LARRY HAZZARD SPEAKS OUT ON MAYWEATHER JUDAH

Monday, April 10, 2006

By KEITH IDEC
HERALD NEWS

LAS VEGAS -- Floyd Mayweather Jr. would've suffered his first professional defeat if he had fought Zab Judah in Atlantic City on Saturday night.

New Jersey State Athletic Control Board commissioner Larry Hazzard said Sunday he would've disqualified Mayweather immediately after his uncle/trainer, Roger Mayweather, entered the ring in the 10th round, no matter what the SACB-assigned referee ruled.

Mayweather won the International Boxing Federation welterweight championship from Teaneck's Judah by unanimous decision Saturday night, despite the near-riot his uncle incited in trying to attack Judah during a round.

Mayweather would've left Boardwalk Hall, however, as the second pound-for-pound king in nine years to suffer his first defeat under abnormal circumstances there. Roy Jones Jr. was disqualified in the ninth round of his first fight against Montell Griffin for hitting Griffin while he was down on March 21, 1997, in Atlantic City.

"There's no question about it," Hazzard said. "The fight would've been over as soon as Roger Mayweather stepped into the ring. He had no right to be in the ring at that point. I would've hated to do that, but I would've had to separate myself from being a fan in a case like that. It would've been unpopular, because even though I felt he was on his way to stopping Judah, or at least on his way to a unanimous points victory, it would've put a blemish on Mayweather's record. But he would've had to be disqualified, just like Roy Jones."

Hazzard, the only commissioner in the 21-year history of New Jersey's boxing regulatory agency, jumped up on the ring apron as soon as Jones hit a vulnerable Griffin nine years ago. He didn't wait for referee Tony Perez to make a ruling because, according to SACB regulations, Hazzard has the authority to overrule a referee's decision.

"I'm charged with maintaining order," Hazzard said. "I have to do what's right."

Hazzard added that no fighter has been disqualified in New Jersey for a cornerman entering the ring since the SACB's inception in 1985.

Marc Ratner, executive director of the Nevada State Athletic Commission, said Sunday that dealing with Roger Mayweather's actions was a discretionary call for respected referee Richard Steele. The NSAC has withheld the purses for Mayweather ($5 million) and Judah ($1 million) pending a videotape review of the melee. Roger Mayweather, a former 130-pound and 140-pound world champion, was also suspended indefinitely by the NSAC, which has the authority to overturn the decision.

"I don't know what happened," Floyd Mayweather Jr. said. "I love my Uncle Roger. I can't say anything about that."

Mayweather also said, though, that his uncle told him earlier in the week that if he thought Judah deliberately fouled him to gain an advantage in the fight that he would enter the ring. Roger Mayweather was ejected from UNLV's Thomas & Mack Center Saturday night and could not be reached for comment.

After struggling early against a strong southpaw opponent, Las Vegas' Mayweather (36-0, 24 KOs) eventually found his rhythm and was winning the fight relatively easily when, with about five seconds left in the 10th round, Judah hit Mayweather with a very low blow, a left hand to Mayweather's groin. Judah (34-4, 25 KOs, 1 NC) followed that illegal punch with another, a right hand directly to the back of a doubled-over Mayweather's head. With Mayweather slumped over, Steele stepped in immediately to separate the fighters.

That's when Roger Mayweather started his march toward Judah.

Roger Mayweather's move prompted Yoel Judah, Zab's father and trainer, to enter the ring and attack Roger Mayweather. Yoel Judah took a swing at Roger Mayweather, but it was Zab Judah who circumvented everyone entering the ring and appeared to strike Roger Mayweather on the back of his head. As chaos ensued, Roger Mayweather was also seen with his hands around Zab Judah's neck.

Law enforcement officials stormed the ring and quickly restored order. Mayweather was also afforded a customary five-minute period to recover from the low blow, which somehow didn't cost Judah a point deduction.