A WBA heavyweight championship bout may not be that far away for David Tua

Current title holder David Haye caused a major upset when he beat the 'Beast from the East' Nikolay Valuev earlier in this month.

US boxing journalist James Smith says a bout between Haye and Tua is a real possibility, provided Haye beats John Ruiz in April next year.

Smith has spoken to Haye, who says Tua would be an interesting opponent after his fight with Ruiz. He believes that while it is very likely the bout will go ahead, it needs to happen soon as the clock is ticking on Tua.

Smith says Tua's promoter Cedric Kushner has been speaking to Haye's promoters this week.

He says Tua would be a much more attractive proposition for Haye than the Klitschko brothers, the holders of the IBF, WBO and WBC belts.