TUA PACKS PINT-SIZED POTENTIAL.

Byline: Michael Rosenthal Boxing

The best hope of bringing some life to a comatose heavyweight division is a Western Samoan living in New Zealand who says he wants to bring the championship back home to America.

David Tua is a fight fan's fighter. He's built almost exactly like Mike Tyson and fights like him. He seeks to end his bouts with terrifying aggression and big punches rather than finesse.

And he's almost always successful: He's 35-1, with 30 knockouts and eight consecutive victories since he lost a controversial decision to Ike Ibeabuchi in 1997.

Tua, the IBF's No. 1 contender, believes Lennox Lewis will be only another victim if the champion agrees to honor his mandatory title defense later this year.

``He's 6-5, I'm 5-10. That's an advantage for me,'' Tua said last week. ``Lewis for many years has looked good against taller and bigger guys. All he's had to do is punch straight. With me, he'll have to punch down. I'll slip punches, hit him in the body, hit him in the chin.

``. . . He's tailor-made for me.''

Tua, 28, has the punch to take anyone out. Think Tyson, circa 1988, and you'll get an idea of this man's power. He also has Julio Cesar Chavez-like ability to take a punch; it seems he can't be hurt.

However, he's somewhat lost against top competition if he can't land the big punch. He was behind on points against David Izon, Oleg Maskaev and Hasim Rahman before finally taking each out in the 12th, 11th and 10th rounds, respectively.

He won those fights when it counted, which shouldn't be downplayed. At the same time, each of these opponents - as well as Ibeabuchi - outboxed him until he finally was able to land meaningful blows late in each fight.

A good, tough boxer is going to have a good chance against Tua if he jabs, moves and throws enough power punches to keep Tua honest.

Lewis not only is good and tough, he's a very good boxer, he can take a punch and he has as much power as Tua. Plus, in spite of Tua's take on the height difference, Lewis is the much bigger man. He's seven inches taller than the challenger and would outweigh him by about 20 pounds.

More than likely, Lewis would keep Tua at bay with his jab, follow with perhaps the best right in the business and move, move, move. He couldn't take Tua out with one punch, but an accumulation of them could end the fight early or make for a one-sided decision.

If that were to happen, the division would be left with no one deemed worthy enough to be Lewis' opponent. The champ's next big-name opponent could be Tyson, who's given even less chance than Tua of beating the big Briton.

Tua's best chance - only chance? - against Lewis would be to hurt him with one big punch and then quickly finish the job, which would make him a major star with monumental earning power and resuscitate the division.

All he wants is a chance to make that happen. Lewis has agreed to fight Francois Botha on July 15 in London. After that . . .

``There's nothing more I can say,'' he said. ``I just want to go out there and knock him out.''

Next for Tua: Tua, who hasn't fought since he knocked out journeyman Shane Sutcliffe in October, is expected to get back into the ring in July.

His opponent hasn't been determined.

Tua-Tyson? A can't-miss thriller and pay-per-view gold mine would be a Tua-Tyson matchup, which could take place as early as next year.

Again, they're the same size and both can fight only one way - with abandon. If Tua fights and beats Lewis, Tua-Tyson would be a huge event.

``That fight should be on Independence Day because it would be fireworks,'' Tua said. ``It'd be an exciting fight, the fans deserve to see that fight, the whole world deserves to see that fight.

``We're both strong guys, one from a different era, one from the present era, a must-see fight.''

Tua and Tyson have the same promoter, America Presents.

Mixed loyalties: Tua is from Western Samoa but lives in New Zealand, as does his family.

However, he has spent so much time in the United States since he turned pro in 1992 that he feels an affinity for this country, or so he says.

``The title belongs in the United States,'' he said. ``I appreciate the way America has given me the opportunities to live here and fight here. I want to thank America. I will bring the title back to America.''

How would the Samoans and Kiwis feel about that?

More Lewis: Knowledgeable observers interpreted last week's column as a knock on Lewis.

For the record, Lewis is a fine fighter and fine man. He has a very unusual combination of size, ability and power. Certainly, he's one of the best heavyweights of his time.

Many have suggested he could rule the division for three, four more years, and no one will be surprised if he does.

The only criticism (or observation) is this: He's not as compelling as some of his predecessors. No one clamors to see Lewis fight because he has neither a brawling style - to which fans are drawn - nor a magnetic personality.

In other words, he's very good but not terribly special.

Much work ahead: Doctors Evander Holyfield and John Ruiz have a lot of spinning to do if the public is to take their June 10 WBA ``title'' fight seriously.

Lewis, universally recognized as the heavyweight champ, was stripped of the belt because he chose to fight Michael Grant on April 29 rather than Ruiz, the WBA's top contender.

Ruiz and Holyfield, the No. 2 contender, will fight for the vacant championship even though Holyfield has lost twice to Lewis (once unofficially) and Ruiz was knocked out in 19 seconds by Tua and has beaten no one of note.

Holyfield's integrity took a hit when he lobbied to have Lewis stripped of the title, then had the nerve to say ``everyone knows I won'' in reference to his second bout with Lewis.

Those associated with the fight have reached far in their efforts to legitimize it.

Ruiz's manager, Norman Stone, pointed out that Lewis first became champ when he picked up the WBC belt Riddick Bowe dumped into a trash can, implying that that somehow diminishes his accomplishments.

``John is fighting the real heavyweight champion anyway,'' Stone said.

They're desperate and the public won't buy it.

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Photo: Mike Tyson, shown here against Julius Francis in January, might be in line to meet David Tua.

Adam Butler/Associated Press