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LEE SAMUELS, TOP RANK: This is a very, very exciting time for Top Rank, the two-division World Champion is with us, Zab Judah. He’s on his, from Memphis Tennessee, where he is training at the Prize Fight Gym getting set for June 9th, Madison Square Garden live on HBO Pay-Per View. Zab will be taking on the undefeated World Welterweight Champion, Miguel Cotto. Ticket sales are on fire; we’re extremely excited. I saw Zab this past Saturday in Memphis. He looked tremendous, he had a lot to say to the fight press at his own little press conference in Memphis, and we’re very, very excited about Zab and about this event.
At this time, the President of Top Rank, Todd DuBoef, will take it from here and he’ll introduce Zab. Todd.
TODD DUBOEF, TOP RANK: Thanks a lot Lee. Look forward to it and Lee is 100 percent correct. I was not in Memphis but everyone was giving me the chilling comments that Zab had to say about the fight, what he was going to do to “the robot” and I know that what the media wants to hear about today, is hear Zab’s comments and how he’s doing in his training. As Lee said, the tickets are just going terrific, the Pay-Per View we think is going to be extraordinary, everything is going terrific and right now I want to turn it over to the two-division world champion and the very explosive Zab Judah. Zab, go ahead, why don’t you open up some comments and then we can open it up to some questions.
YOEL “ZAB” JUDAH: I’ve always wanted to say I’ve got a beautiful training camp, I’m training in it very well, everything is good and I’m very focused with this fight. Just come June 9th there will be a changing of the guard.
FRANKLIN MCNEIL, STAR-LEDGER: I just have one question for you and I’ve seen you blame yourself once in a while. You know you said a lot about this fight, but I compare this, your mindset from what I see, to the time you were preparing for Cory and I wanted to know, well first of all, when you went in the ring after, you know the build-up to the fight, you were very, very, very focused, when you fought Cory the second time. Do you see this – is this a fight that you put on that same level? Is that – is this that you see this fight, not style-wise, but the importance of it, in the same way?
YOEL “ZAB” JUDAH: It’s a great opportunity. Again I wanted to thank HBO and Top Rank, with Prize Fight, to give me these opportunities. I think a very, very good time of my life where I’m very focused and I think that the opportunity is great, where it’s coming at in the timing. I want to comment everything is beautiful and it will be a better fight in St. Louis, I can promise you that.
JASON GONZALES, THE SWEETSCIENCE.COM: Zab, a couple of questions. First up, you had said that you plan on being the grand marshal at the Puerto Rican Day Parade, after you’ve beaten Miguel Cotto. Do you feel comments like that will cause you to burn bridges amongst the Latino constituency?
YOEL “ZAB” JUDAH: Hey look, I’ve got a friend over there in Puerto Rico, Felix Trinidad, we’re very close. My father’s close with his father and you know, we’ll be going with them, they’re everybody.
JASON GONZALES: Okay, now and my next question is normally you used to train – normally you would train out in Florida, now you’re training in Memphis. How has Memphis, Tennessee proven to be beneficial for you and your training camp?
YOEL “ZAB” JUDAH: You know different hands, different places, different people. I mean you just said, right now the people in Memphis is very, very, they’re very, I mean people are very warm and always acceptable here. And it is like, we just like the weather, the atmosphere, you know what I mean and it’s just a place, a real place to train. We love it, we love Memphis.
MICHAEL HIRSLEY, CHICAGO TRIBUNE: I wanted to ask you if you see Cotto as similar to any of your past opponents. I guess particularly looking to Kostya Tszyu who you were out-boxing until he caught you. Do you see that as the, as the only threat that Cotto poses for you?
YOEL “ZAB” JUDAH: Hey listen, Cotto’s a very good fighter. We lucked in; I mean he’s confident, he’s strong. He’s forward; he puts a lot of pressure on fighters and he fights only good fights. I’m not worried about Cotto, you know what I mean? What we had to do with 2001, you know what I mean? I’m an older fighter, I’m more mentally mature, I’m older now and you’re going to see a new and improved Zab Judah.
JOHN WHISLER, SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS: Zab, I was wondering if you had any, felt any pressure to put on a good performance for the fans in light of a couple of pretty bad fights recently. The Taylor-Spinks fight and even De La Hoya and Mayweather, although set records at the box office, it wasn’t what many people consider a very good fight. Do you feel like you need to do something for boxing and put on a good performance?
YOEL “ZAB” JUDAH: No, I don’t have to prove nothing. Everybody know what I can do, you know what I’m saying? Every time I get beat is when I beat myself. You know, I’m not focused or, you know what I mean? I get some kind of, sometimes bored in the ring. If I come focused to fight, like I am for this fight ON June 9th, you will see I am a good show. I mean as far as anybody thinks, I think Floyd and De La Hoya was a dance contest. You know what I’m saying? But you’re going to see a real fight come June 9th.
TODD DUBOEF: And John, this is Todd. I don’t think anyone would, I don’t think anyone would complain about the Pavlik-Miranda fight. I think those two guys came to fight and Zab is always coming to fight and Cotto’s always coming to fight, so those are guys are going to put it on the line come the 9th.
WALTER SOTO, TELEMUNDO: Cotto can fight as a southpaw. Do you think that is an advantage for him?
YOEL ”ZAB” JUDAH: If he had three arms, it wouldn’t help him in this fight, believe me.
WALTER SOTO: And he’s still in power, what about it?
YOEL “ZAB” JUDAH: Hey listen, listen, they say Cotto can punch right? But he never felt a real solid welterweight punch. He will come June 9th. We don’t worry about his punching power, we never worry about Cotto’s punches. They don’t bother us.
RON BORGES, HBO.COM: Hey Zab, you just mentioned that the only time you’ve lost, you’ve beat yourself, or you lost your focus and so forth and so on. Why do you think that happened to you in those particular fights and how are you going to avoid that same problem in this fight?
YOEL “ZAB” JUDAH: Well I’ll be focused with the help of somebody else. The (inaudible) fight, it was taken from us. I cannot go into it, but the guy that we were dealing with at that time, he took that fight, do you know what I’m saying? That’s the last time I went. See rather than fight your focus with Floyd, you’re focus is with Kostya Tszyu, you know what I’m saying? And the first fight with Cory Spinks. But listen, it’s all behind me now, you know what I’m saying? The Nevada State Commission hit me for a whole year, unjustly, took my money, took my job, tell me to go do, they don’t care what I do, and now I’m coming back to show the world that I’m still the best pound-for-pound in the world.
Cotto, we have nothing against him, this is not a grudge fight or nothing, it’s just that yo, he hasn’t beat anyone frozen, he’d be a froze (inaudible) of Zab Judah and he will be destroyed.
RON BORGES: Has it been frustrating for you, those losses in light of the fact that they, you were, you had these outside factors that were working against you. Has that been difficult to swallow?
YOEL “ZAB” JUDAH: They’re not losses, they’re living experiences. They’re not losses, you learn, you learn. You know every time you take a (inaudible) you learn. That’s what you do. But I mean it’s not that you’ve got to lose, you come back. You come back, that’s the way the game goes. You’ve got to come back and come back strong.
MARCUS HENRY, NEWSDAY: If you win this fight, where do you think this is going to put you in the division, in the eyes of the boxing community?
YOEL “ZAB” JUDAH: Looking at Mayweather again, you know that Pretty Boy, tell him what I’ve missed. He’s pound-for-pound the best. We want it one more time, baby give me Mayweather one more time. That’s all we want, bring him.
WILLIAM TRILLO, POUND4POUND.COM: Zab, you’ve already been in the ring with a fighter who’s got a family that’s a little bit hot-blooded, that’s caused some problems and in light of the recent problems in the corner with Cotto and his family situation, do you think that this is something that you can use to play into your hand this time?
YOEL “ZAB” JUDAH: No, Cotto’s a beautiful guy, man. Cotto, I mean we’ve really got family problems, you know what I’m saying? So we’re not even looking at that. I mean it is what it is. Cotto’s a good fighter, he’s a strong southpaw, we’ve got a lot of respect for him. What we’ve got to do, we’ve got to do come June 9th, that’s all it is.
RAMON ARANDA, 411MANIA.COM: Obviously you’re probably one of the fastest fighters that Cotto’s ever faced and you definitely have the punching power. Now, are you looking to (inaudible) early or are you looking to use your superior, your superior hand speed and try to out box him, but don’t throw a round?
YOEL “ZAB” JUDAH: Surprise, surprise, surprise. Just be there June 9th.
RON BORGES: Zab, I was just thinking, I mean you look at some of these fights you’ve had where things didn’t work out for you, the Mayweather fight, the Tszyu fight. Some people would look at this Cotto fight now as a cross-roads fight for you. Do you sort of feel, in some ways, you can’t afford another loss? You can’t have another slip up at this point of your career?
YOEL “ZAB” JUDAH: Ron man, there’s not a loss. I’ll tell you again, the, the – it’s a lesson, you learn. When you lose, you less, you lose save (ph) your life, right? You lose all kinds of things, but what do you do? You pick them back up. I mean people lose, we all lose, we all do, it’s all that. But what it is, is this, know Cotto is going to help with, be, put us back in place where we rightfully belong, pound-for-pound at the top. That’s what it is. Looking at Floyd Mayweather one more time, that’s it.
DAVID AVILA, RIVERSIDE PRESS-ENTERPRISE: Zab, when you were suspended from boxing for that while, what did you do to keep your mind occupied and to keep yourself focused in boxing?
YOEL “ZAB” JUDAH: A month after I got suspended I went back in the gym, I never left the gym. For 11 months I just trained, that’s it, to stay focused.
DAVID AVILA: Did you ever have any doubts that maybe you should quit the game, or what was going on through your mind?
YOEL “ZAB” JUDAH: Well, I mean, you know, you just move forward. Struggle, causing it, you know, more visits. Hey listen, come June 9th you’re not going to believe this show, you won’t believe it. But don’t blink and nobody go to the bathroom, I promise you.
DAVID AVILA: When you saw Cory Spinks fight Jermain Taylor, and the fact that you knocked out Cory Spinks, how’d that make you feel, knowing that here is a middleweight that couldn’t knock him out?
YOEL “ZAB” JUDAH: Hey listen, I mean I think Spinks should give these guys a little bit more, he might have hit a guy, you know, he probably could have had that title. Jermain did what he got to do to hold his title. You know what I mean? Jermain’s a great champion and he’ll be there for a minute, I just think that him and Calzaghe will make a hell of a good fight.
RAMON ARANDA: Hey Zab. think you’ve got all the tools to hand Cotto’s first defeat, but let’s face things. If you don’t beat Cotto, for whatever reasons, would you consider retirement, or would you just get back on your horse and get back to the drawing board, as they say?
YOEL “ZAB” JUDAH: It’s not an option, it’s not an option. I’m not even thinking about that, alright? And believe when I mean that is a true statement. Just watch June 9th.
CARLOS ARIAS: What do you think the crowd’s going to be like in the Madison Square Garden? I mean it’s the weekend of the Puerto Rican Day Parade. You know, what do you think it’s going to be like in there?
YOEL “ZAB” JUDAH: I’ve got Brooklyn, Brooklyn’s in the house, man. Brooklyn’s going to be there, BK is going to be there, my people are going to be behind me. And yo, I’ve got a lot of (inaudible), and yo, it’s going to be all, it’s going to be what it is.
TODD DUBOEF: When Zab came In and signed the contract, he looked at us and said, listen, I’m going to have more guys from my my country in there, from my New York, from my backyard, then there are going to be from Puerto Rico. But the key to the whole thing is this event is going to be driven by the fans. Our top priced ticket is $500, then $300, $200, $100 and $50. We’re going to have the boxing fans there. It’s not going to be grossly over priced that only rich guys and their little girls are going to show up, you know, and cheer. We’re going to have the fans there with the flags and everyone is going to be going crazy because that’s what boxing is about, is passion, and see these guys put on a show. So Zab’s bringing his crew, Cotto’s bringing his group and then we’ve all the great fight fans from New York going to be there.
GERMAN VILLASENOR, MAXBOXING.COM: I don’t know if you are aware of if, if that would even come into play, there was a little altercation between Cotto and Evangelista Cotto on the, when his brother fought for the WBA title a couple weeks ago, in the corner in between rounds. Evangelista Cotto kind of walked away from the corner when he was working his brother’s corner and he just kind of seems like that might have some kind of impact as to what Cotto’s mind state might be. Just wondering if you knew anything about that and if that would even come into play in your favor?
YOEL “ZAB” JUDAH: I was told about that, but families, they’ve got problems. Do you know what I mean? I mean listen man, fight, always fighting with his brother, come and fight his sisters, they fight his brothers, hey it goes on with everybody. But you know I think he’s going to be focused. Cotto’s going to come in 100 percent.
MICHAEL HIRSLEY: Yes, Zab, do you have a feeling that when you’re going in as the, as the challenger that you have to do more than out-box the champion to win? I mean you’ve been talking about that you’re coming out aggressive. Do you feel that you have to do more than just, sort of out box him?
YOEL “ZAB” JUDAH: Who told you I was coming out aggressive? Who told you that?
MICHAEL HIRSLEY: You said that earlier.
YOEL “ZAB” JUDAH: No, I never said that, you’ve got it wrong. I just said, I said watch the fight June 9th. Don’t go to the bathroom, that’s what I said.
MICHAEL HIRSLEY: Isn’t then, that mean that? Or are you saying you’re not coming out aggressive?
YOEL “ZAB” JUDAH: You take it for what it was. What I say, you take it from there.
MICHAEL HIRSLEY: Alright. Do you feel that you can beat the champion just by out-boxing him? That you can beat him on the scorecard, if it’s a close fight and you feel that, I guess the sense is, do you have to do, do you have to do more than just (inaudible) the champion to take the title?
YOEL “ZAB” JUDAH: Hey listen man, it ain’t like Cory Spinks or Jermain Taylor. You’re not going to do what Spinks did. We’re going to take the title. When we take the title you’re going to see blood, guts, and sweat. You’re going to see somebody hit that floor, I promise you.
LOU CABRERA, SPANISH NEWS SERVICE: I’m in Puerto Rico and the fever and fervor over here is extremely, very, very high and I have just two quick questions for you. A). how do you feel, in your physical condition, and your mental condition? Followed by a question in reference to I heard, during the press conference now, the teleconference in which you are mentioning that people shouldn’t go to the bathroom. Is that so, are you making a prediction on this fight?
YOEL “ZAB” JUDAH: Hey listen, it is what it is. Don’t go to the bathroom, don’t get no popcorn, don’t blink. You take it for what it was.
LOU CABRERA: And what about your physical and mental condition?
YOEL “ZAB” JUDAH: Why, was it something that Floyd talked about? That we can’t go past four rounds? Don’t go to the bathroom, just like I tell you.
JASON GONZALES: Zab, real quick. Let’s just say hypothetically speaking things don’t go your way, can we trust you to keep a cool head?
YOEL “ZAB” JUDAH: What kind of question is that?
JASON GONZALES: Can we trust you to keep a cool head? I mean like, you know did you learn from the suspension?
ZAB JUDAH: Could you have a cool head? Is your head cool?
JASON GONZALES: Yeah, I feel, I feel good baby.
ZAB JUDAH: (Inaudible) alright?
JASON GONZALES: (Inaudible).
