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
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 ONZM (born 21 November 1972), best 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 devastating 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.^[1] Tua ended his career with a knockout-to-win ratio 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.^[2]

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 is considered one of the most durable chins of his time.^[3]