Tim Bradley's Promoter Fires Back at Zab Judah, and Khan

By Rick Reeno

Last Monday promoter Gary Shaw reached out Yoel Judah, father/trainer of former two-division champion Zab Judah, to see if they were interested in taking an HBO-televised fight against WBO junior welterweight champion Timothy Bradley on July 17. Yoel told Shaw he would speak to his son and call him back with answer. Shaw never heard back from Yoel.

After BoxingScene.com ran a story about Shaw's interest in making that fight, and Judah's lack of a response, Zab issued an answer on his personal twitter page and turned the fight down. Judah claimed that he was taking a tune-up on July 16 at the Prudential Center in New Jersey.

"Bradley [is] not the first fight but he's going to get it too. First fight [is] a good tune-up, then Tim, then Devon. A good tune-up first, then these so-called punks are next," Judah said. "I need New York and New Jersey to be real deep in the building [on] July 16 at the Prudential Center because its going down. I'm back!."

Shaw is making it very simple for Zab. If he passes on Bradley now, the opportunity will never come again. Shaw was a little annoyed that Zab kept everyone on hold, never returned calls, and instead issued an answer on his twitter page.

"It would have been nice for Zab or Yoel to call me so I could notify HBO that he had no interest in the fight, rather than twittering. That's not the way professionals do it. Another question is to Zab Judah, after being a multi-world champions and being in the sport as long as he's been - why does he need a tune-up fight? The days of tune-ups for the big networks are over and fighters are getting older," Shaw told BoxingScene.com.

"And I want to know, what show are you fighting on at the Prudential Center? I think that date is reserved for an M.M.A show. Is Judah going into M.M.A? If you want to fight Bradley, fight him because once we pass on this fight, there won't be another Bradley fight after this. Once he passes on this fight, there will not be another offer for a Bradley fight."

Additionally, Shaw wanted to respond to some of the recent comments that were made by WBA junior welterweight champion Amir Khan. The British star told reporters "I have the style to beat Bradley" and also said by "beating Bradley" he would bring himself to a level where the major fights were on the table. Khan would like to take a fight with Marcos Maidana, but Shaw will not allow that happen.

"To Amir Khan, the top-dog. The only thing that dog has going for him is Freddie Roach, who is the trainer. Otherwise he's exactly what he calls himself, a dog. I offered Golden Boy an opportunity for him to fight Bradley and he turned it down flat. And he can take Maidana out of this equitation because the next fight Maidana has is going to be against the fighter he was supposed to fight [on July 17], Bradley. I'm not going to allow him to duck. I'm not going to allow Golden Boy to duck and I'm going to keep HBO with the fight that they made, and that's Bradley and Maidana," Shaw said.