Tua howls, Lewis takes care of business

By JOHN PHILLIPS

LAS VEGAS (November 8, 2000 1:21 p.m. EST http://www.sportserver.com) - David Tua threw back his head and let loose one of his Samoan warrior howls after his final public workout on Tuesday.

The man who will try to take Lennox Lewis's heavyweight titles on Saturday jumped onto the ropes in a corner of the ring and pumped his massive arm into the air, inhaling the cheers and the shouts of "Tua, Tua, Tua" from about 100 fans who watched him go through his paces.

Then the "100 percent Samoan," as he refers to himself these days, threw T-shirts into the stands, draped his Samoan warrior blood-red beads around his neck and sat on the ring apron to answer reporters' questions. One question concerning his feelings about the positive support he is receiving back home in Samoa brought tears to his eyes.

In stark contrast several hours later, Lennox Lewis took to the ring in the Mandalay Bay hotel arena to give fans and the media a final look at him before Saturday.

Lewis was all business, loosening up and hitting the sparring pads worn by trainer Emanuel Steward, who darted around the ring, throwing up elusive targets with leaps and bouncing off the ropes as Tua, much shorter than Lewis, is expected to do on Saturday.

Tua has been the International Boxing Federation's No. 1 contender for the better part of two years, and the frustration and relief of finally having a shot at the title showed in his exuberance on Tuesday.

Lewis, on the other hand, gave a distinct air of "been here, done this." The 35-year-old Briton, who seems finally to be comfortable in his role as leader of the heavyweight pack, quietly went through his paces in his usual dispassionate fashion and calmly spoke about his accomplishments in and out of the ring.

While he said he would like to fight Mike Tyson and thinks Tyson should want to fight him for the money alone, Lewis said that "there's nothing I can really do to force it."

Lewis said that for the huge payday he could offer, Tyson would "absolutely" come out of the retirement that he insisted (but many doubt) that he entered after his aborted fight last month with Andrew Golota.

"He can look me up at Lennox Lewis.com. Write me an e-mail," said Lewis of Tyson, who is rumored to be coming to Saturday's fight.

"I'm glad Tyson will be here. He's a big boxing fan and a big fan of me. Everyone wants to see the undisputed champion," Lewis deadpanned. "So I'll be glad to see him in the crowd."

As far as his own retirement, Lewis seemed to waffle. He told one group of reporters earlier that he would quit after two more fights, including a Tyson bout. But later he told reporters that he couldn't give a definite answer.

"I'm just beginning to get on top of my game," he said. "Allow me to enjoy it a bit."

But when he decides to quit, there will be no second thoughts.

"I look at Muhammad Ali and Sugar Ray Leonard and wonder why did they come back?," Lewis said. "When I leave the sport, I want to be like Marvelous Marvin Hagler and not look back."

Turning to the task at hand, Lewis said that Tua, who possesses one of the most powerful left hooks in the sport, is a tough opponent.

But "if Tua only has power to bring to the table, all he's gonna be doing is walking around getting into position to throw his power punches. He's not going to outjab me. There are so many things I can do, and there is only one thing he can do."

But the 35-1-1 Lewis, who will be putting his IBF and World Boxing Council titles up against the IBF's top-ranked contender, said the fight "will be a slugfest at the start" but that Tua will never be able to get past his jab. "The only person who can beat me is Lennox Lewis," Lewis said.

Assuming a bravado and careless approach that he usually avoids, Lewis said, "I want to see what his left hook is all about." A reporter offered: "But not too intimately?" Lewis agreed.

Tua has been frustrated for several years in his bid to get a title shot and on Tuesday seemed to disown any bitterness, saying "the mistake they made with David Tua is to give him a chance to mature as a fighter."

The soft-spoken and unfailingly polite 27-year-old Tua left the threats to his cornermen on Tuesday.

"David Tua will throw more punches in six rounds than Lennox Lewis throws in 12," said Kevin Barry, Tua's manager. "Believe me, the first time Lewis is in trouble in the fight there's no second chance. You'll see Tua throwing every punch in the book. We've seen the best Lennox Lewis. We haven't yet seen the best David Tua. On Saturday night we will."

Tua (37-1) was asked about running into Lewis recently in a hall of the cavernous hotel.

"It was a beautiful gathering. He was warm. I was warm. But," Tua said with a smile, "we didn't hug and kiss."

By TIM DAHLBERG

LAS VEGAS (November 8, 2000 5:15 p.m. EST http://www.sportserver.com) - Fighting heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis would be a hair-raising experience for most fighters.

David Tua's hair, though, is already plenty high enough.

Tua's spiky hairdo became an issue Wednesday, when handlers for Lewis complained to Nevada boxing officials about the unruly locks that stick out 5 inches or so from the top of the challenger's head.

"All of a sudden, hair has got something to do with the fight," Tua trainer Ronnie Shields said. "David is not cutting his hair for anyone. His hair is natural."

Even with the hair, Lewis still towered over the 5-foot-10 Tua at the final press conference before the two meet Saturday night for the WBC and IBF heavyweight titles held by Lewis.

Lewis himself didn't seem too concerned about either Tua's hair or the vaunted power that has earned the No. 1 challenger 32 knockouts in 38 fights.

"You can't just bring power and a hairdo," Lewis said. "You have to bring everything. I bring an arsenal."

The Lewis camp voiced concern at a Nevada Athletic Commission organizational meeting about Tua's hair, which sticks straight up from his head. Lewis will likely see a lot of it Saturday night as the shorter challenger moves his head about in an effort to get inside the bigger champion.

Commission executive director Marc Ratner said he wasn't going to make Tua cut his hair, as long as that is all there is on top of his head.

"We just wanted to make sure there wasn't concrete in his hair," Ratner said.

Lewis wears his hair in dreadlocks, which Shields suggested should also be cut if Tua's hair became an issue.

No way, said Lewis.

"I've got a Samson-like complex. Remember that," Lewis said.

The hairy dispute added to an entertaining final press conference that saw both fighters get plenty of laughs while confidently predicting victory.

Lewis is a 3 1/2-1 favorite to retain his titles against Tua (37-1), a Samoan native who lives in New Zealand and is the No. 1 challenger for both organizations.

Lewis stopped his last two challengers in the second round, and many believe he is coming into his prime at the age of 35. But Tua has never been knocked out or knocked down and is a relentless fighter in the style of Mike Tyson.

"David Tua can punch but Lennox Lewis can do everything else and he can also punch," Lewis trainer Emanuel Steward said. "He'll go into the history books as one of the great heavyweight champions in boxing. He's up there with Muhammad Ali in terms of talent."

Steward's remarks came after Tua co-trainer Kevin Barry read a prepared statement praising his fighter's mental and physical toughness and predicting that he had more than enough power and talent to beat Lewis.

When Lewis took his turn at the podium, he asked Barry for the speech, then tore it up for the cameras.

"Fiction. I only read reality," Lewis said.