Zab's Zenith?
 By Luke Dodemaide (February 5, 2005) 
Photo © Tom Casino/ SHOWTIME
Four years ago Zab Judah was the hottest thing since Roy Jones Jr. burst on the scene, he had blistering handspeed, boxing brains beyond his years and the world at his feet. But more importantly he had a shot at the undisputed super lightweight world championship against the reigning WBA and WBC champion Kostya Tszyu. Zab Judah was supposed to blitz the flat footed Australian world champion with his fleet feet, lightning hands and solid boxing power... and for the first three minutes that's exactly what he did.When the bell sounded at the end of the first round, Zab Judah sat down in his corner looking a future great and he arose looking the most menacing thing at 140 since De La Hoya terroised the super lightweight division. But two minutes and fifty six seconds later his journey to super stardom was rocked by one Kostya Tszyu right hand, Zab fell, and the fell again another Kostya Tszyu knockout victim. Since that punch Kostya Tszyu has gone on to stamp himself as one of the, if not the, greatest 140 pounder of all time, while Zab Judah has never arisen.

After a failed attempt early last year at the 147 lb world titles, Zab Judah gets his third shot at undisputed glory tonight in his second encounter with arch rival and WBC/IBF and WBA welterweight world champion Cory "The Next Generation" Spinks. Zab has always been blessed with great natural talent, but it appears he is perhaps more blessed with great boxing opportunities, not many fighters get three shots at undisputed world championships.Tonight it's up to Zab to capitilise on his third chance, because if he swings and misses once more in St. Louis he'll be sent to the dugout with no guarantee's he'll be called to the plate once more.Zab Judah must also get it done tonight in the most hostile enviroment he has ever fought in, a packed St. Louis arena with with 22,000 cheering for Cory Spinks and chanting for Judah's blood. But for a guy thought of as a "Brooklyn Bad Ass" most of his life, he may be perfectly suited to playing the role of the villian and ruining Spinks' St Louis homecoming.

In the fist meeting between the two a year ago, Cory Spinks broke away in the opening rounds of the fight and banked the first four rounds, not because he was boxing brilliant, sure he fought well, but more because he was simply doing more than Zab Judah. While many in the boxing world awe at Zab's astounding ability, they also slam him for his apparant laziness between the ropes. Too often in his career Zab has done just enough to win, robbing the boxing public of his full potential.Zab Judah finally got going in the middle rounds of the fight and started to take control in dictate the fight into the later rounds. Cory Spinks scored big with a knockdown of Judah in the eleventh, only to taste the canvas himself in the final round.When the decision was announced Cory Spinks was ecstatic, while Zab was left to rue over what might have been.

This time Zab Judah has to perform for twelve rounds and fight for three minutes of every round, if he lets himself slip into a lethargic fighting pattern, he'll watch the fight again slip into Cory's hands. Zab Judah is just as fast, if not faster, than Spinks, slips punches aswell as Spinks and has more power than Spinks. You could argue Spinks moves a better than Judah, but if you're prepard to consider fights pre-2002, Zab may have the upper hand there aswell.Zab Judah has more than enough skills to win this one, but does he have the willingness to get the job done? If Zab doesn't deliver tonight, he may slip into oblivion and be remembered not as a great fighter like he would like, but as the most underacheiving boxer of the era.Zab most know, and if he doesn't you can be Yeol Judah is making sure he does, that this may be his last shot at reaching his true potential. And if does revenge his loss to Cory Spinks tonight, he may get a shot to avenge his other loss, with Kostya Tszyu clearly considering options north of 140 for his future beyond his June bout with Ricky Hatton. And with Oscar De La Hoya looking to return to the 147 lb. welterweight division, big pay days loom for the winner of this fight tonight.But before Zab Judah starts thinking about the future, he's got to think about the present. Zab Judah knows he hits harder than Cory, so he must push the action and avoid Spinks turning it into a scientific boxing match up. It's not that Judah can't box, he has fantatic boxing skills, but as it's said in this game 'box a fighter, fight a boxer', and perhaps with Cory's willingness to give his homecrowd an exciting show, Zab's job of turning it into a fight may become a little easier.

So is this third time lucky for Zab Judah? Forget luck, Zab at his absolute best wins this fight hands down. If he's prepared to work his hardest tonight, Zab will reach his Zenith and beat Cory Spinks, finally reach the point his potential always promised.
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