mismatch.
However, if Tua is still around late in the fight, don't blink, because
there will be drama somewhere. In the final analysis, the edge goes to
Lewis, but I would not bet on this one, because I could not take the agony
of waiting to see if Tua lands the bomb."
Adam Pollock,
Cyber Boxing Zone
"Without sounding pessimistic, I believe Lewis will outpoint Tua by
employing
the same style he used against Holyfield."
Sin City Richey,
Cyber Boxing Zone
Tua TKO 9 Lewis - "Lewis starts off strong, sees he can't hurt Tua. Tua
works steadily, and despite appearances, is actually in better shape than
Lewis. Lewis starts to tire in
round 7. Tua keeps up the pressure and drops Lewis in the 9th. Lewis is
groggy and Tua flurries until the referee steps in."
Knuckle Junction,
Cyber Boxing Zone
"Lewis by decision or late round TKO."
STEPHEN GORDON (a.k.a. BUCKET/ GorDoom)
Co-Publisher/ Managing Editor-in-Chief, Cyber Boxing Zone
"Galento gets moidered by 'da bum."
MIKE DELISA
"I like Lewis by decision. He has the better boxing skills and defense. Lennox is vulnerable to the straight right since he drops his left after jabbing frequently and Tua's big punch is a left hook. Tua is easy to hit and does not bob and weave on the inside like Joe Frazier, he is not always consistent in pressuring in this manner either. He will need to be against Lewis. Tua is hungrier but unless he lands a terrific shot early I must take Lewis. Lewis W 12 Tua."
MONTE COX
CBZ Contributor