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By Johnny Walker
Colorful American heavyweight veteran Monte “Two Gunz” Barrett is making waves Down Under as he prepares for a defense of his WBO Asian Pacific and Oriental belts next Thursday (July 5) against Shane Cameron in Auckland, New Zealand.
While Barrett is preparing to fight Cameron, he is also thinking about the end of his boxing career, and about the man he wants to get back in the ring one more time: retired local hero David “Tuamanator” Tua.
There was a time when Tua and Barrett were friends, but that time seems long past.
First, a controversial draw in their first fight in America (even Tua later admitted he thought Barrett won), and then a points win for Barrett in New Zealand in a fight that saw Tua knock the American down and very nearly out (breaking Barrett’s jaw in the process) late in the fight, has made enemies of the former pals.
Not helping matters was a positive doping test for Barrett following the second match that was thrown out because of procedural irregularities.
Tua publicly called Barrett a drugs cheat, and Barrett was incensed, wondering how his friend could accuse him of purposely trying to break the rules (Barrett says a legally purchased pre-workout supplement caused the positive test).
“[Tua] could have called me, he has my number, instead of calling me a cheater and a loser in the press,” Barrett told Boxing Insider earlier this year.
Barrett then labeled Tua “the Queen of New Zealand,” a quote which ended up plastered across the sports pages Down Under.
Now, as he prepares to take on Cameron—a man who Tua destroyed in two brutal rounds back in 2009—a vengeful Barrett is ripping Tua hard on the latter man’s home turf. Nothing is out of bounds now, not even the currently retired Tua’s recent personal problems (a nasty divorce from his wife, Robina).
“After I beat up on Shane, I’m going to give Tua one more chance to whip his fat arse into shape and get his act together,” says Barrett.
“For me, it’s that or nothing. I want David to take my last fight. After his wife finished pounding on him with their divorce I don’t know if he’ll have enough for me. I hope he will.
“But David doesn’t do anyone proud. He’s an embarrassment to New Zealand. He’s a lazy, fat slob. He doesn’t apply himself.”
Of course, there is a method to Barrett’s madness here. Boxing trilogies are always popular, and the first two Barrett-Tua encounters were heavyweight highlights of the year: visceral, exciting bouts in a division that always needs more of those.
A third installment of Tua vs Barrett would not only help settle the score between the two men, but also provide a nice nest egg for both fighters to retire on.
And Barrett is holding nothing back as he continues his verbal assault on the “Queen of New Zealand.”
“Tua can take it or leave it,” Barrett says.
“He can die a loser and never get a chance to redeem himself or be a man. The first fight his shoulder was hurt and the gloves were too big.
“The second fight he claimed I was taking steroids. What’s his excuse for the third fight? I know New Zealand wants to see it.
“He will probably make every excuse because he’s a coward. I used to have a lot of respect for David. But he doesn’t appreciate the status he has and realize the whole country is behind him.”
