Sideline Sid Sports correspondant & historian www.sunlive.co.nz

The masters of sporting spin in New Zealand are David Higgins and Dean Lonergan from Duco Events. In the last decade they've been responsible for completely reviving professional boxing in the country, with David Tua and Shane Cameron headlining a number of high profile fights.

They've given boxing in this country all the glitz and glamour of the big fights from Las Vegas, with their promotions being as much about entertainment and being seen at the big bouts, as battles in the ring. They set the mark with David Tua verses Shane Cameron with $1 million on the line –and they've continued in the same direction with their latest fighter, Joseph Parker.

Working on the assumption ‘any publicity is good publicity', they've kept their boxers in the limelight thorough publicity trips around the country and continual headline-grabbing quotes.

A good example is to bring Parker's latest opponents in Sherman ‘The Tank' Williams to New Zealand in order to gee up the sales of Parker's PTV bout in Germany. No matter that Parker's opponent withdrew just a week away from his bout in Germany last weekend – the spin continued with his new opponent, who Joseph knocked more than halfway through the bout.

One professional boxer with strong connection to the Western Bay flew completely under the media radar in this country, when he caused one of the biggest boilovers in Australian boxing at the start of April.

Dave Aloua, who was member of the Tauranga Boxing Club down the bottom of Waihi Rd, knocked out Brad ‘Hollywood' Pitt, on the undercard of Anthony Mundine's latest fight night.

The former Tauranga amateur boxer was a rank outsider against Pitt, who entered the ring with an unbeaten 15-fight record. Pitt was supposed to be on his way to becoming Australia's next eorld champion, before Aloua stopped him in his tracks. At stake were three regional belts, with Dave now ranked number one in the Australian Cruiserweight ranks; and is 15 from 975 in the independent world rankings. Although born in New Zealand, Dave Aloua is now claimed as an Australian by the Aussie professional boxing bodies.

While trained in the Western Bay, by Tauranga Boxing Club head coach Chris Walker, the former Thames pugilist was developed from a raw novice, into a two-time New Zealand amateur Heavyweight champion. Dave joined an illustrious list of Kiwi Heavyweight titleholders in Jimmy Thunder, David Tua and Shane Cameron, who all fought for world titles during their careers.

Aloua had a great amateur apprenticeship under the tutelage of Chris Walker and joined one of the best professional gyms on his arrival in Australia.

He became a member of Team Mundine, where he was coached by Australian boxing legend Tony Mundine. While former rugby league star Anthony Mundine continues to polarise the Australian sporting public, much of his success in the ring can be attributed to coaching from his father Tony.

While Dave Aloua's star continues to rise, the fortunes of Mundine seem to be on the fall, as he was knocked to the canvas five times by Joshua Clottey in the main event in Newcastle, losing a lop-sided decision. While common sense should say Mundine has had his days in the sun – and should retire – the reality is he'll probably continue to fight on.