IBF light welterweight champion Zab Judah has been putting in hard work in preparation for his light welterweight showdown against WBA light welterweight champion Amir Khan. With hall of famer Pernell Whitaker by his side, Judah has experienced a resurgence in confidence and reinvigorated his career. The two champions got a bit heated at their Los Angeles Press conference a few weeks back with both fighters, camps and even fans getting into shouting matches with each other. Now back in the solace of his camp Judah speaks on what he has been working on and how he feels that July 23rd at the MGM Grand will be a night he once again reclaims the throne as light welterweight king.
Zab Judah: “When I went in against Matthysse, me and my team knew that I was going to beat him. Golden Boy thought I was going to be a stepping stone, so they sacrificed one of their pawns. Now they’re going to come back and sacrifice one of their queens. It’s check mate baby, you know it is!”
“I plan to be his (Amir Kahn’s) worst nightmare. After this fight I plan on Team Kahn having a 62 hour watch on Amir Kahn. I plan on being the Freddie Cougar of his dreams. I plan on being Freddie Cougar to Freddie Roach. I’m pretty sure after this fight Freddie Roach would never put his golden boy and marquis fighter, which is Manny Pacquiao, against me in the ring.”
Over the past five years, “I grew up a lot. It’s not just about age, its maturity. It took me a little more time to figure things out. Now I am alive and alert and I have the great Pernell Whitaker in my corner. Having him in my corner exempts the whole Freddie Roach thing. Now I have not only a masterful trainer, but I have a masterful fighter too. Freddie Roach has a great game plan when it comes to boxing training, but as a fighter he wasn’t that masterful. I have not only a masterful fighter but a great teacher, so I have the edge.”
“Pernell Whitaker and Zab Judah is something like a movie. We started out together when he was still fighting and it turned out to be a great thing. We are now working side by side with each other. He’s my right-hand man! He’s pouring on all the great skills and accomplishments that he’s done in his boxing career. It’s phenomenal. He’s good at what he does.”
What does a win against Kahn mean: “For the most part it unifies the division; it’s a closer step to undisputed. I also think Amir Kahn is a good boxer. He has fast hands, decent power, but I think it’s a sacrifice move what Golden Boy did here with Amir Kahn, and I think he (Kahn) will realize this once the bell rings. I’m from Brooklyn, I don’t have problem taking the the long, hard, grinding road. I wasn’t the golden boy. I wasn’t the guy always in the light, the guy always first picked, but somehow I made my way back to the top with the thanks of Main Events and Super Judah Promotions. It says a lot to come out of the ’96 team of great fighters, and to be one of about 2 of those fighters still standing on the championship level.”
“July 23rd is about this: what can you bring as far as your skills; what can you bring as far as far your brains; what can you bring as far as your knowledge of boxing; what can you do inside that square ring; what do you do when you look across that ring and there’s a hungry lion named Zab “Super” Judah looking you dead in the eye, anxious for the bell to go bing?’ You either fold or you play cards. I’m going to play to win.”
