Trainer vows David Light ‘won’t be another Tua’
David Light’s trainer has vowed there will be no repeat of David Tua’s timid world title challenge against Lennox Lewis when the Kiwi cruiserweight takes on Lawrence Okolie in Manchester tomorrow (NZT).
After blitzing his way through the heavyweight division during the 90s, the hard-punching Tua froze under the Las Vegas lights in November 2000, barely landing a meaningful blow on Lewis as the Brit cruised to a wide decision on the scorecards. It was Tua’s one and only shot at world honours and a blot on an otherwise highly distinguished career.
Yet Isaac Peach is adamant that Tua’s compatriot Light (20-0, 12 KOs) won’t suffer the same fate at the AO Arena, promising he will leave everything in the ring in his bid to wrest the WBO world cruiserweight title from another Brit – the unbeaten Lawrence Okolie (18-0, 14 KOs).
‘‘I’m happy as. We’re ready to fight. We’ve got no excuses, we’re here, we’re prepared 100%. We are going to f..k Lawrence up, man,’’ a confident Peach told Stuff after the pre-fight weigh-in at Manchester’s Love Factory. ‘‘New Zealand isn’t going to have another f…ing [Joseph] Parker v [Anthony] Joshua, or Tua v Lewis. We are leaving everything in there, man, and we’re going to win this fight.’’
Despite Peach’s faith in his fighter, Light enters the contest as the underdog with bookmakers, courtesy of Okolie’s significant physical advantages (height and reach) and greater experience.
The Londoner captured his world title in 2021 with a sixthround knockout of Poland’s Krzysztof Glowacki and has successfully defended it twice. But he hasn’t fought since February last year because of promotional wrangles and changed trainers weeks out from his mandatory defence with the New Zealander.
The new man in Okolie’s corner is SugarHill Steward, who guided
Tyson Fury to the WBC heavyweight title when he knocked out Deontay Wilder in their February 2020 rematch. A disciple of the famous Kronk Gym in Detroit renowned for its ultra-aggressive style, Steward is forecasting a similar outcome for Light.
Naturally, Peach begged to differ, questioning Steward’s credentials and backing Light to neutralise Okolie’s powerful right hand while roughing him up on the inside.
‘‘I think SugarHill is full of s..t. I think he’s a brand who got famous off his uncle [legendary trainer Emanuel Steward],’’ he countered. ‘‘We’re famous because we are going to . . . win the world title in their back garden . . . he’s going to set traps and he thinks we’re just going to walk in there and he’s going to knock us out.
‘‘So we’ve got to be a little bit careful, but once we find a home in there, then I think we take over the fight.’’
Although supremely confident that Light will be bringing the belt back to New Zealand, Peach is by no means underestimating the size of the challenge. He respected Okolie as a fighter and admitted he could turn the bout on its head if he landed flush with his signature punch.
‘‘He’s got serious power. I think he’s only got a few tools, but the tools he does have are bloody good tools,’’ Peach said, alluding to Okolie’s right hand.
‘‘But I think we hurt Lawrence at some stage in the fight, and hopefully we can finish him ... I don’t think we can leave it close because they [the judges] are going to rob us.
With the help of his brother Boaz and wife Alina, Peach has put together New Zealand’s leading stable of fighters in recent years, four of them undefeated and ranked inside the world’s top 10 (including Light)– not bad for a humble operation started in the back garden of his west Auckland home. But Light is the first of his charges to challenge for a world title (Mea Motu vies for the IBO super bantamweight crown next month), and should he win, Peach’s stocks as a trainer would only rise even further.
So has he allowed himself to visualise one of his own wrapping a world title belt around their waist?
‘‘Not overly, to be honest. I don’t like to get ahead of myself,’’ Peach said with his customary candour. ‘‘I always say to everyone, it’s like when your missus is pregnant, and you’re having a baby. You know you’re having the baby, but when the baby comes out it’s like ‘what the f..k!’, you know what I mean?’’
Nevertheless, Peach urged Kiwis back home to tune in this morning for the chance to witness history being made. The scheduled 12-rounder will be broadcast on Spark Sport, with coverage starting at 8am.
‘‘Please tune in, please give David the support he deserves, and please get behind boxing, because hopefully when we win this, boxing can take off in New Zealand and that’s what everyone needs.’’