Provoked Judah plots punishment
At times during his boxing career, Zab Judah has overlooked an opponent or slacked off in training. While he admits that, he also says there is no way it is happening now.
Joshua Clottey has punched all the right buttons to get Judah's undivided attention.
When the two meet for the vacant IBF welterweight title at 7:30 p.m. today at The Pearl at the Palms, they will be joined in the ring by a referee and a lot of animosity.
"I try to be a gentleman about the whole situation, but you've got a childish person over here that wants to be beat and tortured, so I'm going to give it to him," Judah said.
"I promise you I'm going to punish him. I try to be nice, but he's provoking me now."
Clottey continued to taunt Judah at Friday's weigh-in, and Judah was steaming after a heated exchange of words. A few feet away, Clottey guaranteed a convincing win.
A former undisputed welterweight world champion who has been in 15 title bouts, Judah (36-5, 25 knockouts) is the bigger-name fighter getting the larger payday. But he's also the underdog in the fight, which will be shown on HBO on a tape-delayed broadcast at 9:30 p.m.
Clottey (34-2, 20 KOs) is chasing his first title and is a minus-250 favorite to get it.
"For my fans out there that love to bet, that's a great thing. They go in there and pick up a couple extra dollars," said Judah, whose purse is $325,000 to Clottey's $125,000. "Whoever makes the betting number, I think they're going to stop putting Zab Judah as the underdog.
"But I can understand why. They're looking at the prior history of Zab, and some fights he comes to the game and ready to fight, and sometimes he doesn't, so they're very undecided."
This time, Judah said, he's as focused and prepared as possible. He weighed 143 pounds Friday -- Clottey was at 147 -- and claims to be in top shape.
The left-handed Judah plans to use his skills, speed and power to overwhelm Clottey, an aggressive and tough fighter with solid defense and a sturdy chin.
"I'm in tremendous shape and I just feel great," Judah said. "This is the best I've been for the last six or seven years. This is probably going to be one of my best performances ever."
Clottey has played the antagonist this week, promising to pound Judah and "make him cry," and he's looking for payback from a 2004 confrontation in a Brooklyn, N.Y., gym.
Judah has not always been on his best behavior in Las Vegas.
In April 2006, he lost a 12-round unanimous decision to Floyd Mayweather Jr. at the Thomas & Mack Center. Late in the fight, Judah hit Mayweather with a low blow and incited a near-riot in the ring. The Nevada Athletic Commission fined Judah $250,000 and suspended his license for one year.
As for experience in big fights, Judah has an edge. "They say Mayweather is the pound-for-pound king in the boxing game," he said, "and I gave him 12 rounds of hell."
Judah moved to Las Vegas last fall and said he got serious about training at the Top Rank gym.
"In life, people should look at change. Change is for the better," said Judah, a married father of four daughters and one son. "I made a big change. I moved from the East Coast to the West Coast. I've been here since November, and I've been here every single day in the gym.
"Every time I step in the ring in Las Vegas, it's always explosive. I understand my behavior and I know what I've got to do. I'm going to conduct myself as a gentleman."
Both fighters are riding winning streaks.
Judah has won his past two fights since losing to Miguel Cotto by 11th-round technical knockout in June 2007. Clottey has won four fights in a row since dropping a 12-round unanimous decision to Antonio Margarito in December 2006.
Nothing is official, but Top Rank president Todd duBoef said it's possible the Clottey-Judah winner could face Margarito in November at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.
"I'm not taking Clottey lightly, I'm not looking past him and I'm not speaking about any future plans," Judah said. "This is a great opportunity."
Contact reporter Matt Youmans at myoumans@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2907.
