David Tua

David Tua
Tua in 2019
Born	Mafaufau Tavita Lio Mafaufau Sanerivi Talimatasi (1972-11-21) 21 November 1972 (age 52) Faleatiu, Samoa
Nationality	Samoan New Zealand
Other names	Tuaman The Tuamanator The Terminator
Statistics
Weight(s)	Heavyweight
Height	1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Reach	178 cm (70 in)
Stance	Orthodox
Boxing record
Total fights	59
Wins	52
Wins by KO	43
Losses	5
Draws	2
Medal record Men's amateur boxing Representing  New Zealand Olympic Games 1992 Barcelona Heavyweight World Championships 1991 Sydney Heavyweight Oceanian Championships 1990 Nukuʻalofa Heavyweight

Mafaufau Tavita Lio Mafaufau Sanerivi Talimatasi^[1][2] ONZM (born 21 November 1972), known as David Tua, is a Samoan-New Zealand former professional boxer who competed from 1992 to 2013. A highly ranked heavyweight contender for most of his career, Tua was known for his formidable punching power, especially in his left hook. He scored sixteen wins by knockout in the first round, which included knockouts of world heavyweight champions John Ruiz and Michael Moorer within thirty seconds of the first round, as well as late stoppages of world champions Oleg Maskaev and Hasim Rahman. He was ranked by BoxRec in the world's top 10 heavyweights from 1996 to 2003, reaching his highest ranking of No.3 in 1998.^[3] He was also ranked the No.1 heavyweight contender in 2000 by the WBC and IBF, leading up to his bout with Lennox Lewis. Tua ended his career with a knockout-to-win rate of 82.6%. In a 2003 article by The Ring magazine, Tua was ranked 48th on a list of 100 greatest punchers of all time.^[4]

Nicknamed the "Tuamanator", his fast-paced bob and weave pressure fighting style has often drawn comparisons to Mike Tyson. Tua fought many of the best boxers of his era and challenged once for the unified world heavyweight title against Lennox Lewis in 2000. In his five professional losses, Tua was never subject to a stoppage and was considered to have one of the most durable chins of his time.^[5]