NOW Is The Time For Zab Judah

Zab Judah, and promoter Kathy Duva, talked about his upcoming comeback fight yesterday. TSS U, can he make noise at 140? Weigh in!

Kathy Duva: Zab Judah started his boxing career with Main Events many years ago, and hes still a very young man, just as I am very young! Zab has announced his intentions to finish his career with us.

Another reason why Zab decided to come back to Main Events is that we agreed to work with him together as partners (with Super Judah Promotions) in this promotion. Its very important to Zab to play that role, to learn the business, to become more aware of the decision making process. We are very happy with the way this is working out.

Our plan with Zab is that hes told us he wants to move down to junior welterweight, a division that gets an awful lot of attention. There are a lot of fighters in that division, but not a single one of them is a marquee name. There isnt a single guy other than Zab Judah who people on the street would recognize. People know his name. Zab has made a commitment to come back down to that weight, and get the activity he needs to achieve his goals. Were here to make sure he gets that with a series of fights.

Said his foe, Jose Armando Santa Cruz: I will apply pressure but I will not be reckless. I must avoid his punches. Maybe I will switch to southpaw to keep him off balance. I will see what works better during the early rounds.

The Casamayor fight helped me to prepare for Zab. I will have to watch out for his speed. I trained really hard for this fight because I know a win over him will be really good for me, it will get me back in the rankings.

135 was no good for me. I felt really weak and I couldnt catch my wind back. I just couldnt do it anymore. At 143 I feel really good, really strong and it works better for me right now.

My Dad gets more out of me. He puts more pressure on me than other trainers. He gets mad if I dont do things right.

He (Judah) is gonna be one my hardest fights. Hes a really good fighter and he has fast hands. But I think I have had the right preparation. Its going to be a really good fight.

Zab Judah: In my life right now its not really about money. Financially Im cool. Ive been suspended a year for Mayweather, Ive been a year off for Kostya Tszyu, and Ive been off a year just relaxing. So its not really about money. Its about being with somebody that you can build with, that you can make a home with and figure out your vision. I have a vision in the game that I want to finish up with, and I want to finish it as strong as I started.

In the welterweight division everybody was bigger than me, stronger than me, you know? I was doing it for the money. I said let me go back somewhere to the weight class where I started, where I am comfortable, where I know I can succeed and its evened up for me with fighters. Im at 140lbs, Im solid, you aint seen this in a long time. Im just ready, mentally, physically. I know what I want and Im gonna go after it.

Mentally Im different now. I have a son now, hes 17 months and Im thinking what kind of vision are you showing your son? I got show him the difference, I gotta set my life, my pace, at a bigger picture.

This is what I like. I like that you have me fighting a tough fighter, in Santa Cruz. So that when I go in there and I make easy work of him I dont want nobody to say oh Santa Cruz was a pushover. All I want everybody to say is, oh, Zabs back! Hes back and hes sharp. Santa Cruz is a tough fighter, hes a durable fighter. Hes known to take on some of the good fighters, like in a Casamayor, in a David Diaz. I mean this is a fighter that a lot of fighters dont want to fight and I took him on.

Ive kayoed guys at 147 lbs. and 140 lbs. I bring excitement win, lose or draw. Were gonna need two Prudentials for my next fight!

Everybody is asking me, we want to see the Zab we know show up. In this fight you are going to see the best Zab Judah ever. I said, Zab you gotta just train. Get your mind ready, get you body ready. You gotta get in there and just show the world that you got the best jab, you got the best left hand, your skills are not to be messed with. Come Friday night Im gonna show yall a great show. I promise you!

The fight promoted by Main Events and Super Judah Promotions will take place on July 16th at Prudential Center, Newark, NJ. Doors open at 7pm. It will be broadcast live on ESPN2. Tickets priced at $53, $78, $103 and $203 (ringside) can be purchased at Prudential Center Box Office, by calling TicketMaster at 800-745-3000 or www.Prucenter.com