Las Vegas, November 12: Britain's Lennox Lewis taught top-ranked challenger David Tua a lesson in tactical boxing here on Saturday night, keeping his World heavyweight crown with a 12-round decision over the out-matched Samoan.Lewis extended his six-year unbeaten streak to 14 fights, rising to 38-1 with one drawn to keep the World Boxing Council and International Boxing Federation titles, winning by judges' scores of 117-111, 119-109 and 119-110.Tua fell to 37-2 and saw his three-year, 10-fight win streak snapped. Tua's pre-fight talk was as big as his high-standing hair and as ineffective as his performance.``It was like boxing-ology,'' Lewis said. ``If you come to war, you have to bring the whole arsenal, not just a left hook and a haircut.''Lewis taught Tua that a well-respected left hook does no good if you never connect with it because you cannot reach your target.``He just kept waiting around trying to land that left hook,'' Lewis said. ``I was doing all the work. I didn't think there was much power behind his left hook. He was pretty durable and could take a punch. But he's never seen a boxer like Lennox Lewis before.''A possible big-money matchup against Mike Tyson awaits 35-year-old Lewis, whose victims include the best fighters of his era except for the former undisputed World champion.``If Tyson wants me to come and take the test, Lennox Lewis will put him to rest because Lennox Lewis is the best,'' Lewis said. ``Right now I will take on all comers. I'm like fine wine. I get better with age.''In a tactical fight that had an unsatisfied sell-out crowd of 12,000 at Mandalay Bay booing in every round, Lewis used his superior height and reach and picked his moments to attack.Tua rarely tried to force his way to Lewis, neither man willing to risk a gamble that might spell disaster.Lewis, a full head taller than Tua with a much larger reach, respected the Samoan's one-punch knock-out power enough to stay outside, striking with long range punches to Tua's head and back pedaling to keep Tua at a distance.After the fight, Tua claimed a blow from Lewis in the second round aggravated a left rib injury the New Zealand-based fighter had suffered two months ago in a sparring session, a dubious diminishment of his defeat.``I make no escuses,'' Tua said. ``I did the best I could. Lennox Lewis is a great champion. I just kept trying.''Tua, the crowd favorite, kept the larger Lewis moving back to the ropes and tying up to the annoyance of the crowd, but refused to take his attack inside, often missing wild swings at the elusive champion while feeling Lewis' blows.From round six, Lewis began to stand his ground more and out-boxed Tua, who became more aggressive in response but was still unwilling to risk pressing an attack and literally playing into Lewis' hands.The ballroom dancing from a distance continued but Lewis wore down Tua, landing a three-punch flurry in round nine and staggering Tua early in round 10 with a solid right-left combination the action highlights of the fight.
