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Photo © German Villasenor
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It’s been said, “the Lord doesn’t give you more than you can handle” and last Saturday night Zab Judah, 33-3 (24), handled all the pressure that was thrown his way. When Judah stepped into the ring to face defending champion Cory ‘The Next Generation’ Spinks, 34-3 (11), he did so in the champion’s own backyard; he did so with his reputation and overall status in the fight game hanging in the balance. Had Judah’s hand not been raised in this fight it would have forever placed him in the ‘would have’, ‘could have’ and ‘should have’ categories. With his spectacular TKO win over Spinks, Judah overcame the pressures and placed himself in the ‘has done’ category. Zab Judah has won the ‘Undisputed’ welterweight championship.
Talk has always been cheap. There has always been a difference in words and actions; a person can say what they are going to do, but getting it done is something totally different. If there is one thing that Zab Judah can do – it is talk. The problem was starting to be one of him showing his gift for gab more than his gift for jab in meaningful fights. Judah failed when he faced Kostya Tszyu to unify the junior welterweight division in November 2001. Judah also failed in his first attempt to take the ‘Undisputed’ welterweight crown from Spinks in April of 2004. These visions still lingered even with the strategic added soft touches of past his prime Raphael Pineda and the ultra easy Wayne Martell. In this return fight with Spinks, ‘Gab’ Judah made way for ‘Super’ Judah. Judah showed focus and did a minimal amount of talking, letting his actions speak for him.
Making only $100,000 for his title winning effort, Judah's future should be filled with big names like ‘The Golden Boy’ Oscar De La Hoya, ‘Sugar’ Shane Mosley and even his old nemesis Kostya Tszyu, who will put millions in the Brooklyn native’s pocket. Judah has resurrected his career and has made himself, not one of the men to beat, but ‘The Man’ to beat in the welterweights.
It's always been thought that people usually learn from their past mistakes. That is something that isn’t always true; many fail to become students of their past. Judah has a past of machismo; he has a past of losing focus; he has a past of actions that, if he is a good student, he should know that he can’t allow to enter into his future – or the celebration will be short lived.
He has been compared with the likes of Pernell ‘Sweet Pea’ Whitaker; that's a hard pair of shoes to fill. Feeling flattered by the comparison, realistically Zab has always wanted to be himself. Now he is the Undisputed welterweight champion; he is indisputably Zab ‘Super’ Judah.
ALSO SEE:
 Zab Judah: Back on Top Again Jeff Mayweather
Zab Judah: I Want Oscar De La Hoya! Dp
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