Boxer Zab "Super" Judah

Zab Judah is a classic example of the old adage that competitive sports are 90% mental and 10% physical. Born on October 27, 1977 in Brooklyn, Judah was born into a boxing family and was well-positioned to make the most of his prodigious talents. Judah's father and trainer was briefly a professional fighter, his brother Josiah also fought as a pro, and his brother Daniel still does. He ran up an amateur record of 110-5, but was stymied in his efforts to qualify for the 1996 Olympic Team. Zab Judah defeated future fringe contenders Ishe Smith and Hector Camacho, Jr., only to be beaten by future lightweight champion David Diaz twice during the qualifying tournament. Like so many fighters unable to gain entry to the US Olympic Boxing Team, Zab Judah turned pro shortly after the Atlanta Games concluded.

Rise to the Top

Making his way quickly up boxing's feeding chain, a 15-0 Judah got his first test in 1998 against Micky Ward. A rugged fighter with a mean liver punch from Lowell, Massachusetts, Ward had not yet fought his classic trilogy with Arturo Gatti and was widely regarded as a journeyman at the time. Judah easily out-boxed Ward to win the USBA Light Welterweight Title in a foul-filled fight that saw both men taunting each other and hitting below the belt. In many ways, Zab Judah's first test was indicative of his entire professional attitude.

The new USBA champ stood 5'7 1/2" with a 72" reach, long for a 140 lbs. fighter. He was a well-schooled southpaw with sharp reflexes, blinding speed and good power. Many would soon be calling Zab "Super" Judah "Pernell Whitaker with a punch" due to his combination of smooth defense and power punching. Judah's problem was not in his body, his toolbox or even in his heart, however, so much as it was in his mind. Judah showed a marked propensity in his career to lose his focus, even while standing in the ring with a dangerous man just inside of arm's reach.

Judah kept winning, and by February 2000 he was dueling with 38-2 Jan Piet Bergman of South Africa for the IBF Light Welterweight Title. Judah's attack sent Bergman crashing to the canvas twice in the 1st Round, but Bergman came roaring back and knocked Judah down in the 2nd. After a lull in the 3rd, Judah put Bergman down and out in the 4th to win his first world title.

Zab the Champ

Zab's first defense of his crown would be against a 15-0-2 fighter who would go on to great things: Britain's Junior Witter. Witter fought a smart, switch-hitting battle against Judah, making it hard for the faster Judah to score with his power. Judah eventually slowed "The Hitter" Witter with body shots, and at one point punched the Briton's gumshield clear out of his mouth, but was unable to do more. Zab won the match in a clean decision. Witter would go on beat a handful of contenders and win a world championship.

Judah went on to crush a string of journeymen, former champ Terron Millett before going into a unification bout with 27-1 WBA/WBC Champion Kostya Tszyu in November 2001. The stakes for that bout could not have been higher, as the winner would walk away the Undisputed World Champion. Judah, the 3-to-1 favorite, boxed very well in the 1st Round, but then relaxed in the 2nd, as if he had lost all sense of caution around the powerful Australian-Russian. Tszyu stepped in and knocked Judah out with a single right.

Judah, still half-concussed, behaved disgracefully after the fight by throwing his stool across the ring and threatening the referee by pushing his fist in the man's throat. He was fined $75,000 and suspended for six months.

Welterweight Champion

Zab Judah was soon back to work, and if he was not exactly rehabilitated, by 2003 he had at least captured the WBO Light Welterweight Title from Washington, DC's Marcus "Chop Chop" DeCorley. That win ultimately led to a move up in weight and a 2004 showdown with Undisputed Welterweight Champion Cory Spinks.

In fighting Spinks, Judah was finally in the ring with a man who, while not as big a puncher, was as slick or slicker than he was. Spinks was able to use his height, speed and skill to stymie Judah's offense, keeping him on the outside and unable to force the action. Spinks managed to knock Judah down in the 11th, but Judah came back and knocked down Spinks in the 12th. In the end, Spinks handed Judah his second loss and kept his championship.

A 2005 rematch was held in Spinks's hometown of St. Louis, Missouri before a sell-out crowd. In their second encounter, Judah came on much stronger, took more risks, and generally scored better because of it. Judah hurt Spinks in the 7th, Spinks came back with strong combination punching to hurt Judah in the 9th, but Judah roared back to knock down and then stop Spinks. For once, Judah exorcised his demons, and in doing so exorcised the "Spinks Jinx" to win the WBA/WBC/IBF Welterweight Championships.

In 2006, there was plenty of talk regarding a showdown with rising superstar Floyd Mayweather, Jr., but first Judah had to get past his #1 contender, a tough Argentine named Carlos Baldomir. Judah was a 10-to-1 favorite, took Baldomir far too lightly, and in a sign that he was back to bad habits, punched Baldomir on the thigh rather than touch gloves with him during the pre-fight introductions. Looking past Baldomir was a mistake, because he came to fight and applied constant pressure to Judah, even managing to drive him onto the ropes in the 7th and hurting him with a succession of rights. All in all, Baldomir whomped Judah and claimed his WBC title.

The only reason Baldomir did not become Undisputed Champion is because he didn't pay the WBA and IBF their onerous sanctioning fees. Because Judah lost, the WBA stripped him on the spot, but the IBF allowed Judah to retain their red strap and the big-money fight with Floyd Mayweather remained on (albeit with Judah's share of the purse greatly reduced). In many ways, the fight showed what Judah could have become with a more focused, disciplined mind. For the first four rounds of the fight, Judah matched Mayweather's vaunted speed and reflexes, out-boxing and out-landing him. Yet in the end, Judah faltered, Mayweather assumed control and went on to win the fight. Then in the 10th Round, Judah resorted to fighting dirty and low-blowed Mayweather, prompting trainer Roger Mayweather to angrily jump into the ring. Uncle Roger was kicked out of the Thomas & Mack Center, the fight resumed, and Mayweather won a clean points victory.

Comebacks

After losing to Baldomir and Mayweather, Zab Judah attempted comeback after comeback. In 2007 he challenged undefeated WBA champ Miguel Cotto, and was badly beaten up en route to an 11th Round stoppage. It was his fourth defeat and his second by knockout. In 2008, Judah was scheduled to fight Shane Mosley until his arm suffered a severe laceration that needed 50 stitches, reportedly from falling through a glass shower door. Instead, Judah fought Joshua Clottey of Ghana later that same year for the IBF belt. Judah did well initially, but predictably Clottey asserted control. An accidental headbutt opened a bad cut on Judah's brow, so the fight went to the cards and gave Clottey the victory.

As of August 2010, Zab "Super" Judah is 39-6 (27 KOs) and is in the midst of another comeback, with a fight scheduled for October.

Sources: nytimes.com/2001/12/01/sports/plus-boxing-judah-fined-75000-and-suspended.html; boxrec.com; live fight footage; International Boxing Digest; The Ring;