By Jim Cawkwell (photo by Richie Maldonado)
Since its conception, this fight hinged on the premise that Zab Judah was not himself while fighting Carlos Baldomir, and therefore still warranted a chance against the world’s pound-for-pound champion. One is tempted to counter that Judah was himself to a tee against Baldomir: an arrogant fighter too in love with himself and the trappings of a champion but ill-prepared to fight as one.
The parade of excuses presented by Judah, Don King and even Floyd Mayweather himself contained a threadbare logic too flimsy to hold even in boxing. “Sworn Enemies” is a bemusing tagline for a fight that Judah received as a gift from Mayweather, who also assumed the bulk of the fight’s promotional duties. With enemies like that, who needs friends?
Of course, there is an ulterior motive on Mayweather’s part that supersedes the relevance of Judah’s loss to Baldomir, the order and consequence of championship rankings and the respectability of the sport at large: money. The fight appeals not exclusively, but mostly to the significant percentage of African-American fight fans besotted with the notion of a clash between the two fighters that most epitomize the glitz-laden hip-hop culture in boxing.
In the absence of any professional reasoning, this fight becomes one in which the winner will have upheld the reputation of his territory and emerged as boxing’s ultimate Bad-Boy champion.
Dispensing with the historical statistics and social significance leads us to a look at the competitive aspect of the fight. It is tempting to surmise that Mayweather will deal with Judah as easily as it is said he did in a heated sparring encounter some time ago. A wise fellow recently said that Mayweather is Pernell Whitaker with a punch; the same was also said of Judah before his novelty wore out. There are many fighters out there with speed and power, and even more without the discipline to harness them into a sustained, effective force such as Judah.
Visibly seething to fight Cory Spinks in their rematch, one felt sure that Judah would simply fly at Spinks with every ounce of his impetuousness. Indeed, the Brooklyn-born Judah did not wait to hurt Spinks, but when he did, Judah displayed the maturity long missing from his repertoire. Judah held himself with patience, waiting the opportunity to end the flailing Spinks’s misery. But the same mind that used that wisdom to such great effect was just as quick to abandon it.
What Judah cannot abandon so freely is the physical debilitation that is both a part of his appeal and the bane of his career: his frail punch resistance. Since suffering sheer annihilation at the hands of Kostya Tszyu, Judah steered well clear of formidable punchers, yet even Spinks, a fighter whose stylish approach lessens the venom in his punches, succeeded in putting Judah down. Furthermore, there are a thousand fighters possessing a professional record, abilities and limited power akin to that of Carlos Baldomir, and yet, the game Argentinean needed only the courage to fight back to send Judah’s senses into disarray.
There is little doubt that Judah faces almost insurmountable odds against Mayweather. Disagreeable as you may find his words, in deed you cannot fault the undefeated pound-for-pound champion. His effortless blend of combination punching with educated defensive work, plus his phenomenal speed and authoritative power throughout four weight classes is a marvel.
However, the clinical economy of Mayweather’s work is most impressive. He throws nothing without the surety that it will succeed in its purpose, and his accuracy assures that it does so with alarming consistency.
He possesses superior talent over Judah in every department, and is every inch the flashy, fast-talking braggadocio with it. Foremost amongst what separates them, though, is work ethic. Judah is the classic case of wasted talent. A shooting star perhaps not meant to rule as a champion, but destined to register an impact for but a short time before fading into memory.
Mayweather may not have sought it, but has certainly acquired a degree of controversy in his private life. Undesirable as some of his actions outside of the ring have been, however, Mayweather takes the business of being the world’s best boxer very seriously. One thing you can always rely on from Mayweather is that he will honor the position he is in by preparing thoroughly for every fight in which he participates; a practice applied tenfold for the high-risk affairs.
Sensing his final throw of the dice, Judah may finally produce a performance worthy of the position in which he finds himself. Unable to outbox or out-think Mayweather, there is a single hope that Judah’s presence will derive an element of drama from a Mayweather fight that we have yet to witness. Whether they tear at one another from the start or inch closer as the rounds elapse, the moment will come when the close quarter exchanges might favor Judah.
If Judah cannot win, there is still the chance that in one of those frenetic moments he will land the punch that will tell us more of Mayweather through adversity than in all his years of brilliance thus far.
To floor Mayweather would not offer complete vindication to Judah, but it might buy him another opportunity beyond April 8 in the event that he loses. Mayweather’s response, though, would be of greater importance. Being a perceived underdog to Diego Corrales brought forth an unforgettable performance from him in a fight in which his talent seemed to make him invulnerable. However, his resolve remains unchecked in the midst of battle. We yearn to see Mayweather forced to endure the pain from which his abilities have protected him, to fight through that unyielding haze. To inflict this burden on Mayweather is Judah’s task.
And what of Judah’s chances of victory? Perpetual disappointment in performance is a practice best left to heavyweights; it has not dwelt amongst fighters such as Mayweather for a long time. It seems improbable that Mayweather will fail against Judah, but altogether inconceivable are the depths to which boxing’s status will sink if its premier fighter were deposed in such a setting. Defeat for Mayweather in a truly competitive fight would be acceptable, but not here; not in a fight that is happening only because it appeals to a key demographic; not in a fight that is only a title fight because of the IBF’s nonsensical decision to endorse it.
Whichever Judah arrives on the night is irrelevant. Increased quality in his performance can only delay the inevitable. Beyond whatever Judah brings is an undeniable weakness that will always betray him. Mayweather cannot possibly miss the target.
Mayweather by stoppage in six rounds.
Meanwhile, if you’re not savoring the prospect of the main event, take heart that a selection of fighters on the under-card should make for compelling viewing for all of the right reasons.
Foremost of the evening’s support attractions is the bout between undefeated WBA lightweight champion Juan Diaz and undefeated challenge, Jose Miguel Cotto. Whether it’s some punishment for his failure to appear on their first pay-per-view excursion, or the fact that they’d rather focus on Fernando Vargas or a piece of the heavyweight pie in Calvin Brock, Main Events dropped the ball when they began to neglect Diaz. Hopefully, this is a night in which Diaz uses the world stage to prove his worth against a fighter in Cotto whom many believe could be just as big a deal as brother Miguel.
You know it’s going to be a good night when you have the chance to see a Jorge Arce fight. The little Mexican might be the most entertaining in the sport, always giving value for money by fighting hard and fighting often against top-class opposition. Nicaraguan Rosendo Alvarez is no soft touch, even laying claim to the one blemish, that being a technical draw, on the record of Mexican legend, Ricardo “Finito” Lopez. It will be hard for the aging Alvarez to stay the course with a young, tenacious fighter such as Arce.
See you when the smoke clears.
Contact Jim Cawkwell at jimcawkwell@yahoo.co.uk
