Zab Judah: Still a Boxing Attraction
By Donald Stewart
Box Office? Now that’s Zabdiel Judah.
You want to watch something that might alight then that may be the rest of the boxing fraternity. Want to be there when something will light up your entertainment? Get along to a Zab Judah fight!
He was fined $250,000 after his fight with Floyd Mayweather JR., after police entered the ring to control the corners that had also come into the ring after Judah had hit “Money” with a low blow. He also had his license revoked for one year.
The level of his fine and punishment may have been due to the fact he had already received a $75,000 fine and a six month suspension when Judah threw a chair across the ring and pressed his glove into the referee’s neck.
Yeah he lost that fight!
He was also one of The Ring’s upsets of the year in 2006 when he lost due to TKO against Carlos Baldomir. One of six losses that Judah has registered in his pro career, it is his highs that have made him mentioned when possible opponents for the likes of Amir Khan and Manny Pacquiao are considered.
It’s one of the great questions in the world of boxing when someone wants to move from amateur to professional – will he make it?
What should we make of his amateur career? Judah had 115 bouts as an amateur, winning 110 of them. Whilst he didn’t manage to get onto the US Olympic team, any boxer who started at age six was likely to be ready to move into the professional ranks with such a fantastic record.
Entering the professional ranks at light welterweight in his first year Judah managed nine fights, nine wins, twenty four rounds and four first round wins. A record to catch the eye and capture your attention.
Four years as a pro and his chance for a world title was right in front of him – the vacant IBF light welterweight title – against Jan Piet Bergman. He was undefeated in twenty two fights. Bergman was no slouch. His only losses were to Junior Witter and Kostya Tszyu. Judah hit the canvass in the first then got up, dusted himself down and felled Bergman in the fourth.
People raised their heads and Judah had arrived. On June 24th he came to Scotland and took on Junior Witter in his first defense. Judah won in a unanimous decision. Defenses followed against Terron Millet, Hector Quiroz, Reggie Green and Allan Vester.
Judah then found himself on the edge of a legacy. A unification fight with the WBC, WBA and IBF belts on the line. We are all calling for these today at a variety of weights but the excitement of a match that would see the words “undisputed” called out with aplomb, ceremony and meaning is spell binding. Utterly spell binding.
Unfortunately for Judah he was caught in Kostya Tszyu’s spell as he lost in the second round. It was an ignominious defeat. It was a tough decision for Judah. Judah was so enraged he threw the stool along with his dummy out of his pram. His assault on the referee who stopped the fight, Jay Nady earned him his first fine and his first suspension.
After a come back fight he again fought for and won one belt – the WBO light middleweight – against DeMarcus Corley. An impressive first round defense later and he was back in the ring, up at welterweight to battle for three versions of the world title – WBA, WBC and IBF. Corey Spinks took him to twelve rounds and beat him. This time round Judah didn’t throw a tantrum.
He got back in the ring and won his next two fights before getting a rematch with Spinks. This time round Judah took Spinks to the ninth and won with a technical knockout. It was 2005 and the world must have seemed a pretty fantastic place for Zab Judah.
Until now he had had a bumpy ride but it was mainly on the up. The following six years were a white knuckle ride! There was that unexpected defeat to Baldomir, the loss and the flashpoint of the Mayweather fight, a no contest against Galvan called for an accidental head butt by Judah and then a loss against Cotto.
In the next and his last seven fights he has lost only once but more importantly from the basement of the division he has clawed his way into contention like no other.
Now ranked sixth in the world, Judah has, as I have said, been mentioned as a possible opponent in world title fights once again. Judging by his record thus far perhaps a single belt would do… anyone know of a possible opponent just needing someone to climb in the ring and give as good as he gets… give the Judah a call..
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