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ARE YOU F****** KIDDING ME?!?!?
WHAT IN THE F***
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Losing to Argentinean underdog Carlos Baldomir cost Zab Judah $2 million from a proposed purse to fight Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Losing to the Nevada State Athletic Commission Monday cost Judah an additional $250,000, and perhaps much more. The NSAC fined the former welterweight champion that sum Monday for his role in igniting a mini-melee during the 10th round of his unanimous decision defeat to Mayweather on April 8 at UNLV's Thomas & Mack Center. The NSAC also revoked Judah's boxing license for a year, retroactive to April 8.
The NSAC fined Yoel Judah, Zab's trainer/father, $100,000 and revoked his license for a year, too.
Yoel Judah entered the ring to protect his son on April 8, after Roger Mayweather, Floyd's uncle and trainer, approached Zab Judah once the strong southpaw hit Floyd Mayweather Jr. below the belt and behind the head with consecutive punches late in the 10th round. Yoel Judah threw punches toward Roger Mayweather and Leonard Ellerbe, Mayweather adviser/conditioning coach, near the center of the ring as referee Richard Steele and law enforcement officials tried to restore order. Ellerbe was fined $50,000 and had his second assistant's license revoked for four months Monday as well.
The $3 million fine with which the NSAC slapped Mike Tyson for biting Evander Holyfield's ear in 1997 is by far the biggest in Nevada's history, but regulators there are certain the NSAC's actions Monday will prevent similar situations from occurring.
"I believe a very strong message was sent (Monday) as far as people entering the ring," said Marc Ratner, the exiting executive director of the NSAC. "I would hope this would deter guys 150 percent from doing that again. Nobody should ever enter the ring unless they hear the bell."
Ellerbe's fine and suspension weren't as substantial because the NSAC's five-member group agreed that his actions weren't egregious. Ellerbe works Mayweather's corner with cut man Rafael Garcia and Roger Mayweather, who was fined $250,000 and suspended for a year on April 13 for entering the ring. Ellerbe's license suspension wasn't retroactive, so he can apply again in September, in time for Mayweather's next fight, either against Oscar De La Hoya (38-4, 30 KOs) on Sept. 16 or later.
The man commonly considered the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world will be without his head trainer for at least one fight, though, as Roger Mayweather's appeal has been denied.
The Judahs can also appeal their fines and suspensions, but they shouldn't expect leniency based on Zab Judah's history of misbehaving in Nevada. The NSAC fined Judah $75,000 and suspended his license for six months for his actions following his loss to Australia's Kostya Tszyu (31-2, 25 KOs, 1 NC) 41/2 years ago in Las Vegas. Judah threw a stool across a crowded ring and attempted to choke referee Jay Nady in protest of his second-round technical knockout defeat, a stoppage Judah deemed premature.
On April 8, Zab Judah, 28, ran around all the men assembled in the middle of the ring to strike Ellerbe in the back of the head. The Brooklyn-bred boxer then attempted to punch Roger Mayweather, who in turn tried to choke Judah. Order was restored pretty quickly, though, and Floyd Mayweather Jr. (36-0, 24 KOs) out-pointed Judah (34-4, 25 KOs, 1 NC) with relative ease (116-112, 117-111 and 119-109) to win the International Boxing Federation welterweight title by unanimous decision.
Though commissions throughout the United States aren't legally obligated to adhere to Nevada's administrative suspension, commissions in New Jersey, New York and Connecticut aren't likely to allow Judah to fight in those states until after April 8, 2007. Judah's first NSAC suspension was recognized nationally in 2001 and 2002. Another observance of Nevada's suspension would limit Judah's earning potential in the United States, as his promoter, Don King, does the majority of his business in New York and Nevada.
That could lead Judah to fight outside of the United States to reshape his financial situation, as he fought Mayweather almost for free. Judah reportedly made $1 million for the Mayweather match, although a contract submitted to the NSAC stated that he earned $690,000, plus upside from pay-per-view revenue the bout generated. Nevertheless, between the funds fronted by King that Judah had to repay, the money he owed the Internal Revenue Service and the hefty fine, the former Teaneck resident couldn't conceivably have walked away from the most meaningful fight of his career with much money.
Judah, an Alpine resident, attended the hearing Monday, when the NSAC released what was left of his purse. Yoel Judah and King also attended the four-hour hearing. Judah told www.espn.com that he considered the NSAC's ruling "crazy," but he couldn't be reached for further comment Monday.
"They didn't leave happy," Ratner said. "They weren't smiling, that's for sure."
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Originally Posted by JonesJrMayweather
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