Yoel Judah, father and trainer of former two-division champion Zab Judah, claims his son was very ill prior to last month's twelve round decision loss to Paulie Malignaggi at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. Zab, the harder puncher, was viewed by some as the favorite to win. Instead he was outboxed and dominated for most of the fight. In the coming months, Zab is going to make one final run at a world title.
It was a weekend full of matches that provided surprises, solidified assumptions, and delivered on action…sometimes all in the same fight. On one of the busiest weekends in recent memory, fans saw a new titlist crowned at 147 and an old titlist re-crowned in arguably a career best performance. They also saw a master do his thing and send fans home early and two Jr. Middleweights battle past the point to reason.
Paulie Malignaggi, working behind his jab (landed 10 of 31 per round), set the pace from the opening bell-(he 18 of 51 total punches per round). Paulie leads all active fighters with an avg. of 11 jabs landed per round. Zab Judah was a step behind all night, throwing just 42 punches per round, landing 10. Zab threw just nine power shots per round-25 less than the welterweight avg.
by Thomas Gerbasi - BROOKLYN, NY -– The Battle of Brooklyn was fought in front of 9,363 at Barclays Center Saturday night, and while it ended as more of a skirmish in terms of action, the result was a dominant one for the victor, Paulie Malignaggi, as he delivered a 12 round unanimous decision win over Zab Judah. Scores were 116-111 and 117-110 twice. “There was a lot of pressure,” said the 33-year-old Malignaggi, who pondered retirement after a June loss to Adrien Broner before deciding to return for tonight’s bout. “You don’t want to lose at home to another hometown guy.” He didn't. And at times he made it look easy. Malignaggi was the busier fighter by far as the bout commenced, standing in front of Judah and flicking out jabs and the occasional straight right. Judah patiently stood in the pocket, waiting for his time to strike, but it didn’t come in the first, with Malignaggi ending the round strong with a stiff right to the face.
Bill Emes catches up with former two division world champion Paulie Malignaggi to discuss his twelve round unanimous decision victory over Zab Judah in their "Battle of Brooklyn" from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
BROOKLYN, N.Y. - Two weeks after his 33rd birthday, Paulie "The Magic Man" Malignaggi (33-5, 7 KO's) picks up his 33rd win in a unanimous decision victory over Zab "Super" Judah (42-9, 29 KO's) in front of his hometown crowd at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY. The fight, promoted by Golden Boy Promotions, headlined a four-fight SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING event.
Bill Emes catches the post fight press conference to the battle of Brooklyn welterweights, as Paulie Malignaggi and Zab Judah discuss their twelve round fight from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
Paulie landed 11 jabs per round- #1 among all active champ. caliber opponents (Vitali not active). 68% of Paulie's thrown punches are jabs-#2 among active champ. caliber fighters. 70% of Zab's thrown punches are jabs- #1 among active fighters. (Zab landed just 5 jabs per round). Zab did landed 55% of his power shots, but only 7 thrown/13 landed per round (welter avg: 13/34). Paulie's the overall busier fighter, throwing 23 more total punches per round. This could win him the close rounds.
The Battle of Brooklyn suggests hometown bragging rights, but actually means so much more for Paul Malignaggi and Zab Judah. The two square off in tonight’s main event at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, both in need of a win to close out a 2013 campaign that has otherwise played in line with many of New York’s sports franchises over the course of this calendar year.
The Brooklyn-boxer Paulie Malignaggi has discussed retiring from the sport a number of times, due to his hand problems, frustration with decisions that didn’t go his way and just fatigue from the difficult business boxing. And so it came to pass again that Malignaggi came close to walking away from the sport following his loss to Adrien Broner in June. The back-and-forth trash talking between the fighters had taken its toll. Though he was an active participant, Malignaggi didn’t look like he was having much fun discussing a former flame that Broner had befriended.