breaking down mayweather: judah

www.15rounds.com

By Kenneth Bouhairie

It’s been four years since Floyd Mayweather Jr. faced an opponent expected to give him a good scrap. That opponent was two-time lightweight champion Jose Luis Castillo, who gave Floyd all kinds of trouble in their 24 rounds of fisticuffs. Saturday night, at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, NV, Mayweather will face his toughest opponent since Castillo when he meets two-time champion Zab Judah.

Some would argue that Judah, fresh off his embarrassing loss to journeyman Carlos Baldomir last January, deserves to hold a title as much as George Bush deserves a Nobel Peace Prize. What almost all agree with, however, is that he could give the world’s best fighter problems he’s yet to encounter in the ring. So without further ado, here is my breakdown of the two fighters, and the fight itself, as Saturday night draws nigh.

FLOYD MAYWEATHER JR., 35-0 (24 KO’s)

Strengths: Bursting with talent, “Pretty Boy” Floyd has been blessed with unusually fast hands and feet, two attributes that have separated him from his peers. On offense, his jab may be the best in the sweet science. Mayweather, 29, uses that yardstick not only to measure opponents, but to soften their body up and set them up for his accurate straight right and quick left hook. Few fighters are in Mayweather’s league defensively, particular when he uses his famous “shoulder roll” maneuver to glide away from the oncoming and fire back with hard counters. The combination of skills on both sides makes Mayweather one of the most complete fighters in the game, a master of space in the ring.

Weaknesses: Hard to find a flaw in a fighter who has amassed an undefeated record through four divisions and has conquered some of the best fighters in the lower weight classes. However, Castillo and Emanuel Augustus were effective applying “smart” pressure on the laid-back Floyd. Both had the boxing skills and chin to keep Mayweather on his heels while giving him something to think about in return. Despite taking some good shots from those two, Floyd’s chin is still something of a question mark, especially after being rocked by DeMarcus “Chop Chop” Corley two years ago. Though he’s a good finisher, some would say that Mayweather gets a little wild coming in, leaving himself open for big shots that may one day shock him.

ZAB JUDAH, 34-3 (25 KO’s)

Strengths: Just as naturally gifted as Mayweather, the southpaw Judah carries power in both fists along with cat-like quickness. An underrated part of the 28yr. old Brooklyn-ite’s game is his deft footwork, a trait which allows him to leap in and out against opponents without engaging them. Judah can ratchet up the heat at a moments notice, turning a dull affair into lights out for his opponent when the mood suits him. This element of his game, the element of surprise, may be his biggest weapon against Mayweather.

Weaknesses: Judah’s most glaring fault is his focus, or lack thereof. Against guys like Corley, Rafael Pineda and even Corey Spinks the first time, his inability to finish off his opponent, or even appear interested, has made him one of the most inconsistent fighters in the game from one round to the next. The concentration issues have helped foes locate another one of Judah’s weaknesses, his chin. Be it the infamous Crip-walk against Kostya Tszyu or the flash knockdowns against Jan Bergman and Terron Millet, Zab’s chin has let him down far too often in his career. Even worse was watching him hold on for dear life after being rocked by the light-hitting Baldomir in his last bout.

THE INTANGIBLES

Mayweather has been at his best when the lights shine the brightest, most notably in his performances against Genaro Hernandez, Diego Corrales and Arturo Gatti. You’d be hard pressed to find a round won by any of those three against the Grand Rapids, MI native. Judah, on the other hand, has come up small in his big fights. The shocking 2nd round KO loss to Kostya Tszyu is, thus far, the bout that has defined him. The Baldomir debacle only highlighted the flaws that have plagued Judah in his career. Hence, questions concerning his heart remain.

However, Saturday’s fight may break that trend. After watching him spend the past two weeks working out in front of scribes and doing every talk show known to man, many observers suspect Mayweather may be taking Judah lightly. Despite claims that he expects Zab to “bring his A-game,” how can he not be overconfident against a fighter last seen struggling to stay on his feet against a journeyman?

For Zab, there is no tomorrow. Another loss on his ledger may force Promoter Don King to cash out in search of greener pastures. The magnitude of this bout cannot be overstated. More than likely, we’ll see the Zab we saw against Spinks the second time, a fighter who realizes that winning requires a full-time commitment to the sport, in and outside the ring.

MY PREDICTION

Judah may be the naturally bigger, more powerful and, dare I say, faster fighter of the two. That, in itself, makes Saturday’s showdown a dangerous bout for Mayweather. Should Floyd have difficulty landing his jab against the southpaw Judah, he’ll be in for a long night, especially if he’s forced to leap in and out to land his punches. While that technique worked well against lefties like Corley and Sharmba Mitchell, Judah has the speed to catch him coming in and the power to take him out. That scenario could only occur when Mayweather is on the offensive. In order for that to happen, Judah must surprise Mayweather in the same manner Marco Antonio Barrera did Prince Naseem Hamed; box from the outside and force the counter-puncher to take the lead. If not, he’ll walk into Mayweather’s pinpoint shots and either lose the courage to come forward, or lose his focus.

Mayweather will have trouble early on—all fighters do against southpaws—but his superior technique will take over in the middle rounds and he’ll break Zab down, part by part. Mayweather TKO11.