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Zab Judah Asks, "Who Is Alfonso Gomez?"
By Jason Gonzalez
Welterweight Zab Judah of Brooklyn, NY, has shown that he has been consistent at being inconsistent. Since losing his undisputed title to Carlos Baldomir in a year that also saw him fined and suspended, Judah returned to the squared circle in ‘07 in hopes of a super year.
So far Judah (35-5-2 NC, 25 KO's) has compiled a record of 1-1-1 NC. Obviously not the most impressive numbers, but what is impressive is that Judah showed no signs of any physical setbacks since he was knocked out by Miguel Cotto.
In final telecast of ESPN 2's "Friday Night Fight's", Judah outclassed the very rugged and formidable veteran Edwin Vazquez.
"It was beautiful to close out the season on ESPN," said Judah, age 29. "It's speaks for itself. When you do what's right for the people they give back to you."
Judah's philosophy indicates that he cares about giving back to the networks that have showed him love in the past. However, there are some observers that may interpret fighting on ESPN as a down grade for the former two-division champion, who has fought on HBO, Showtime and Pay-Per-View.
"I cater to the fans and the fans cater to me," replied the Brownsville native. "I appreciate the fans, so why wouldn't I want to give back to them?"
Judah, the gatekeeper of the 147 pound division, is expected to close out a very bus year next month [11/17] in the Turks and Caicos Island.
Judah will be traveling into uncharted waters, when he moves up one weight class north [154] to face David Ryan for the International Boxing Council championship. As Judah begins his quest to find what the boxing world has in store for him, it appears that there are no lingering effects [physically and psychologically] from the loss to Cotto.
"The loss [Cotto] will never go away," Judah would tell TSS over the phone. "I put it behind me but it will always be there. I want another shot at Cotto so I could redeem myself. I have shown in this great sport of boxing that I am still "Super" Judah in the ring."
Exactly what Judah showed when he decisioned Vazquez: considering the circumstances it was a super performance.
Now I know that the only thing Vazquez and Cotto have in common is that they're both boxers from Puerto Rico. But with that being said, you give props when props are due. Besides a sturdy chin, Vazquez (22-11-2, 8 KOs) brought tons of experience into the ring that night in September. Vazquez has fought the likes of Ricardo Torres, Demetrius Hopkins and Acelino Freitas. Vazquez gave Judah what he needed most: rounds.
"Edwin Vazquez definitely gave me the type of fight that I was expecting," Judah assessed. "He is a great veteran but it wasn't a good night for him. It was a "Super" Judah night. Zab is back y'all."
There aren't many that disagree with the fact that Judah is a talented individual. However, many of the boxing pundits do agree that Judah lacks the proper temperament, as well as adequate ring intelligence. Besides being the recipient of two low-blows, Judah acknowledged that he made a lot of mistakes against Cotto, back in June. Judah's mentor, hall of famer, Pernell "Sweet Pea" Whitaker is one of his biggest supporters. During an ESPN2 telecast, Whitaker expressed a great desire to train Judah.
Stylistically both fighters are very similar, with the exception being that Judah posses a bigger punch than Whitaker. When Judah was coming up in the amateurs, the pundits described him as "a Pernell Whitaker with a punch."
Like I have mentioned in the past, Yo'el Judah, his father, isn't the perfect fit for his son. Bringing in an individual with the pedigree of Whitaker couldn't hurt.
"It's a great thing to have a guy like Pernell Whitaker in your corner," Judah excitingly replied. "I came up under Pernell and he is one of the best to ever do it [box]. I am a huge fan of Pernell Whitaker, but with that being said me and my father have chemistry together. We are one of the few working father/son combinations in boxing. Pernell is more than welcome to come to camp and work with us."
It may be a little too late in Judah's career to consider a trip to Canastota. But that doesn't mean that the rest of his career is meaningless. Judah still has an opportunity to rid himself of the tag of "underachiever." Considering that Judah was a two-time junior welterweight champion as well as an undisputed champion at welterweight, it's amazing how such a negative stigma can be attached to him. With the exception of the second fight with Cory Spinks, Judah has lost every big fight that he has participated in.
"Depending on who is telling me that I haven't reached my potential it may bother me," Judah would succinctly say. "But for the most part that's an opinion and opinions are like a------s. Everybody has one, so I take it for it's worth."
The next two years will be critical in Judah's career. There are a lot of young guys coming up in the welterweight division. Names such as Andre Berto and Alfonso Gomez may be looking at Judah as a stepping stone to bigger and better things in the division. In fact Gomez has already called out Judah. There is also the possibility of Judah fighting the winner of the Cotto-Shane Mosley showdown in November. The next 24 months could be make or break for Judah. The clock is ticking, but it’s abundantly clear that Judah possesses the capacity to sew back together the holes he has created for himself.
"I don't even know who Alfonso Gomez is," Judah would respond to the challenge posed by Gomez. After informing Judah that Gomez was from the "Contender", Judah then replied by saying, "Ah...come on. I don't play with little kids. Tell him to do something then maybe we can do it [fight].”
SPEEDBAG: - Judah made sure to purchase the Kanye West and 50 Cent album released on September 11. "I am a big supporter of Hip-Hop," Judah said. "What Kanye and 50 did by dropping their albums on the same day is great for each other and great for Hip-Hop."
-Judah's favorite rapper is Jay-Z. Do you smell a Brooklyn bias? Judah also described Nas as being very lyrical.
- Judah has the following CD's in rotation: 50 Cent , Kanye West, Jay-Z, T.I., Young Jeezy and J. Holiday.
- According to Judah, he is the cousin of the late rapper, Tupac Shakur.
-Judah, a known dog lover in the hood, commented on the Michael Vick situation. "I am a dog lover," he emphasized. "I have had rottweilers, pit bulls and yorkies. My daughter has a yorkie. As far as Michael Vick goes, I don't think dog fighting is a crime. There are worse things going on over seas where people are blowing things up. And we are worrying about Michael Vick."
But is dog fighting wrong?
"Is dog fighting wrong?," Judah rhetorically asked. "I mean I love dogs. But dog fighting is real big and people bet big money. Some dogs are made for fighting and some dogs are made for loving."
By Jason Gonzalez
Welterweight Zab Judah of Brooklyn, NY, has shown that he has been consistent at being inconsistent. Since losing his undisputed title to Carlos Baldomir in a year that also saw him fined and suspended, Judah returned to the squared circle in ‘07 in hopes of a super year.
So far Judah (35-5-2 NC, 25 KO's) has compiled a record of 1-1-1 NC. Obviously not the most impressive numbers, but what is impressive is that Judah showed no signs of any physical setbacks since he was knocked out by Miguel Cotto.
In final telecast of ESPN 2's "Friday Night Fight's", Judah outclassed the very rugged and formidable veteran Edwin Vazquez.
"It was beautiful to close out the season on ESPN," said Judah, age 29. "It's speaks for itself. When you do what's right for the people they give back to you."
Judah's philosophy indicates that he cares about giving back to the networks that have showed him love in the past. However, there are some observers that may interpret fighting on ESPN as a down grade for the former two-division champion, who has fought on HBO, Showtime and Pay-Per-View.
"I cater to the fans and the fans cater to me," replied the Brownsville native. "I appreciate the fans, so why wouldn't I want to give back to them?"
Judah, the gatekeeper of the 147 pound division, is expected to close out a very bus year next month [11/17] in the Turks and Caicos Island.
Judah will be traveling into uncharted waters, when he moves up one weight class north [154] to face David Ryan for the International Boxing Council championship. As Judah begins his quest to find what the boxing world has in store for him, it appears that there are no lingering effects [physically and psychologically] from the loss to Cotto.
"The loss [Cotto] will never go away," Judah would tell TSS over the phone. "I put it behind me but it will always be there. I want another shot at Cotto so I could redeem myself. I have shown in this great sport of boxing that I am still "Super" Judah in the ring."
Exactly what Judah showed when he decisioned Vazquez: considering the circumstances it was a super performance.
Now I know that the only thing Vazquez and Cotto have in common is that they're both boxers from Puerto Rico. But with that being said, you give props when props are due. Besides a sturdy chin, Vazquez (22-11-2, 8 KOs) brought tons of experience into the ring that night in September. Vazquez has fought the likes of Ricardo Torres, Demetrius Hopkins and Acelino Freitas. Vazquez gave Judah what he needed most: rounds.
"Edwin Vazquez definitely gave me the type of fight that I was expecting," Judah assessed. "He is a great veteran but it wasn't a good night for him. It was a "Super" Judah night. Zab is back y'all."
There aren't many that disagree with the fact that Judah is a talented individual. However, many of the boxing pundits do agree that Judah lacks the proper temperament, as well as adequate ring intelligence. Besides being the recipient of two low-blows, Judah acknowledged that he made a lot of mistakes against Cotto, back in June. Judah's mentor, hall of famer, Pernell "Sweet Pea" Whitaker is one of his biggest supporters. During an ESPN2 telecast, Whitaker expressed a great desire to train Judah.
Stylistically both fighters are very similar, with the exception being that Judah posses a bigger punch than Whitaker. When Judah was coming up in the amateurs, the pundits described him as "a Pernell Whitaker with a punch."
Like I have mentioned in the past, Yo'el Judah, his father, isn't the perfect fit for his son. Bringing in an individual with the pedigree of Whitaker couldn't hurt.
"It's a great thing to have a guy like Pernell Whitaker in your corner," Judah excitingly replied. "I came up under Pernell and he is one of the best to ever do it [box]. I am a huge fan of Pernell Whitaker, but with that being said me and my father have chemistry together. We are one of the few working father/son combinations in boxing. Pernell is more than welcome to come to camp and work with us."
It may be a little too late in Judah's career to consider a trip to Canastota. But that doesn't mean that the rest of his career is meaningless. Judah still has an opportunity to rid himself of the tag of "underachiever." Considering that Judah was a two-time junior welterweight champion as well as an undisputed champion at welterweight, it's amazing how such a negative stigma can be attached to him. With the exception of the second fight with Cory Spinks, Judah has lost every big fight that he has participated in.
"Depending on who is telling me that I haven't reached my potential it may bother me," Judah would succinctly say. "But for the most part that's an opinion and opinions are like a------s. Everybody has one, so I take it for it's worth."
The next two years will be critical in Judah's career. There are a lot of young guys coming up in the welterweight division. Names such as Andre Berto and Alfonso Gomez may be looking at Judah as a stepping stone to bigger and better things in the division. In fact Gomez has already called out Judah. There is also the possibility of Judah fighting the winner of the Cotto-Shane Mosley showdown in November. The next 24 months could be make or break for Judah. The clock is ticking, but it’s abundantly clear that Judah possesses the capacity to sew back together the holes he has created for himself.
"I don't even know who Alfonso Gomez is," Judah would respond to the challenge posed by Gomez. After informing Judah that Gomez was from the "Contender", Judah then replied by saying, "Ah...come on. I don't play with little kids. Tell him to do something then maybe we can do it [fight].”
SPEEDBAG: - Judah made sure to purchase the Kanye West and 50 Cent album released on September 11. "I am a big supporter of Hip-Hop," Judah said. "What Kanye and 50 did by dropping their albums on the same day is great for each other and great for Hip-Hop."
-Judah's favorite rapper is Jay-Z. Do you smell a Brooklyn bias? Judah also described Nas as being very lyrical.
- Judah has the following CD's in rotation: 50 Cent , Kanye West, Jay-Z, T.I., Young Jeezy and J. Holiday.
- According to Judah, he is the cousin of the late rapper, Tupac Shakur.
-Judah, a known dog lover in the hood, commented on the Michael Vick situation. "I am a dog lover," he emphasized. "I have had rottweilers, pit bulls and yorkies. My daughter has a yorkie. As far as Michael Vick goes, I don't think dog fighting is a crime. There are worse things going on over seas where people are blowing things up. And we are worrying about Michael Vick."
But is dog fighting wrong?
"Is dog fighting wrong?," Judah rhetorically asked. "I mean I love dogs. But dog fighting is real big and people bet big money. Some dogs are made for fighting and some dogs are made for loving."
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