There are three major storylines in boxing: the rise of a star, the fall of a star, and the redemption of a tarnished star. Zab Judah?s seventh-round stoppage of rugged South African Kaiser Mabuza for the vacant IBF junior-lightweight title may well be the beginning of redemption for the star once known as ?Super Zab.?
Yes, it?s only one fight. But Judah?s result this time stands in marked contrast to his previous appearance in the ring, against the hard-hitting Argentine Lucas Matthysse. In that encounter, Judah was floored and appeared fortunate to come away with a split decision win. That win, though, was enough to make him eligible to fight for the IBF bauble.
The difference between that fight and the one with Mabuza can be found in Judah?s corner. Judah?s chief trainer is now Pernell ?Sweetpea? Whitaker ? a multiple-division champion who was acknowledged as the pound-for-pound best in the game during the mid-1990s. A long-time friend of the Judah family, Whitaker has been able not only to hone the 33-year-old Zab?s considerable talent, but also to keep the younger man?s head screwed on straight.
And that?s quite an accomplishment. It?s hard to remember now, but at the beginning of the 2000s, Judah was mentioned in the same breath as Floyd Mayweather Jr. When Judah first won a junior-welterweight title, it seemed that only the sky was the limit for the quick-fisted New Yorker. Then, in November of 2001, the sky fell in on Judah, courtesy of Kostya Tszyu. In the second round of their fight, Tszyu dropped Judah. When he got up, Judah?s legs were doing the happy dance, and Referee Jay Nady stopped the fight. Judah went ballistic in the ring, and his bizarre behavior branded him as a head case.
Inconsistency plagued his career after that debacle. He would alternate good performances, such as his knockout of Cory Spinks for a welterweight title, with stinkers like his non-effort in losing that title to the plodding Carlos Baldomir. Sometimes, Judah would be two fighters within the same bout. Against Mayweather, Zab was actually ahead on points in the early rounds. But he couldn?t sustain the pace, and when Floyd began to get to him, Judah threw a temper tantrum that almost got him disqualified. Mayweather ended up winning handily on points.
After Joshua Clottey beat Judah on a technical decision in 2008, it looked as though Zab was destined to end his career as yet another sad case of unfulfilled potential. The struggle with Matthysse did little to dispel that conclusion.
Then came the Mabuza fight. Judah had some anxious moments in the early going, including a gloves-touching-the-canvas knockdown. But if there?s anyone who can counsel a fighter on what to do after getting floored, it?s Whitaker. Even though Whitaker was a defensive genius, he hit the deck several times during his career, even during his prime. Pernell gave Judah sound advice in the corner, and Zab kept his cool and followed his fight plan while looking for opportunities. The left hook that dropped Mabuza may not have been as sweet as the one Nonito Donaire landed against Fernando Montiel. But it was more than enough to win the fight for Judah.
Time, and more fights, will be the measure of Judah?s comeback. He has now placed himself solidly in the upper tier of the talent-rich 140-pound division. He may be tempted to call out Manny Pacquiao at welterweight, but that would be a mistake. Everything Judah can do, Pacquiao can do better. That disparity would make for a long night for Zab, even with Whitaker in his corner. Indeed, the Whitaker of the 1990s would have had his hands full with Pacquiao.
It would be far better for Judah to take on the winner of a Timothy Bradley-Amir Khan showdown. If Khan gets upset in his warm-up bout with Paul McCloskey, Judah would presumably be more than happy to take Khan?s place against Bradley. Based on his performance against Mabuza, Judah is a tough assignment for either Khan or Bradley.
Whoever Judah fights next, his ring-entrance music should be Bob Marley?s ?Redemption Song.?
Charles R. Saunders is the author of several books including Sweat and Soul: The Saga of Black Boxers in the Maritimes from the Halifax Forum to Caesars Palace, as well as the Imaro series of fantasy/adventure novels. Considered by many to be one of the leading authorities on boxing in Canada, he is the current Vice-President of Boxing for the Society of North American Sports Historians and Researchers.
