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By G. Leon
GL: How has everything been going in preparation for your March 5 bout with Mabuza?
"Everything is going great. The preparation has been intense. I'm excited and I've been telling everybody, I'm training for Mabuza like he's the best fighter in the world. I'm out to show the world that I'm here and I'm still campaigning at 140 pounds and I am the king."
GL: The last couple of times I asked you who you'd liked in the Alexander-Bradley fight, all you said was the winner. Now that the fight is over can you give us some thoughts on it?
Zab Judah: "I don't know. They fought and they did them. I think Timothy Bradley fought with a lot of head butting and other things going on. I think there was some foul play there, but Devon came in and fought a good fight. I don't know about them, but my eyes are set on Kaiser Mabuza on March 5."
GL: Is Mabuza a step up from Lucas Matthysse?
ZJ: "Definitely. Mabuza is a step up, but I told guys Matthysse is a tough fighter, he came back and knocked down DeMarcus Corley eight times in eight rounds."
GL: What do you know about Mabuza?
ZJ: "He's tough and he's the number one fighter in the world right now. He has a country behind him, he's very excited because this is a big opportunity for him and I know he's coming to win on March 5."
GL: What does a victory over Mabuza mean to you?
ZJ: "It means a lot to me. It allows me to become five time champion of the world. It allows me to be a champion again. I watched them put the ratings up the other night on Friday Night Fights and they mentioned everybody but myself. They even had Mabuza up there, I laughed at that, but things like that motivate me. All the negative comments motivate me and make me want to work that much harder. Before everybody was saying Zab is this and that, now that people are counting me out it makes me want to come back stronger and harder."
GL: It's motivational fuel.
ZJ: "You got it baby. I'm looking forward to returning to the Prudential Center. It's right across the street from the bridge and my hometown of Brooklyn, New York. We're going to say our prayers, work hard and keep it moving forward. It's going to be a great."
GL: Are you hoping that having that belt will lead to the fighters you want to mix it up with coming to you for unification bouts?
ZJ: "I really hope so. That's the plan for going for the title and becoming five time world champion, besides that, just to get the belt is a great accomplishment for us."
GL: Can you tell us what Pernell Whitaker's recent addition to camp has meant? What has been like to work with him again?
ZJ: "Sweet Pea has been a blessing in the camp. My slogan is God Speed. At this particular time I have to work on my defense and my speed and I believe this was God sent. God sent the best defensive fighter in the world hands down to me to pour his knowledge on me and bless me with his blessings, and man, man, man, man, come March 5th you're not going to want to miss this one. It's going to be beautiful."
GL: Will the fight go the distance?
ZJ: "I can't predict what's going to happen in the fight, but I will let you know I'll be 100% prepared for 12 rounds. My body is in tremendous shape and I'm sure Mabuza will be in great shape as well. He's had a year off from boxing to keep his ranking and now he's back. It's just sad for him that they had to put him into the lion's den."
GL: Any difficulties making 140?
ZJ: "No, the weight has been great to me. As you saw with the last fight, I was under the limit because I trained like an animal. This time it'll be pretty much the same thing. Even though Matthysse came in at 155 on the night of the fight and I weighed 143, the weight didn't make any difference to me. I kept boxing and I had a game plan set in my mind. Even when the so called knockdown came, it wasn't really a knockdown, what happened was he punched me in my cut, it burned and I turned my face. When that happened it threw my vision off a bit, so when I saw him rush in out of the corner of my eye, I took a knee rather than get hit from the blindside. I got up and finished and continued. I knew by then I had the first seven in the bag though."
GL: Obviously putting the first seven in the bag and struggling down the stretch isn't part of the game plan against Mabuza?
ZJ: "No. Well, I didn't struggle, I just coasted. You got to understand that dude could punch. I think he's the hardest puncher I've ever been in there with and I think he will achieve good things in boxing moving forward. Even when he hits you on the arms, you feel his power."
GL: Closing thoughts?
ZJ: "I love you guys, keep God first and anything is possible."
GL: How has everything been going in preparation for your March 5 bout with Mabuza?
"Everything is going great. The preparation has been intense. I'm excited and I've been telling everybody, I'm training for Mabuza like he's the best fighter in the world. I'm out to show the world that I'm here and I'm still campaigning at 140 pounds and I am the king."
GL: The last couple of times I asked you who you'd liked in the Alexander-Bradley fight, all you said was the winner. Now that the fight is over can you give us some thoughts on it?
Zab Judah: "I don't know. They fought and they did them. I think Timothy Bradley fought with a lot of head butting and other things going on. I think there was some foul play there, but Devon came in and fought a good fight. I don't know about them, but my eyes are set on Kaiser Mabuza on March 5."
GL: Is Mabuza a step up from Lucas Matthysse?
ZJ: "Definitely. Mabuza is a step up, but I told guys Matthysse is a tough fighter, he came back and knocked down DeMarcus Corley eight times in eight rounds."
GL: What do you know about Mabuza?
ZJ: "He's tough and he's the number one fighter in the world right now. He has a country behind him, he's very excited because this is a big opportunity for him and I know he's coming to win on March 5."
GL: What does a victory over Mabuza mean to you?
ZJ: "It means a lot to me. It allows me to become five time champion of the world. It allows me to be a champion again. I watched them put the ratings up the other night on Friday Night Fights and they mentioned everybody but myself. They even had Mabuza up there, I laughed at that, but things like that motivate me. All the negative comments motivate me and make me want to work that much harder. Before everybody was saying Zab is this and that, now that people are counting me out it makes me want to come back stronger and harder."
GL: It's motivational fuel.
ZJ: "You got it baby. I'm looking forward to returning to the Prudential Center. It's right across the street from the bridge and my hometown of Brooklyn, New York. We're going to say our prayers, work hard and keep it moving forward. It's going to be a great."
GL: Are you hoping that having that belt will lead to the fighters you want to mix it up with coming to you for unification bouts?
ZJ: "I really hope so. That's the plan for going for the title and becoming five time world champion, besides that, just to get the belt is a great accomplishment for us."
GL: Can you tell us what Pernell Whitaker's recent addition to camp has meant? What has been like to work with him again?
ZJ: "Sweet Pea has been a blessing in the camp. My slogan is God Speed. At this particular time I have to work on my defense and my speed and I believe this was God sent. God sent the best defensive fighter in the world hands down to me to pour his knowledge on me and bless me with his blessings, and man, man, man, man, come March 5th you're not going to want to miss this one. It's going to be beautiful."
GL: Will the fight go the distance?
ZJ: "I can't predict what's going to happen in the fight, but I will let you know I'll be 100% prepared for 12 rounds. My body is in tremendous shape and I'm sure Mabuza will be in great shape as well. He's had a year off from boxing to keep his ranking and now he's back. It's just sad for him that they had to put him into the lion's den."
GL: Any difficulties making 140?
ZJ: "No, the weight has been great to me. As you saw with the last fight, I was under the limit because I trained like an animal. This time it'll be pretty much the same thing. Even though Matthysse came in at 155 on the night of the fight and I weighed 143, the weight didn't make any difference to me. I kept boxing and I had a game plan set in my mind. Even when the so called knockdown came, it wasn't really a knockdown, what happened was he punched me in my cut, it burned and I turned my face. When that happened it threw my vision off a bit, so when I saw him rush in out of the corner of my eye, I took a knee rather than get hit from the blindside. I got up and finished and continued. I knew by then I had the first seven in the bag though."
GL: Obviously putting the first seven in the bag and struggling down the stretch isn't part of the game plan against Mabuza?
ZJ: "No. Well, I didn't struggle, I just coasted. You got to understand that dude could punch. I think he's the hardest puncher I've ever been in there with and I think he will achieve good things in boxing moving forward. Even when he hits you on the arms, you feel his power."
GL: Closing thoughts?
ZJ: "I love you guys, keep God first and anything is possible."
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