Tua vs. The Greats

[The_Demon]

he didn't lose to the 3 "best guys" he faced.

lewis was great but i don't know how one can "without a doubt" claim that byrd and ike was so much better than the guys he did beat.

only one has to do is watch byrd-oquendo to see this.

a win by ibeabuchi over guys like rahman or even maskaev is not a given either.

Ok well the one great he fought he looked out of his depth,ye style wise it was a bad match-up for him but even by lennox's standards he made that fight look ridiculously easy.Tua beat some good fighters,as he was a good fighter with power,but could he beat many of the greats? no chance

[IronDanHamza]

i think liston will own tua with that beautiful jab on the outside and when they do mix it up liston will give us much as he gets.

maybe tua doesn't get koed but liston definitely wins.

Yeah, I agree.

[Left Hook Tua]

Dude, way to hold down a fort. I really hadn't noticed how many people you were responding to the first time I posted. props to you my friend.

Your right I assumed you meant your ATG 15.

Your right size isn't always a pro weather your talking big or little. My point was Tua only knows how to fight a short man's fight. Similarly to how Primo only knew how to be big. What would happen to Primo if he had to fight a guy larger than him? That's basically how I see Tua v Marciano. Of the two of them I think Tua would have to make adjustments to his game plan, and Rocky gets to box the way Rocky does from the crouch. Tua making adjustment to his game plan

Tony Galento is a side show. I love that fat bald bastard, and that is an excellent point. Tua definitely has a one punch chance against anyone. I never meant to communicate any doubt in that, and Galento is no Tua thats for sure, but I think Joe might have underestimated Galento. I wouldn't assume Joe Louis would be too scared of a guy who wrestles bears, and boxes kangaroos. I would assume Joe might get intimidated by a huge islander. Also it's very true that Joe was a puncher's boxer, and he'd engage Tua both on the inside and at a distance. Like I said before Tua can only fight the short mans fight. I think Joe's uppercut wins on the inside.

i just like talking about the heavyweight division (especially the past)

i don't think tua would have to make much of a change to fight smaller men. i think fighting taller men was more to his detriment than fighting shorter ones.

rocky would come to fight as he always does and i think it'll be a battle of attrition with tua. in that kind of battle , i'll side with the stronger and more durable of the two.

oh the brown bomber definitely had an off night against galento. whether it was lack of training or focus. something. i just threw it out there.

i definitely can see joe louis schooling tua for 12 in a lopsided win. i think tua has a very good puncher's chance against joe though.

[Left Hook Tua]

Ok well the one great he fought he looked out of his depth,ye style wise it was a bad match-up for him but even by lennox's standards he made that fight look ridiculously easy.Tua beat some good fighters,as he was a good fighter with power,but could he beat many of the greats? no chance

lennox was just beyond him skills wise AND physically.

i think depending on the matchups tua could be competitive with some of them. notice how the ones i pick tua to beat either is not very big , doesn't have a great chin , etc.

i'm just interested in talking about the styles matchup and analyzing how the fight would go.

a lot of the other people here seem to just want to say "_________ is greater! tua would lose!"

what's the fun in saying that?

[Left Hook Tua]

Loses to Vitali.

Depends what Wlad he fights

wlad-puritty or wlad-brewster please.

[SirTomJones]

wlad-puritty or wlad-brewster please.

yeah then Wlad gets hit into row z

[The_Demon]

lennox was just beyond him skills wise AND physically.

i think depending on the matchups tua could be competitive with some of them. notice how the ones i pick tua to beat either is not very big , doesn't have a great chin , etc.

i'm just interested in talking about the styles matchup and analyzing how the fight would go.

a lot of the other people here seem to just want to say "_________ is greater! tua would lose!"

what's the fun in saying that?

Ye,fair point

Tua/Marciano is the most mouth-watering match up on the list imo,that fight literally has too be explosive

[Left Hook Tua]

Ye,fair point

Tua/Marciano is the most mouth-watering match up on the list imo,that fight literally has too be explosive

frazier-tua is up there.

foreman-tua would be crazy until tua gets ktfo.

[The_Demon]

frazier-tua is up there.

foreman-tua would be crazy until tua gets ktfo.

Ye i like the way Tua matches up with the shorter guys like marciano and frazier,it guarantees action and that is why you cant completely write him off too be honest,although i see frazier being too much for him

[nomadman]

Have refrained from giving my opinion on Johnson as I haven't seen enough of his fights to judge.

David Tua vs. Mike Tyson - Tyson by UD or TKO. I think prime Tyson is the only fighter on this list who could actually stop Tua, even if it's a referee stoppage with Tua still on his feet. Both have tremendous power, explosiveness and handspeed, and the rock solid jaws to weather each other's best shots (for a time). Tyson had the advantage of quicker feet, great combination punching and a better boxing brain. I think he lands more of his hard shots on Tua, possibly staggers Tua sometime in the mid rounds (hard to say as I can't recall prime Tua ever even being hurt) and opens up with vicious combinations, forcing the ref to save Tua from further punishment. The reverse is valid also, just less likely. Or they just go to the cards, with Tyson winning a UD.

David Tua vs. George Foreman - Foreman by UD. Think this fight looks a lot like the Lewis fight, with Tua feeling George's power early, and becoming somewhat unwilling to engage, yet landing enough of his own hard shots to keep Big George honest. I actually consider Tua a harder puncher than George, but this is a horrible style matchup for him, and George's jab, uppercut and overhand right will be finding Tua's dome again and again if Tua's fool enough to stand in front of him. Tua could land something big, but my guess is he gets pushed off every time he gets close enough. Foreman by fairly comfortable UD.

David Tua vs. Larry Holmes - Holmes by UD. Not much to say here. Holmes outboxes the crap out of Tua and wins on the judges cards.

David Tua vs. Muhammad Ali - Ali by UD. See above. Can see Ali taking a monster leaping left hook from Tua though the way he did against Frazier and the way Lewis did against Tua. Both shots were virtually identical.

David Tua vs. Sonny Liston - Liston by UD. Tua Rahman II all over again. I think Tua has a real hard time getting past Liston's jab, and gets outboxed to a UD. Tua might catch Liston with something big, but the chances are he shuts down after he takes a few hard blows, and loses a decision.

David Tua vs. Evander Holyfield - Evander by UD. Evander would be well aware of Tua's power and would most likely fight this one on the outside, bouncing in with quick hard combinations, and bouncing out again. He'd probably get caught with a shot or two from Tua, but unless Tua catches him real flush in the sweet spot, I can't see Evander getting too rattled.

David Tua vs. Rid**** Bowe - Bowe by UD. Tough one to predict since Bowe could never help himself against brawlers. Ultimately though I think his toughness, his size, his workrate and his combination punching force Tua to go into a shell from which he never (or rarely) emerges. Wouldn't be surprised to see him get rocked by Tua though, possibly multiple times.

David Tua vs. Joe Louis - Tua by KO. Louis has a pretty bad jaw and was hurt and knocked down by far lesser punchers than Tua. He would also be playing right into Tua hands by fighting him on the inside. Sooner or later Tua lands a hard shot in an exchange and knocks Louis loopy. I respect Louis a lot but I highly doubt he wins this one.

David Tua vs. Joe Frazier - Tua by TKO. Another tough one to predict, but I feel that Tua's physical skills are too much for Joe, who'll try to slug it out with him and come out second best. Joe's heart was amazing and he'd be fighting Tua every step of the way, but there's only so much the human body can take, and sooner or later the cumulative effect of Tua's left hooks will begin to wear on Joe, resulting in a KO or TKO. Would be absolute fireworks before that though. Best matchup on this list.

David Tua vs. Lennox Lewis - Lewis by UD. Kind of a no-brainer.

David Tua vs. Rocky Marciano - Tua by KO. Another style matchup that greatly favours Tua. Marciano was slower, weaker, smaller and less resilient than Tua, and would be playing right into his hands. Tua causes serious damage to the Rock's face and probably knocks him down multiple times before the full damage to his brain prevents him from getting up again. Another very fun matchup though, and Rocky'd probably put up a great fight till the end.

David Tua vs. Floyd Patterson - Tua by KO. Can't really see Patterson withstanding a single good shot from Tua. I think Tua blitzes him, Moorer style.

David Tua vs. Vitali Klitschko - Klitschko by UD. Terrible style matchup for Tua. He gets battered and beat around but lasts to the end.

David Tua vs. Wladimir Klitschko - Wlad by UD. Wlad keeps him at bay with his jab and ties him up on the inside. Tua will be forced to lunge and punch upward, taking a good deal out of his sting. Wlad starts strafing him with rights in the mid rounds, forcing Tua into a shell. Last few rounds become a clinch-fest as a hurt and tired Tua lazily tries to make his way inside and Wlad tries not to make any foolish mistakes. Basically very similar to the second Peter fight, minus the knockout, or the second Brewster fight.