Sunday, August 18, 2002
For David Tua, Moorer proves an easy half-million
Laila Ali wins first world title
By JOHN CURRAN
Associated Press Writer
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — Everyone knew David Tua had power. On Saturday night, Michael Moorer quickly found out just how much.
The 29-year-old Samoan powerhouse embarrassed the two-time former heavyweight champion he calls his friend, stopping him 30 seconds into their scheduled 10-rounder.
“I'm a friend of Michael's now and I always will be. But this is business,” said Tua (41-3).
Business, indeed.
Attacking immediately after the opening bell, Tua backed Moorer into the ropes and hit him in the head with a hard left. Moorer backed away and was on the ropes on the other side when Tua delivered a crushing right to the chin and a left to the back of the head.
Moorer (43-3-1) sank into a crouch, dazed, as referee Rudy Battle waved a halt to the fight.
The 5-foot-11, 243-pound Tua, who came in nearly 20 pounds heavier than Moorer (224), barely broke a sweat. But he made $500,000 doing it. Moorer's share was $425,000.
Tua threw 16 punches, to five for Moorer, before the quick ending before a crowd of 4,471.
“We worked very hard in the gym. We didn't take anything for granted,” Tua said.
He said he wouldn't call the victory “easy,” but then he did just that.
“The hard work made it easy. Not bad for a country boy,” Tua said.
The performance evoked memories of his 19-second knockout of John Ruiz in Atlantic City in 1996. It was over practically before it started.
Tua said he wasn't out for an early night, it just turned out that way.
“I was just thinking to go out there early and let my hands go,” he said. “The knockout was there, so I took advantage of it.”
Moorer, who dropped out of boxing for three years beginning in 1997, had won four of five fights in his comeback. The 34-year-old left-hander held the IBF and WBA titles briefly in 1994 after defeating Evander Holyfield, but he quit the sport three years later after Holyfield floored him five times in the rematch.
He says he'll keep boxing.
“I'm going to go back to the gym and I'm going to continue to fight. I know who I am,” Moorer said.
“I felt good coming into the fight. He tried to get inside and he did. I got hit with some looping punches I couldn't do anything about.”
Laila Ali wins first world title
LAS VEGAS — With father Muhammad Ali cheering her on, Laila Ali won her first world boxing title Saturday night.
Ali stopped Suzy Taylor at 1:11 of the second round to win the IBA super middleweight championship.
“I was just getting started,” said Ali, 12-0 with nine knockouts. “I was just getting warmed up.”
After Ali backed Taylor into the corner with lefts and rights to the head, Taylor grabbed and clinched. Referee Kenny Bayless separated the fighters, and Taylor (10-7-1) slumped in the corner, prompting Bayless to stop the fight.
Muhammad Ali received a standing ovation when he entered the arena during the fifth round of the co-main event between Armenia's William Abelyan and Panama's Orlando Soto.
Abelyan stopped Soto in the 10th round to win the NABO featherweight title. Abelyan improved to 20-4-1.
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For David Tua, Moorer proves an easy half-million
