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AMIR KHAN’S speedy blitz of Brooklyn’s Dmitriy Salita in Newcastle capped a marvellous 12-month rejuvenation spell for the Bolton man who, little more than a year ago, had his senses ran-sacked by Breidis Prescott, a loser to Kevin Mitchell on Saturday’s undercard.
But not all of New York’s finest light-welters would give Khan such an easy ride. In fact, there is one who – if Khan wants to make his name in the US – has volunteered his decorated southpaw services, Zab Judah.
“I’m looking at Juan Urango or Amir Khan right now,” he told Boxing News. “I’m definitely going to be boxing at 140lbs. I’m 32-years-old, I’m still young. I learned the game very well and I feel great. There’s nothing I can’t do at 32 and I’m feeling better now than I did at 22 so, hey, these young pups have got something coming.”
A Judah fight would be a terrific launch-pad for Khan, who wants to campaign in the US, albeit with victory far from assured.
Judah was satisfied with his most recent display, a routine two-round win over outgunned Ubaldo Hernandez marking Zab’s 38th win (26th early) in 46 starts (six losses).
“I was very happy and pleased with that performance,” he said. “Now I’m looking to move on and do some great things.”
That does not include a fight with veteran Cuban Joel Casamayor, who fought on the same bill and weighed in at welter.
Instead, Judah wants Khan et al at 10st. And Zab, whose list of opponents includes Floyd Mayweather, Miguel Cotto, Kostya Tszyu, Joshua Clottey and Cory Spinks remains focused on his career, no longer driven to impress others with his bling and bad boy rep.
“Bad boy isn’t something that comes and goes, it’s a lifestyle,” he explains. “It’s a different kind of bad boy [he is now]; there’s the smart, educated bad boy and the street-thug bad boy. I’m the smart, educated bad boy.
“Life is about growing. There shouldn’t be nobody that reaches more than 30-years-old and they’re still doing the things they were doing when they were 22. Your mindset is totally different. Back then all I thought about was girls and cars. Now I’m about businesses and long-term things.”
What about the ***ellery? Judah once had an eye for the most outrageous and flamboyant diamonds money could buy, showcasing them on his hands, around his neck and in his teeth.
“No, not anymore,” he reckons. “I’m a watch fanatic so I keep nice timepieces. This is an Invicta,” he says, rolling up his sleeve. “We call this the big boy Invicta watch. I collect all watches but I don’t do so much ***ellery no more because I just had a son, Zab Judah Jnr – my second son and I’ve got four daughters – so I took my diamond teeth out, I got rid of all of that stuff.”
Judah, who tips younger brother Joseph for the top of the light-middleweight division, lives in Vegas now and is often seen in the gym of his old rival Floyd Jnr. Reports of animosity between the two are now too old to put Zab out of his stride.
“We don’t got no problems,” Judah states. “We hang out and stuff. In boxing you don’t hate nobody because these people helped me make millions of dollars to feed my family so why would I… you know what I’m saying?”
What about Shane Mosley? There have been long-term rumours of Zab and Shane failing to see eye-to-eye.
“Shane’s been there,” Judah adds respectfully. “Listen, Mosley – we’ve got a good relationship. He’s a nice guy so I don’t want to bad talk him or anything but everyone knows Zab Judah is here. I don’t run from nobody and I do what I gotta do. I don’t have a history with him, he’s cool.”
Zab is all grown up. Even if he has not put the past completely behind him you get the feeling he is trying to.
“You weren’t a nice guy in the early days, were you?” he is asked.
“No, there’s no such thing as hate, we made millions of dollars together,” he says of his old foes.
“What about Jay Nady, did you hate him?” [Judah launched a stool at Nady after the referee stopped his fight with Tsyzu with a wobbly Judah claiming he could fight on]
“I love Jay Nady,” he laughs. “I love him. Nevada Commission is the best ever.”
The past has been left behind. Now it’s about his future, about his family and, he hopes, about Amir Khan.
But not all of New York’s finest light-welters would give Khan such an easy ride. In fact, there is one who – if Khan wants to make his name in the US – has volunteered his decorated southpaw services, Zab Judah.
“I’m looking at Juan Urango or Amir Khan right now,” he told Boxing News. “I’m definitely going to be boxing at 140lbs. I’m 32-years-old, I’m still young. I learned the game very well and I feel great. There’s nothing I can’t do at 32 and I’m feeling better now than I did at 22 so, hey, these young pups have got something coming.”
A Judah fight would be a terrific launch-pad for Khan, who wants to campaign in the US, albeit with victory far from assured.
Judah was satisfied with his most recent display, a routine two-round win over outgunned Ubaldo Hernandez marking Zab’s 38th win (26th early) in 46 starts (six losses).
“I was very happy and pleased with that performance,” he said. “Now I’m looking to move on and do some great things.”
That does not include a fight with veteran Cuban Joel Casamayor, who fought on the same bill and weighed in at welter.
Instead, Judah wants Khan et al at 10st. And Zab, whose list of opponents includes Floyd Mayweather, Miguel Cotto, Kostya Tszyu, Joshua Clottey and Cory Spinks remains focused on his career, no longer driven to impress others with his bling and bad boy rep.
“Bad boy isn’t something that comes and goes, it’s a lifestyle,” he explains. “It’s a different kind of bad boy [he is now]; there’s the smart, educated bad boy and the street-thug bad boy. I’m the smart, educated bad boy.
“Life is about growing. There shouldn’t be nobody that reaches more than 30-years-old and they’re still doing the things they were doing when they were 22. Your mindset is totally different. Back then all I thought about was girls and cars. Now I’m about businesses and long-term things.”
What about the ***ellery? Judah once had an eye for the most outrageous and flamboyant diamonds money could buy, showcasing them on his hands, around his neck and in his teeth.
“No, not anymore,” he reckons. “I’m a watch fanatic so I keep nice timepieces. This is an Invicta,” he says, rolling up his sleeve. “We call this the big boy Invicta watch. I collect all watches but I don’t do so much ***ellery no more because I just had a son, Zab Judah Jnr – my second son and I’ve got four daughters – so I took my diamond teeth out, I got rid of all of that stuff.”
Judah, who tips younger brother Joseph for the top of the light-middleweight division, lives in Vegas now and is often seen in the gym of his old rival Floyd Jnr. Reports of animosity between the two are now too old to put Zab out of his stride.
“We don’t got no problems,” Judah states. “We hang out and stuff. In boxing you don’t hate nobody because these people helped me make millions of dollars to feed my family so why would I… you know what I’m saying?”
What about Shane Mosley? There have been long-term rumours of Zab and Shane failing to see eye-to-eye.
“Shane’s been there,” Judah adds respectfully. “Listen, Mosley – we’ve got a good relationship. He’s a nice guy so I don’t want to bad talk him or anything but everyone knows Zab Judah is here. I don’t run from nobody and I do what I gotta do. I don’t have a history with him, he’s cool.”
Zab is all grown up. Even if he has not put the past completely behind him you get the feeling he is trying to.
“You weren’t a nice guy in the early days, were you?” he is asked.
“No, there’s no such thing as hate, we made millions of dollars together,” he says of his old foes.
“What about Jay Nady, did you hate him?” [Judah launched a stool at Nady after the referee stopped his fight with Tsyzu with a wobbly Judah claiming he could fight on]
“I love Jay Nady,” he laughs. “I love him. Nevada Commission is the best ever.”
The past has been left behind. Now it’s about his future, about his family and, he hopes, about Amir Khan.
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