By Kevin Kincade (photo by Stephen Burt)

Legend has it that Blues Legend, Robert Johnson, sold his soul to the devil at the crossroads in Clarksdale, Mississippi to be the greatest blues guitarist who ever lived.  That's just a few miles up the road from Tunica, where last night's fight between former two division champion, Zab Judah and Ruben Galvan took place.  Despite the ultra modern scene at the Fitzgerald Casino and all around Tunica, in general, you can still feel an other worldly force in these parts emanating from just below the surface of the Mississippi mud. 

The history of this place is as rich and as murky as the waters that flow down into the Gulf of Mexico.  At the moment, Zab Judah finds his future to be just as murky as he stands at a different set of crossroads of his own.

2006 was not, and I mean NOT, a good year for Zab Judah.  In fact, in the history of "not good" years, Zab probably set a new low water mark when you compare it to the year he'd had previously. At the beginning of 2006, Zab was on top of the world.  He was undoubtedly the best in his division, having wrested the undisputed welterweight championship from Cory Spinks in a most convincing fashion the previous February.

The win over Spinks was particularly significant because of the disciplined fight-plan Judah executed that night.  For once, he seemed to have matured into the all-around force he had always shown flashes of being; grown into his skin or come of age, so to speak. 

Following the victory over "The Next Generation", "Super" did away with Cosme Rivera in three and few felt his mandatory against some obscure Argentinian would be any different.  Carlos Baldomir was supposed to be nothing more than an obligatory speed-bump along the way to a mult-million dollar showdown with Floyd Mayweather Jr.  How wrong we were.

Maybe Zab had read too many of his own press clippings, maybe he too felt this unknown brawler from Carlos Monzon's hometown was barely worthy of his autograph, much less a shot at the belt.  Or, maybe the young man, feeling his oats, decided to go to war in front of his hometown crowd, not unlike Evander Holyfield had done so many years before when he defened the World Heavyweight Championship against unlikely title-challenger, Bert Cooper in his hometown of Atlanta, Georgia.  Homecomings are something special, after all: it's a chance to show all the people who believed you'd make it to the top that their faith in you was not unfounded and a chance to give all those who didn't believe in you the finger.  And, to add to the typical "coming home" adrenaline rush, the Baldomir fight was in Madison Square Garden!  How do you not kick some ass at the Garden?!

Well, whatever was going on inside Zab Judah's mind that night, I guarandamntee you it wasn't the end result.  Not only did he lose his beloved World Championship; but he also watched the dollar-signs fly out the window as the worth and significance of his clash with Floyd Mayweather Jr. lost much of it's initial sparkle.  Then, to add insult to injury, he lost that one too.

Needless to say, all of the "I told you so" comments came out in droves at the conclusion of the Mayweather fight.  Not so much  because Zab lost, because he gave a very good account of himself in the first half of the fight; but because of the malay that ensued during the chaotic tenth round.  If it had been any other event of less importance with smaller names, the near riot that took place between to two enterauges following Judah's headbutt and low blow, would have surely guaranteed a no-contest or a disqualification. 

Either way, the damage was done to Judah's reputation, which brings us to "starting over again" in Tunica, Mississippi on a wet April night.

Make no mistake about it.  Tonight's expected destruction of Ruben Galvan  was suppossed to be a mere formality:  get a win under your belt before the next big step, which is scheduled to be a fellow by the name of Miguel Cotto....at "The Garden", no less.  However, a funny thing happened on the way to that "destruction"; an unintentional lacing, to be precise.  Maybe it was Zab being over-enthusiastic, maybe it was poor defense or the result of an awkward style clash with his opponent, or hell, it could have been those "other worldly forces older than the landscape or because it was Friday the 13th....the fight had already been moved indoors due to an unexpected stormfront. 

Whatever it was, one minute and eleven seconds into the first round of the rest of Zab Judah's career, Galvan was bleeding from the temple like a stuck pig and the comeback party was declared a no contest.  Not exactly the kind of work out one would want before a major fight; but Zab said later he was going to try to end it early anyhow, though probably not this way.

The good news is the big picture.  With Floyd Mayweather heading north for deeper, richer waters against Oscar De La Hoya, the 147 Lb division is wide open for a new title claimant and plenty of potential "men who would be king" waiting in the wings to try the crown on for size.  Not since the days that De La Hoya, Trinidad, Quartey, and Whitaker graced the Welterweight division has there been a collection of talent this thick.  In addition to Zab Judah and Miguel Cotto, we've got Antonio Margarito, Paul "The Punisher" Williams, and the revitalized "Sugar" Shane Mosely.  Now that may not be Leonard, Hearns, Benitez, and Duran and it may or may not be De La Hoya, Trinidad, Quartey, and Whitaker; but fun times are ahead to be sure.  And if Zab can bring his "A" game to the dance against any of the aforementioned fighters, he's right back in the mix.

As we got a glimpse of Friday night, at his best, Judah is an incredibly gifted athlete with stupid-fast reflexes and an unorthodox delivery which throws any text-book boxer for a loop, with the obvious exception of Floyd Mayweather, who still found himself in trouble tactically early on against Zab. 

Cotto showed in his match with Paul Malinaggi that while he won, pure boxing and problem solving skills are not on his list of weapons.  The most difficult style for any fighter to deal with is that of a slick southpaw, of which, the great Pernell Whitaker was the physical embodiment.  Malinaggi, while possessing great handspeed and footspeed in addition to greasy-slick moves, is no Pernell Whitaker. 

And while Zab Judah is indeed no Pernell Whitaker either, it's fair to say he is a couple of notches above Brooklyn's "Magic Man" in both skill and power, with power being the key.  Malinaggi didn't have enough firepower to earn Cotto's respect whereas Judah has more than enough; and as long as he doesn't catch "homecoming fever" again as he did the last time he fought in the Garden, he has a better than average chance of handing the rising Puerto Rican star his first defeat.  If, however, he gets caught up in a macho slugfest, odds are he won't have to worry about losing a decision because such a battle-plan is the recipe for a short night for the judges, to say nothing of for Zab. 

Though, in fairness to "Super", Cotto's chin-whiskers aren't exactly first-class granite either and Judah appears to have more than enough speed and pop to give Miguel cause for caution as well.
 
Either way, as expected, the odds were in Zab's favor tonight against Mr. Galvan; and despite the disappointment of endings so close to beginnings, Zab, himself, did not disappoint.  Coming off back-to-back losses, Judah did indeed appear to be more aggressive than normal; but that's to be expected from a proud young man who, once again, has something to prove.  All in all, "having something to prove" very well could be the best thing to happen to Zab as he doesn't appear to handle prospertiy all that well. 

He showed the ability to dig down and return relatively soon after his devastating TKO loss to Kostya Tszyu; and after a lackluster performance against Cory Spinks, returned to show us that something extra we'd wondered if he'd had in the tank. 

Judah seems to be one of those fighters who does better when he has something to prove and be assured, he will be the underdog against Miguel Cotto if that fight comes off as planned in June at MSG, which just happens to be his hometown.  And, believe it or not, contrary to the result of the Baldomir fight, that, invariably, could be the best news for Judah's backers. 

In spite of his failures in the past, Judah has a tendency to come through when you least expect it and more than likely, given the brevity of Friday night's contest, probably still feels he has something to prove.  That makes Zab dangerous for whoever's next, espectially if they're taking him on in front of thousands of screaming hometown fans.

If I've learned anything from walking the Tunica casinos in the last couple of days, it's this: never bet against the house when the chips are down. 

Come June 9th, Miguel Cotto might find that to be just as true in New York.