The “New” Judah Returns with KO over Santa Cruz!
By Ken Hissner (July 19, 2010) Doghouse Boxing  
Looking like he did in his championship days a revived Zab “Super” Judah, 39-6 (27), of Brooklyn, NY, made a good fighter like Jose Armando Santa Cruz, 28-5 (17), of Mexico, now out of Lincoln Heights, CA, look like a poor one with hand speed that lead to a easy third round stoppage at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey Friday night. This was a Kathy Duva Main Events promotion bringing Judah out of retirement and back into the light welterweight division for the first time since 2003 for another title run in giving up his WBO light welterweight title.

Southpaw Judah with quick footwork and quicker hand combinations had the bewildered Santa Cruz who has a win over Edner Cherry and lost a split decision to Joel Casamayor on the receiving end at all times. In the third round Judah stepped to his right and as Santa Cruz waiting for a right hook ducked into a left uppercut and it was all over. He beat the count only to be pulverized until referee Benji Esteves, Jr., put a stop to hit at 2:33 of the third.

A much more serious and approachable Judah prior to the fight may have received a new lease on life and his boxing career. “I found God”, said Judah. This was at the press conference after the fight. Let’s hope Judah is serious and no more hitting his opponents “before” the fight during instructions and the rest of the stuff that produced a checkered career for “Super” Judah. “That left uppercut hit sent him to the moon like Ralph Cramdom,” added Judah. For you younger readers that was Jackie Gleason’s expression on the “Honeymooners”. With Tim Bradley moving up it gives Judah a title opening. This was an ESPN2 broadcast as J Russell Peltz served as matchmaker.

In the eight round semi-windup Alex Perez, 12-0 (7), who returned to the ring after over a year’s absence last month in the Dominican Republic, seemed to have a problem with his timing over the much shorter Edvan Barros, 10-10-1 (7), of Brazil, now out of Miami who was meeting his fifth unbeaten boxer and third in a row.

Perez backed Barros up into a corner near the end of the first round only to have Barros unleash a counter right to the jaw. Perez seemed to still be ahead into the fourth with Barros throwing little in return. Perez changed his game plan and went inside and stooping down to the eye level of Barros so he could get some good body shots in. In the fifth a low punch was missed by the referee as Perez continued to go to the body without losing a round until the sixth. In the seventh round both fighters let it all hang out staggering each other. This should have been the last round for the eighth and final round of this welterweight match ended on the tame side with Barros getting the edge.

All three judges had it for Perez by 77-75, 80-72 and 78-74 as did this writer. “My timing was off so I had to stoop to his level to get to his body. I hope to fight again next month and be more active,” said Perez.

Olympian Sadam Ali, 8-0 (4), of Brooklyn, NY, put on a show completely beating the overmatched Julius Edmonds, 7-8 (0), of Philadelphia, stopping him in 1:14 of the third round. Southpaw Ali opened up the first round with a short right dropping Edmonds. He was putting on a clinic hitting Edmonds with upper cuts from both hands going side to side. In the second round a left uppercut dropped Edmonds. Ali was hitting from all angles. In the third round after Edmonds landed a right on the jaw Ali came back with a right of his own and a left hook that had Edmonds out on his feet. As Ali was landing at will having Edmonds against the ropes the referee Eddie Cotton called a halt. Ali seems to have a bright future.

Patrick Farrell, 5-1-1 (3), Jersey City, NJ, coming off his first loss was again put in with a “trickster” in Newton Kidd, 7-7-2 (4), of New York City, NY, in a six round cruiserweight match-up. Kidd was landing single shots in the second round as Farrell didn’t seem to know how to cope with him. In the third round Kidd decided to slug with the slugger in an all action packed round.

Farrell seemed to take the fourth round while the fifth again turned into a slugfest to the delight of the crowd. In the sixth and final round with a cut along the side of his left eye Farrell finally decided to go to the body and was hurting the exhausted Kidd. The first vote went to Kidd 57-56 while the two other judges agreed at 57-57 as did this writer. Esteves, Jr. served as the referee.

To the delight of the Polish crowd yelling “Polska” and waving banners and wearing red and white scarfs they finally had a chance to see the latest from Poland in Adam Kownacki, 4-0 (4), now out of Brooklyn. His opponent Damian Clement, Dayton, OH, 0-3 (0), didn’t read the script when he knocked Kownacki off balance causing his right hand to touch the canvas and be credited with a knockdown by referee Cotton.

Before the first round was over it was Kownacki scoring a knockdown over Clement followed up with a dozen unanswered punched causing referee Cotton to take a good look at Clement. In the second round it was a very exciting slugfest until a straight right from Kownacki dropping Clement like a sack of potatoes at 0:42 of the second round for the knockout win in this super heavyweight four.

In the opening bout former top amateur Angel Concepcion, 2-0 (0), of Newark, seemed reluctant to open up on Shannon Anderson, 4-2 (2), of Coatesville, PA, being satisfied with out boxing his opponent in a light heavyweight four. In the third round a lead right rocked Anderson who backed into the ropes and was hit with three left hooks before Anderson fought back at the bell. Why Concepcion didn’t go on the attack in the fourth and final round I will never know. It was Anderson who became the aggressor in the final round while Concepcion seemed content in taking a decision. The scores were 40-35 and 40-36 twice. This writer had it 39-37 Concepcion giving him the fourth round easily. The referee was Cotton.

In the final bout of the night popular southpaw Nicky DeMarco, 3-2 (2), of Staten Island, NY, made a war of it with fellow southpaw Jose Guzman, 5-8-1 (0), of the Bronx. DeMarco had Guzman on the ropes the entire first round. Guzman was only effective in the middle of the ring. DeMarco the shorter of the two took it to Guzman the entire fight though receiving a cut outside the left eye in the final round. The scores were 39-37 twice and 40-36 ad was this writers all for DeMarco. Cotton was the referee.

On August the 21st Main Events will return with the popular former IBF cruiserweight champion now campaigning as a heavyweight in Tomas Adamek. He will take on the former title challenger Michael Grant. This is one the Polish crowd will be out in full force for. Adamek’s IBF International and WBO NABO titles will be at stake making it a 12 rounder. Light middleweight Joel Julio and the return of Sadam Ali will be on the undercard.

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