It doesn't sound plausible to pick either guy to outwork anybody but that's what eventually decides this. I'll say Mercer
Tua's workrate against Ibeatahoochie was prodigious. I haven't seen Ray Mercer display that type of activity yet. Gimme Tua by decision.
Both showed their best work ethic in losing, Ray against Holy and Lewis, Tua against Ike. I think Mercer was the more skillful of the two and would land more, and Tua's fattitude wouldn't compensate that
Someone builds an early points lead, & both men then run patently out of petrol for the second-half of the fight. Two terribly undisciplined fighters, but since Mercer was definitely the more skillful & varied puncher, I'll give him the decision. Tua...ugh. What an over-rated nothing. He & Ibeabuchi (the most over-rated fighter in modern Boxing history) deserve each other, & having heard about the hype for so long surrounding their actual fight in 1997, I finally caught it on DVD a few years back. Like the protagonists, it's a very, very over-rated thing.