FROM RAGS TUA RICHES
By Frank Gonzalez
Photos: TOM CASINO/SHOWTIME
The Tortoise And The Hare
This Saturday night at The Harv, also known as the Mountaineer Casino Resort
in West Virginia,
David ‘TuaMan’ Tua (39-3-0-34 KO’s) would face the fork
in the road of his career against rising star, Fres ‘The Big O’ Oquendo
(22-0-0-13 KO’s). At stake was the Oquendo’s NABF Heavyweight Title. It is
always said that styles make fights and this was a perfect example of opposite
styles clashing. Tua is short and stocky. His arms are too short to effectively
work the jab against usually taller, long-range opponents. Tua relies on his
power to win fights. Oquendo is tall, has an 80-inch reach and uses his jab and
his legs to win. This is a match up of speed versus power.
Tua suffered much criticism and question after poor performances in title shots against Chris Byrd and Lennox Lewis, where he looked to be one-dimensional and lacking stamina, style or ability. Last December, Tua fought against ‘tomato can’ Garing Lane (20wins-27 losses), who drops easily to accommodate fighters coming off a loss and in need of a boost of confidence. After blowing two opportunities for a championship belt, Tua, who is only 29, is considered old and demoted to the ranks of a high echelon tomato cans. Appearing to be a safe enough fight for Fres Oquendo, Tua got a shot at the NABF’s version of a title belt.
Since being trained by Felix Trinidad Sr. Fres has looked much improved and ready to face the bigger boys of the division. He’s had a good run lately, beating three ‘journeyman’ contenders in a row. His critics say he has a weak chin and has no power, while his supporters insist he has the best working jab in the division and a quality overhand right. Fres lately has enjoyed generous rankings from the usually suspect Sanctioning Bodies, WBO #1, IBF # 3, WBC # 4 and ranked 5th by the WBA. In an era where there seems only one legitimate Star in the Heavyweight division in Lennox Lewis, who will probably retire soon, Oquendo’s dreams of being a World Champion is not too unrealistic.
The fight started exactly as I imagined it would, with Tua coming on fast and furious to trying and KO Fres right away. Oquendo was able to survive the onslaught and even got to pepper Tua with his famous jab quite a few times. The second round was a little less energetic for Tua, with the same results. By the third round, Tua was doing the same things that helped him lose to Lewis and Byrd, chasing his opponent and appearing too winded to launch successful attacks against a mobile target.
As the fight passed the sixth round, Tua was huffing and puffing and missing his target. Oquendo had mastered the tempo of the contest and kept Tua far enough away to throw his jabs and move. On occasion, Tua would cut the ring off and throw the bombs, but Oquendo was crafty enough to escape. Fres began to taunt a bit, making faces after a Tua miss. By the end of the eighth round, Don Felix was yelling at Fres, warning him to be careful and to act like a professional. In other words, ease off on the taunting and taking stupid chances. Using Chris Byrd’s technique, Fres was handling Tua by sticking him with the jab and moving, always avoiding the power of Tua’s left hook. Athletic opponents easily frustrate the TuaMan and all Fres had to do was keep up the good work for another three rounds and his reputation as a legitimate contender would soar. After eight rounds, Oquendo looked certain of blowout decision victory.
Midway into the ninth round, Fres got cocky and let his guard down and Tua came to life with a burst of supernatural energy usually reserved for desperate moments, like rescuing a family member from a fire. He charged into Fres with body shots and a solid overhand right to the temple. He followed up, noticing Oquendo’s legs wobble for a second. Tua saw the sign and drove into Fres with a barrage of punches, rendering Fres out on his feet and causing referee Dave Johnson to call a halt to the bout. In Oquendo’s package of strategy he must have forgotten about the option of taking a knee, which might have given him an opportunity to finish the fine work he’d done for the previous eight rounds. Instead, Tua won by TKO, to the cheers of the crowd and the surprise of his critics, who said the Samoan warrior was washed up.
Tua was the victor, and Fres got his first professional loss. Tua won the NABF Heavyweight title and a chance to reestablish himself in the heavyweight picture. Fres got to show the world that he has some credible skills as a boxer, while learning an important lesson about discipline. Had he not started getting over confident, and dropping his hands low, he might have won over the slower, yet heavier handed David Tua.
When it was over, both fighters did something I rarely see enough of these days in sports, they showed each other sincere respect, gracious on both sides. It was a beautiful thing to see. When asked by Showtime’s Dave Bontempo how he felt about his victory, Tua took a moment to thank God and to say hello to Oquendo’s kids in Puerto Rico. Both fighters embraced and Tua told Fres, “You fought well, you will be Champion one day.”
Fres was humble in defeat, saying he made a mistake, but is young and would be back. Interestingly Tua, at 29, is considered ‘old’ in Boxing, while Oquendo, also 29, is considered young. In Boxing, age is decided more by your ring record than your birth certificate. Tua has been in with a much better class of fighters than Oquendo and that makes Fres young by comparison.
To Fres’ credit, he showed that he could win rounds with ring generalship and a consistent jab. His athleticism enabled him to avoid the big punching Tua throughout most of the fight and in spite of criticism that he has a weak chin; he did take a few good shots without crumbling. Even when Tua punished him with hooks and body shots before the fight was stopped, Fres never went down. He should have taken a knee, but perhaps in his youth and inexperience, he overlooked that option.
To David Tua’s credit, he stuck to his game plan, which was to close the distance and go for the body during clinches. Like the tortoise that beat the hare, Tua slowly but surely got to deliver his power and win the fight. I am thrilled to have him confidently back in the picture as the Heavyweight division is currently rather dull. Tua proved that the human spirit is more powerful than the best left-hook in the sport. I take off my hat to Tua and thank both guys for an exciting fight.
Agree or disagree? Send comments to dshark87@hotmail.com
--- Gonzalez Frank --- manshark@mindspring.com --- EarthLink: The #1 provider of the Real Internet.
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