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Chat Reel: Nick Charles

Tua is dangerous from start to finish

Nick Charles believes David Tua will give Lennox Lewis a rough fight on Saturday. John Gichigi/Allsport

CNNSI Host: Welcome to our boxing chat with Nick Charles. Welcome Nick!
Nick Charles: Always revved up for a big fight and this is a big one.

From Robbi Paterson in Scotland: Do you think that Lewis is confident he can knock out Tua?
Nick Charles: I think he's confident he can win, I don't know if he's completely confident that he can knock Tua out. The reason being, Lewis' corner admits that Tua has a granite chin. There is a good reason he has never been cut, hurt or knocked down. I think Lewis and his corner feel that what makes Lewis superior is that he has more physical equipment, i.e., height, reach, boxing ability, to control the action ... and thus dominate Tua.

From aalexx: I never hear about footwork! Who has the better feet, Tua or Lewis?
Nick Charles: I would say somebody has to win that by default. It is not either guy's strong suit. Tua is often compared to Tyson in regards to power, but his feet are slower than Tyson's. Tua's defense is better than he is given credit for, but his lack of quickness on his feet will make it difficult for him to make this an "inside" fight with out absorbing too much punishment in the process. Tua knows he is going to get hit coming in -- quite a bit. One thing to watch, I believe he will compensate for the lack for footwork by staying down, staying low.

From Lefale P.F. in Apia, Samoa: Hi Nick, who do you think will win the fight? The odds are against Tua according to the boxing so-called "experts" and yet looking at the latest CNN/Sports Illustrated now, 46% of the people saying Tua will knock out Lewis. Isn't this strange?
Nick Charles: I think ... this is a tough one. Two questions come to mind: Which fighter is better equipped to dominate the fight and who can best nullify what the other guy does best? Lewis has the advantage on both counts, but the key to the fight is -- will it be an inside fight or an outside fight? Tua definitely has the ability and can make it an inside fight. Thus, he could knock Tua out, but here's the key, though: Tua will have to force the issue with constant aggression. He can't let Lewis wrap him up when he is in close. He has to stay inside, keep throwing punches, force Lewis to fight three minutes every round, therefore, exhausting the champion and knocking him out late. Because Lewis has never knocked anyone out after the seventh round. Unlike Lewis and most other fighters, Tua's power does not fade, making him truly dangerous from start to finish. That gives him a solid chance.

From lefthook: Why do you think the Lewis' camp is making so much noise about David Tua's hair?
Nick Charles: Distractions, it's a way to mess with his mind. I talked with both fighters about it this week, and they told me the commission actually examined both of thier hairdos and pronounced them "not lethal weapons." It is a non-issue. Just a distraction.

From southpaw: Can you give me three reasons why I should watch the Tua-Lewis fight?
Nick Charles: Tua's constant aggression, which could make for an explosive collision fight. Two, Lewis' new-found confidence and attitude. He's looked devastating in this past year, shown no respect for his opponents and is anxious to win dynamically -- so the public will clamor for a fight against Tyson. And the third reason is, I would say, Tua's mental and physical durability. This guy shows absolutely no signs of emotionally melting down under the spotlight. Physically, he truly never gives up in a fight. His ability, his track record of being able to rally and pull fights out should keep people watching even if he looks hopelessly behind on the scorecards. I think those are three good reasons.

From aalexx: Lewis with the height advantage, is this going to be a factor?
Nick Charles: Yes. Tua will fight uncommonly low -- it gives him greater leverage on his power punches. But more importantly, it makes him an awkward target for Lewis. The champion will be forced to punch down at an extreme angle. His uppercut may save the day for Lewis in that scenario. More importantly, though, Lewis' 15-inch reach advantage. If he stands tall, and really uses his jab, not as a range-finder, but as a weapon, he can keep Tua at bay, and make this an outside fight.

From lefthook: Do you think Tua will be able to walk through Lewis' jab and get inside where he would have the advantage?
Nick Charles: He's going to have to. Tua has to force Lewis into an explosive slugfest. Tua has to get Lewis into exchanges, work his body, and make Lewis drop his hands and just keep punching. It's a tall order. You're right, a huge key is how effective Lewis will make his jab. Because Tua historically has always had trouble with "boxers" rather than "punchers" and Lewis is clearly the better boxer here.

From gopalkrishna in Kuwait: When would Mike probably take on Lennox?
Nick Charles: Well, I would think Tyson needs at least one more fight, preferably two. Then there is the hurdle of the two pay-per-view networks getting together. When Tyson "unretires," his options are better than Lewis', I would say. He can either fight the champ, or realize another huge pay day against Evander Holyfield.

CNNSI Host: : That's all the time we have today with CNN/Sports Illustrated anchor Nick Charles. Thank you for joining us Nick!
Nick Charles: Thanks to all the people out there -- all the questions were great and insightful.

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