ɪn ɑːktˈoʊbɚ tˈuː θˈaʊzənd sˈɪks, ɹˈæŋkt fˈoːɹtiːnθ wˈɜːldwaɪd baɪ ðɪ ˌaɪbˌiːˈɛf, hiː wʌz fɚðə fˈɜːst tˈaɪm ɹˈæŋkt ɐhˈɛd ʌv fˈɛloʊ kˈʌntɹɪmən ænd wˈɜːld hˈɛviwˌeɪt tˈaɪɾəl kəntˈɛndɚ dˈeɪvɪd tˈuːə.
In October 2006, ranked 14th worldwide by the IBF, he was for the first time ranked ahead of fellow countryman and world heavyweight title contender David Tua.