Zab Judah

Albert Einstein once said, “Imagination is more important than knowledge.”

I believe this quote relates a lot to the sport of boxing.

Imagination is a fighter’s greatest weapon and knowledge is their greatest defense. Like any other weapon, it could be dangerous when it’s pointed towards you.

A problem many fighters have in the squared circle is letting fear play with their imagination and let it threaten them when fear has full control of their greatest weapon. But it takes knowledge to defeat it.

Those who overcome fear in the ring and become world champions realize that letting fear play with their imagination is like a thief pointing a gun at you with no bullets. It may sound scary but it’s a risk world champions are willing to take.

On July 23rd, two great distinct fighters will be battling in the ring at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nev. WBA World Super Lightweight Champion Amir Khan (25-1, 17 KOs) will take his biggest test yet in the squared circle against the current IBF Light Welterweight Champion Zab Judah (41-6, 28 KOs).

Amir Khan is coming off a decent victory against the once-unbeaten British fighter Paul McCloskey, while Judah is coming off an exciting seventh-round TKO victory over Kaizer Mabuza.

These two warriors are highly motivated and ready to test their skills in the ring. Although boxing experts are favoring Khan, the majority are aware that Judah could be a major threat on July 23rd when he steps in the ring against the British champ.

This is the type of fight that will keep the fight fans quiet in the first two rounds like if they were in a Charlie Chaplin film.

The fighting styles of these two champions are quite different and complicated. They are quick, aggressive and explosive. By mixing all these elements in the sweet science, it will only generate fireworks and tremendous action. Just not enough fireworks to witness a knockout.

It's quite hard for people like me to predict an Amir Khan fight. He's an artist with many paintings. He could be creative like a Picasso in the ring, but there are times when he performs poorly and creates horrible things like caveman art.

I do believe Khan will defeat Zab "Super" Judah. But I am aware that it will be a close, exciting fight that may disappoint the fans.

There are three reasons why I believe Amir Khan could win either by unanimous or by robbery.

Reason No. 1

Judah has a powerful uppercut and can land explosive combinations that could get any fighter in trouble. Judah may score at least one knockdown against Khan in the later rounds.

Khan is a talented fighter that starts the fight like a cheetah, but later turns into a turtle as the rounds go by. He slows down and begins to drop his hands a little too often. He did it against Maidana and survived a storm of powerful punches from the Argentine warrior.

If Judah doesn’t start strong in the first few rounds. He will most likely lose the fight. Unless he pulls of a knockout victory against “King” Khan.

Reason No. 2

Khan will most likely win the majority of the first eight rounds before he starts dropping his hands too much. Khan’s footwork, hand speed and stamina may help him defeat Judah by unanimous. However, if he fades away in Rounds 8-12, he could get in trouble and there could be a decent chance of Judah scoring a knockout and a tremendous chance of Judah scoring an impressive knockdown.

Even if Judah scores two knockdowns in the later rounds, it’s sad to say that the judges will lose their glasses and cool contacts by then. So it won’t make a difference.

Reason No. 3

It may sound like I’m discrediting the British champ Amir Khan; however, I’m only stating what could happen based on several observations from these two fighters. Yes, I said Khan could get hurt in the later rounds—just like when he fought Marcos “El Chino” Maidana. But in order for that to happen, Judah will have to survive the first seven rounds.

There is a chance of Judah getting knocked out in the first five rounds; I don’t think it’ll happen. Judah doesn’t have as much head movement as he used to, therefore I believe Khan will feed him a lot of jabs and will help him go downstairs and land great body punches.

If Khan wants to end the fight early, his best bet is to go to the body and use the jab to create distance and set up enough space to land strong body punches.

These two fighters are strong and talented. One of them is a smart fighter and the other one knows how to hustle. I won’t bother saying who’s who; if you are a fan of either of these champions, you should know what I'm talking about.

July 23^rd should be a great night for the fight fans. I respect both of these fighters, but can’t say a lot about the judges we have in today’s era.

If Judah doesn't knock out Khan, Khan will pull off the victory either way.

The British champ will either win by unanimous decision or win by robbery if he performs poorly on the day of the fight.

It's sad to say that I have to add robberies to my boxing predictions, but there’s nothing I can do to change the way judges score cards.

Tonight was a great HBO triple-header!

Stiverne wins KNOCKOUT over Austin

First up was Bermane Stiverne (21-1-1, 20 KOs) vs Ray Austin (28-6-3, 18 KOs).

"B.WARE" Stiverne, 32 years old, was being outboxed by the 40-year-old Austin until Round 7.

In Round 7, Stiverne landed some mean shots that rocked Austin. Then Stiverne won the eighth round as well.

Round 9, Austin regained control with his jab as Stiverne tired out, unable to take control of the fight.

Forty-three seconds into the 10th round, Stiverne threw a right that put Austin down for the count.

Austin did get to his feet at the 10-count, but could not come forward when the referee requested him to do so.

Stiverne is now the mandatory challenger for the WBC heavyweight title.

Vitali Klitschko (42-2, 39 KOs) is the current WBC heavyweight champion and has been for the past seven years.

Good luck Stiverne, you'll need it!

Cloud wins KNOCKOUT over Mack

Up next, undefeated IBF light-heavyweight (175 lbs) world champion Tavoris Cloud (22-0, 18 KOs) defending his title against Yusaf Mack (28-3-2, 17 KOs).

Mack put up a great fight, out-boxing Cloud enough to win on most scorecards for the first four or five rounds.

Cloud stayed aggressive and relentless, despite eating numerous jabs and head-snapping shots, even to the point that blood starting sprouting from his mouth.

Mack began to wear down around Round 5 and 6.

Cloud's relentlessness and power eventually got to a progressively more and more tired Mack.

In the corner before Round 8, Cloud's trainer yelled at him to get Mack out of there.

Cloud obeyed his corner and severely hurt Mack with a left hook to the jaw and followed with a quick flurry as Mack helplessly covered up along the ropes.

A right to the body sent Mack crashing to the canvas.

He got up to beat the count, but was too dazed to come forward when instructed by the ref to do so.

This eighth-round knockout improves Cloud to 23-0, with 19 knockouts.

Mack falls to 28-4-2, with all of his losses coming by way of knockout.

Alexander wins SPLIT DECISION over Matthysse

In our main event, Devon Alexander (22-1, 13 KOs) looked for redemption against Lucas Matthysse (28-1, 26 KOs).

Alexander's whole team walked into the ring wearing white shirts with the word "redemption" in bold black letters on the front.

Alexander stood and delivered in the center of the ring in the opening round.

Things were going great until Round 4. Matthysse put Alexander down for the first time in his career.

Alexander recovered quick and was back to standing in Matthysse's face and still out-boxing him.

Alexander maneuvered to avoid some shots, but he mostly ate shots while landing some decent ones of his own on Matthysse.

Matthysse continued to walk though Alexander's punches to land the harder blows. Alexander began to tie up Matthysse a lot to slow down Matthysse's vicious onslaught.

Matthysse landed numerous hooks and uppercuts that would put a lesser fighter down for the count, but Alexander's above-average chin was well on display.

Alexander tried to backpedal in Round 7, but Matthysse hungrily stalked Alexander with some bone-crunching body shots.

As he tired from bouncing around the ring, Alexander went back to trading shots with Matthysse, resulting in Alexander eating far more leather than his corner wanted him to.

Alexander gave an inspired, but losing, effort in the eighth round. Matthysse continued to land straights and body shots.

The leans and winces of Alexander indicated he felt every blow.

Matthysse seemed to smile as if he enjoyed being punched.

In Round 9, Alexander weaved more shots as he began to out-box Matthysse again. Alexander even managed to hurt Matthysse a little.

The 10th round was highly important in a very even fight. Matthysse stole it with some huge shots that kept Alexander from wanting to exchange as he was so quick to do earlier in the fight.

Though the theme was redemption, it's questionable if Alexander actually earned the victory.

Granted, you don't come into someone else's backyard and expect to win a close fight.

Matthysse should have knocked Alexander out to get the victory, especially after what happened when he lost by split decision to Zab Judah near Judah's hometown.

Alexander improves to 23-1 and Matthysse falls to 28-2.

Though it's questionable as to whether Alexander deserved the win, it's unquestionable that he showed amazing heart in a fight with the big puncher that is Matthysse.

Both will stay world title contenders based off tonight's great performances in an amazing fight that will have many hitting the rewind button as they watch the fight again on HBO and future YouTube uploads.

I believe in Devon Alexander the Great. But I'm also a sucker for feel good stories, and Devon's perseverance and positive outlook through a heart-wrenchingly rough upbringing is inspiring.

It's why I've been on the Victor Ortiz bandwagon despite lingering doubts about his heart in the ring after a seeming quit-job against Marcos Maidana. And like Ortiz, Alexander has all the physical gifts to become one of the great fighters in the sport; and just as importantly, he has the winning personality and touching back story to connect with fans. These kinds of underdogs are the type of figures we feel compelled to root for.

But on January 29th against Tim Bradley, in the biggest fight of his life, the world saw a different side of Devon Alexander—a fighter who seemed reluctant to engage and content to throw ineffectual slaps with little conviction. A guy who didn't protest as the fight was stopped when it appeared he possibly could have recovered if given another minute or two.

It didn't help that he was coming off a lackluster showing against Andriy Kotelnik (no slouch, by the way), a hometown fight where Alexander appeared to run out of steam in the late rounds. He was granted the narrow decision, but it was not a star-making performance by any stretch of the imagination. For two fights in a row, one fairly mediocre and one downright awful—it has been tough to go out on a limb for a guy with that recent track record.

I will, nonetheless, predict that Alexander turns it around tomorrow night and out-boxes and possibly even stops the very good Lucas Matthysse, in what could turn into a nice action fight between a very fast boxer and a very powerful puncher. I'm really banking on something to ease the stench of Alexander's atrocious night in Pontiac. If he loses this fight, unless it's in some kind of spectacular fashion, it's back to the drawing board for the Alexander team, and it could be years before he comes back to challenge the top fighters in the division.

One of the great ironies of the headbutt-riddled debacle in January is that Alexander, the loser (though both men were stained from the affair, which makes it all the more shocking how Bradley could possibly think to weasel out of the Khan fight, but that's a whole other rant) now has a better opportunity than the winner.

Should Alexander decisively beat Matthysse (whose only career loss to Zab Judah was far from decisive), he will be right back in the discussion for the Khan-Judah winner or the Guerrero-Maidana winner, two upcoming marquee fights in the division. Bradley has nothing scheduled, unless he plans on bolting to Top Rank and fighting the winner of Khan/Judah—a vague possibility, I suppose.

Before getting carried away, let's focus on the task at hand: beating Matthysse.

It is not going to be easy, but I think Alexander has two things that really play into his favor, a strong chin and elusive speed. He also should have a healthy chip on his shoulder. He has everything to prove. He can out-box Matthysse, but he can't be afraid to look for combinations and take advantage of his quick hands against the less refined technique of the Argentinean KO artist.

For a strong puncher, Matthysse is not wild and reckless like his countryman Maidana. But he can be tagged when he opens up, which he often does. Alexander has to be offensive-minded, to win the fight and win the fans.

So will we see a star-making, redemptive performance from Alexander on Saturday, a la Ortiz? I hope so.

Alexander has so much to gain and everything to lose from this moment. He can come back from a loss, but there will be a rebuilding period of far less lucrative fights than he's used to. If he wins, he's back. And if he loses, I hope it takes a monster effort from a very tough fighter, the probably underrated Lucas Matthysse.

Either way, at this point I'm way more annoyed with Tim "Battering Ram" Bradley for ducking the Khan fight than any lingering bitterness toward Devon for the dreadful effort in January. At least Alexander's getting back in the ring against a very dangerous opponent. Bradley, what are you up to?

Although Zab Judah has not lost in five successive outings after losing to Joshua Clottey via a technical decision in 2008, the "Super" fighter from Brooklyn is viewed as an underdog in his upcoming fight with the young British ring star Amir Khan.

According to Khan his fight with Judah was the toughest option presented by his team after Tim Bradley flip flops on a fight that was almost a done deal.

For some unknown reasons, Bradley backed out from a match that was earlier agreed in principle. It was later clarified he had a fallout with his current promoter who has a reported live contract with him until July.

Khan has not lost a single fight since losing to compatriot Breidis Prescott in 2008, his lone loss in 26 professional fights.

In his seven-fight winning streak, Khan fought tough boxers in his class that include Oisin Fagan, Marco Antonio Barrera, Andreas Kotelnik, Paulie Malignaggi, Marcos Maidana, Dimitry Salita and Paul McCloskey.

Khan, who is only 24 years old and a former Olympic silver medalist, is expected to capitalize on his power and speed.

Although the 33-year-old Judah has a one-inch advantage in reach, Khan has the upper hand in height by 2.5".

Khan will most probably keep his distance in the early rounds to evade Judah's assault. He will try to frustrate Judah by not engaging at close range as he continues to pile points with jabs and snap shots at a distance.

As Judah gets frustrated by Khan's refusal to engage in the early rounds, the Bolton star is expected to get inside Judah's range in the later rounds and launch his assault at the aging Brooklyn slugger.  

“Zab’s a tricky southpaw who’s won many world titles but I don’t think this is his time,” said the Bolton star. “He doesn’t have the hunger that I do.  “I don’t think he can take the belt I have off of me.”

Freddie Roach, Khan's trainer knows exactly Judah's fighting style. "Zab has been around for a while. He’s a very slick southpaw," Roach insisted. "But we’re working on it every day and Amir is way ahead of schedule."

 “We have a game plan for the fight,” he said. “So I know how to beat Judah and I’m already way ahead of schedule.

But Judah is all fired up and said he will deliver Khan's second defeat in Las Vegas next month.

“I’m ready and focused. It was a long road back to the top, but this is what a champion is made of. When they’re knocked down, they rise back up to the top.

“Amir’s an assassin with speed and power, but I’ve been where he’s been and he’s going to have to do it in the lights.

Despite the posturing by both fighters to gain psychological advantage, online polls show Khan will emerge as winner in what appears to be next month's biggest boxing event.

Junior welterweights (140 lbs) Devon Alexander (21-1, 13 KO's) and Lucas Matthysse (28-1, 26 KO's) face off on June 25 in St. Louis.

Junior welterweight world champions Amir Khan (25-1, 17 KO's) and Zab Judah (41-6, 28 KO's) face each other on July 23 in Las Vegas.

Current interim lightweight (135 lbs) world champion Robert Guerrero (28-1-1, 18 KO's) is closing a deal to move up to the junior welterweight division to face top contender Marcos Maidana (30-2, 27 KO's).

WBO and WBC junior welterweight world champion Timothy Bradley (28-0, 11 KO's) is left out in the cold amongst all this matchmaking. He was positioned to face Khan July 23 but decided against the fight.

Now Khan faces Judah and Bradley faces nobody....until after June 30. June 30 is when Bradley's contract with his current promoter Gary Shaw expires.

Here is what Bradley had to say to MadBoxing about his current situation with Gary Shaw Promotions.

"A lot of people say I’m not a ticket seller; I can’t even sell-out in my hometown. I mean, did any of my promoters come out here and do a rally and rally the people up? I’ve never gotten anything here in my hometown. No one really cared but c’mon, fighting in Mississippi? C’mon, fighting in England, fighting in Canada? I mean, c’mon, that makes no sense to me.

That’s why you say nobody knows me....One important factor is that my contract was supposed to end May 10th, OK? I’m doing them a favor extending my contract to June 30th. OK, I did them a favor. They put that in the contract when I fought Devon Alexander. So in a nutshell, it’s on them. It’s on them."

As Bradley awaits his June 30 contract to expire, one has to wonder who he will be looking to sign with on July 1st.

Top Rank has expressed their interests but outside of a superfight with Manny Pacquiao, there isn't too many fighters on their roster around Bradley's weight class who can give Bradley a decent payday.

Goldenboy on the other hand has expressed interests as well have a Who's Who of junior welterweight champions and contenders including Khan, Maidana, Matthysse and Guerrero.

There's also another recent addition to the junior welterweight party of Who's Who....the legendary Erik Morales (51-7, 35 KO's).

He recently moved up from lightweight to face Marcos Maidana, and though he lost a close decision, he proved he was still game competition after years of wars in the ring.

Bradley could easily be reviewing offers in secret already and by July, could be signed.

That means a fight against Morales could be delivered by September, dare I say on the undercard of the big Mayweather-Ortiz card?

Golden Boy also frequently promotes Mayweather bouts, so Bradley has a mythical superbout to chase while he advances against the deep competition Golden Boy has in its arsenal.

One other possibility could be the winner of Alexander-Matthysse, especially if Matthysse wins.

Matthysse lost to Zab Judah last year based on his lack of activity in the ring. Every time he nailed "Super" Judah, Judah could barely handle his power, even taking a knockdown in the fight, but Matthysse wouldn't throw enough.

Earlier this year, Matthysse bounced back with a lethal destruction of Demarcus Corley. Matthysse's increased activity saw Corley hit the canvas eight times before the fight was stopped in the eighth round.

If Matthysse can continue that type of activity, he could possibly dethrone Alexander who suffered his first loss thanks to Bradley's barrage of considerably lighter punches this past January.

The winner of Alexander-Matthysse or Morales could be a viable opponent for Bradley in September. Even if those men decide against facing Bradley, the talent at Golden Boy is deep enough to give Bradley a plethora of return fights.

Golden Boy would likely sign Bradley to a multi-million dollar deal that could lead to a showdown with the winner of Khan-Judah this December or early 2012.

Either way, Bradley's got plenty of choices and a bright future ahead of him come June 30. We'll just have to see what choice he makes.

Bernard Hopkins was 46 when he outpointed Jean Pascal to become the oldest fighter in boxing history to claim a world title, on May 21.

Displaced from the history books was George Foreman, who in 1994 knocked out Michael Moorer for the WBA and IBF heavyweight belts as a buoyant 45-year-old.

For the record, these pugilists are the exception, not the rule.

A flurry of fists don’t become easier to digest with age, and especially in modern boxing, a fighter’s prime is often already extinguished by their mid-30s.

A brash 22-year-old Zab “Super” Judah splashed onto the boxing scene in 2000, claiming the vacant IBF light-welterweight title with a fourth-round KO of Jan Piet Bergman, a belt he would defend five times before an infamous loss to Kostya Tszyu. Tsyzu turned Judah into Gumby with a right cross in the second round.

The loss was merely a blip on the radar, as the Brooklyn native, known for his gift of gab and fervent demeanor, quickly climbed the ladder to welterweight. And in 2005, marked his territory by stopping Cory Spinks for the undisputed welterweight crown.

At 27, Judah was in the driver’s seat, but the wheels were about to fall off the bus.

Following a disappointing loss to Carlos Baldomir, less than a year after the Spinks bout, Judah dropped decisions to Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Miguel Cotto, with one no-contest in between.

Several victories over lesser-known opponents failed to right the ship, and Judah looked well past his prime in a 2008 loss to Joshua Clottey.

Boxers, much like wrestlers and baseball players, are well known for hanging around much too long, continuing to put their legacies on the line, even with their best days far off in the rear view mirror.

With Judah creeping towards his mid-30s, you can't blame pundits for believing he should hang up his gloves.

Instead, Judah decided to return to the 140-pound weight class, where he first established himself as a top-end fighter and where opponents would likely be more susceptible to his once-feared knockout power.

Three fights – including two knockouts – later, the trash-talking five-time world titlist has found himself in a place many doubted he’d ever be again: scheduled for a title unification fight with one of the hottest young fighters in the game, Amir Khan of England.

Recently announced, after top-ranked Timothy Bradley turned down a career-high $1.4 million to face Khan (25-1, 17 KOs), the two will go toe-to-toe on July 23 at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.

While Judah (41-6, 28 KOs) has already begun making proclamations (follow @SUPERJUDAH on Twitter for the latest), he and new co-trainer Pernell “Sweet Pea” Whitaker – Judah is also trained by his father Yoel – surely must know this is likely Zab’s last shot at the top.

Arguably, a good showing by Judah, even in a losing effort, could leave him lingering around for several more big paydays, but that seems unlikely.

This fight is probable to unfold in one of two ways: either Judah, 33, pulls the dramatic upset, and knocks out the 24-year-old Khan – whose only loss came via a first round KO by unheralded Breidis Prescott – or, the fresher, and longer Englishman takes his elder apart with his lengthy jab and relentless pressure.

HBO will air the fight on “World Championship Boxing,” and is unquestionably hoping for the two well-known attractions to put on a competitive show, keeping them both in the running for future prime-time appearances.

Whether Judah has actually revived what was a dwindling career, or has merely masqueraded his down slide with a few turn-back-the-clock wins over unaccomplished jobbers, will become abundantly clear this summer.

Judah isn’t challenging father time like Hopkins or Foreman, but 47 fights into his pro career, one has to wonder how much gas is left in the tank.  

About two months ago, I "broke news" to the Bleacher Report community with my article about a potential Zab Judah vs Juan Manuel Marquez match-up.

I ran into Zab at a restaurant here in Las Vegas, and he told me that he was in negotiations to fight JMM this July.

Obviously, that match-up didnt come to fruition due to Marquez's bigger, more lucrative third fight against Manny Pacquiao this upcoming fall. So I apologize for the misleading article; I was only trying to share a good conversation with my fellow boxing comrades.

I can now 100% guarantee Zab Judah fight will be in the squared-circle this July, but he'll be taking on fellow junior welterweight title-holder Amir "King" Khan. According to Dan Rafael of ESPN.com, the two will be fighting July 23 to unify their belts at the Mandalay Bay here in Las Vegas.

This fight is much bigger than a fight against Marquez in my honest opinion. Khan (25-1, 17 KOs) is one of the biggest names and personalities in the junior welterweight division for the past two years now. This will be Khan's fifth title defense since 2009 and probably his toughest.

Zab Judah (41-6, 28 KOs) has rededicated himself to the sport since his downward spiral in the mid 2000's. He has become a very religious man these last couple of years, and he brought in Hall of Fame fighter Pernell Whitaker to train him along with his father. Judah has won his last five fights and reclaimed the vacant IBF junior welterweight championship this past March with a 7th round TKO victory over Kaizer Mabuza.

According to Amir Khan's promoter Richard Schaefer of Golden Boy, this fight was made because fellow titleholder Timothy Bradley turned down a career-high payday of about $1.4 million to fight Amir Khan, leaving Judah as the obvious next opponent.

"This was not an easy deal to make, but I am happy that in the end it got done. Whenever you have two world champions fighting each other you have a big fight. It's a big-time fight with two big time names. It's a big test for Amir and a tremendous opportunity for Judah." Schaefer said.

The two sides were going back and forth for the past week over the deal. Khan wanted a 60-40 split, while Judah wanted 50-50. Both sides finally agreed to a 55-45 split in Khan's favor.

I don't know about you guys, but this is a fight I am very excited to see, definitely the boxing headliner of the summer. Speed and experience vs youth, size and strength.

Lets not forget it's a match-up of trainers too. Zab Judah has the defensive Sweet Pea Whitaker in his corner now, and Amir Khan has some guy in his corner named Freddie Roach... maybe you've heard of him?

If I were a betting man, which I am, I see Judah's experience and speed giving Amir Khan trouble throughout the fight. And if Judah can stay away from getting cut and bleeding, he'll win this fight. That's right I said it! 

Granted, Judah is much older now but Khan has yet to fight anyone with the skill and speed Zab possesses.

What do you think?

ESPN.com is reporting that Amir Khan and Zab Judah have reached agreement for a fight on July 23 in Las Vegas, ending a search for an opponent for Kahn that has stretched over the past couple of weeks.

The July 23 date for a Khan fight had been settled on several weeks ago.  At the time, the assumption was that the fight would be a unification tilt against Tim Bradley.  That fight fell apart recently when Bradley reportedly refused a 50/50 split of all money (including UK TV). 

Bradley's refusal, especially in light of his oft-repeated desire to unify the 140 pound titles, was a surprise to many observers.  Bradley has not been a strong performer at the box office so turning down a minimum of $1.4 million may have been a poor business decision.  Only time will tell for Bradley.

After the Bradley deal fell apart, the Khan team began casting about for an opponent.  Erik Morales, on the heels of his determined effort against Maidana in April, may have been offered the fight.  If it was offered, as has been suggested by a couple of writers, it was rejected by Morales.

Zab Judah, who took the IBF version of the 140 pound title in a win over Kaizer Mabuza in March, provides Khan with a recognizable name as an opponent in July.  It remains to be seen if Judah will bring more than a name into the ring, though. 

While he has appeared strong since dropping back to 140 in his last two fights, Judah is 33 years old and appeared to be in decline with four losses in six official fights between 2006 and mid-2008.  Admittedly, those losses included Mayweather, Cotto and Clottey at welterweight and above but, after his loss to Clottey in August 2008, many felt Judah's time as a top level fighter was over.

Judah's win against the previously unbeaten Lucas Matthysse last November re-ignited interest in the Brooklyn-born fighter.  His title win against Mabuza adds both an incentive for Khan and a legitimacy to the fight.

This has the potential to be an interesting fight.  Kahn and Judah will both come to fight and neither is a stranger to the canvas.  Khan is fighting to put another quality name on his resume while Judah is fighting to become a legitimate factor—once again—in the weight class.