Boxing legends. Kostya Tszyu - Zab Judah: is the judge guilty? (Video). Biography of Zab Judah - fights, knockouts Judah fights

34-year-old Zab Judah reached an agreement in principle in Moscow to hold a fight with Russian boxer Khabib Allahverdiev. The five-time world boxing champion spoke in an exclusive interview with Izvestia about the purpose of his visit to Moscow, the fight with Kostya Tszyu and the most difficult fights in his career.

I had a business conversation with promoter Vladimir Khryunov, during which we decided that if Allahverdiev can defeat Kendall Holt, then I will meet him in Moscow.

Is there already a specific proposal from Khabib’s manager?

Yes, the contract is on my desk. All that remains is to discuss the details.

How was your meeting with Kostya Tszyu? You haven't seen him for 10 years - since your defeat.

We met like old friends. I apologized to him for the words I said in the heat of the moment. I have a lot of respect for Kostya. Yesterday I had dinner with his family. I hope we will have good friendly relations.

The defeat from Kostya was the first in your champion career. What happened in that fight?

I dominated the entire first round, landing some great jabs on him. During the break, my father told me - don't play with him, he is a very dangerous opponent. But I was young and ardent, I stepped forward and paid for it. I considered myself a great champion, but I just had to get into the ring and do my job.

Have you tried organizing a rematch?

Certainly! We tried to do this, but it didn't work out. But you know, I’ll tell you honestly - after that I made a lot of conclusions for myself. I overestimated many things in my life.

Did the defeat to Tszyu break you?

It didn’t break me, but helped me look at life soberly. After all, you have a five-time world boxing champion sitting in front of you - and I won most of these titles after losing to Tszyu.

Roy Jones and James Toney have already fought in Russia. Did you ask them about Moscow?

I don't need to consult anyone about Russia. I'm from Brooklyn, there are a lot of Russians there. And among them I have very good friends.

You are only 34 years old - this is an excellent age for a boxer. What goals do you set for yourself?

Become a six-time world champion. I do what I love, I like my job!

What fight in your life do you remember most?

I was 15. The fight with Nikki Ward. It was one of the hardest fights of my career. He hit my ribs so hard that if he had hit them again, I would have collapsed in the ring! My most uncomfortable opponent is Mayweather. The guy knows how to move, he is very fast, very fast! He is very clever! And the strongest blows were from the Argentine Lucas Matthysse! When it hit me in the shoulder, I winced in pain and thought - damn, what will happen if it hits me in the head! I won this fight, but it wasn't easy.

Do you remember your first fight in your life? What caused it?

I grew up in Brooklyn, in a very poor area. There you have to fight. If you don't know how to fight, you won't live! I fought 110 fights as an amateur and 53 as a professional, but believe me - I fought a lot more on the street!

What did you buy with your first fee?

Jeep. I was still in school at the time and it was really cool! You know, boxing has given me so much in my life. I owe this sport a lot!

You became a world champion at 21. Did you take the multimillion-dollar fees calmly?

Of course not! They took my head off! I fought Kostya Tszyu when I was 22. I lost. But you know, when they told me about this, I answered - guys, I’m rich! I spent a lot of money on everything I could! At one time I had 11 cars - Lamborghini, Maybach, Bentley. I love watches - it's my weakness. I have about 10 watches worth about $250 thousand each. You know, I once lost $230 thousand betting on a basketball game. Many of my friends played on the team I bet on. But they lost. After this match I wanted to beat every single one of them! I don't root for this team anymore!

Many athletes don't want their children to follow in their footsteps.

I have two sons. One is 15, the other is 3. The youngest wants to become a boxer. My father is a boxer. And if my son comes to me and says - dad, I want to become a boxer, teach me - no problem. But I will never force him to box!

Who supports you in fights?

All my family! My grandmother is 80 - she comes to every fight I have!

Your idol in the ring?

Mike Tyson. He is the best of the best. For all time. This is my close friend, he is like a brother to me.

What was your first fee?

- $10 thousand... Well, then more, more and more. I was 17 years old.

And the biggest?

A lot of. So many. Around 10 million

Zabdiel Judah (born October 27, 1977) is an American professional boxer. As an amateur, he set a kind of record: according to statistics, Zab Judah won 110 out of 115 meetings. He became a professional in 1996. On February 12, 2000, he won the IBF (International Boxing Federation) welterweight title by defeating Jan Bergman by knockout in the fourth round. He successfully defended the IBF title five times before losing to Kosta Tszyu via TKO on November 3, 2001. Zab Judah's biography has it all: scandals, fights, arrests. Although he was never involved with drugs and was never in prison.

Amateur career

Zab Judah started boxing at the age of six. He was a two-time US champion and a three-time New York Golden Gloves champion. He also won the 1996 PAL National Championship.

Judah tried to earn a spot on the USA boxing team in 1996. After defeating Ishe Smith and Hector Camacho Jr., he lost to David Diaz in the finals, preventing Zab Judah from qualifying for the Olympic boxing team.

Professional welterweight career

Judah made his professional boxing debut at age 18 on September 20, 1996 in Miami, Florida and defeated Michael Johnson by TKO in the second round. After defeating George Kren and Omar Vazquez in May and June 1997, he scored first-round knockout victories over Cesar Castro, James Salava and Ricardo Vazquez. Early the next year, he knocked out Steve Valdez, also in the first round.

In March of the same year, during a fight with Esteban Flores in the second round, the boxers accidentally collided with their heads. Flores suffered a cut and the fight was stopped in the third round because he was unable to continue due to injury. It was officially awarded a technical draw.

A string of victories

On April 14, 1998, Zab Judah outlasted two-time Dominican Republic champion Angel Beltre by stopping him in the second round. The victory earned Judah the opportunity to face Mickey Ward for the vacant USBA (United States Boxing Association) welterweight title. Judah won and then successfully defended the title by defeating Darryl Tyson in the eleventh round on October 15, 1998. Judah also won the IBF interim welterweight title with a fourth-round knockout victory over Wilfredo Negron in January 1999.

On February 12, 2000, in Uncasville, Connecticut, he fought Jan Piet Bergman for the vacant IBF welterweight title. Despite some difficulties, he still won in the fourth round. On June 20, 2000, he defended the title by defeating Junior Witter in Glasgow, Scotland.

Two months later, on August 5, 2000, he defeated former IBF welterweight champion Terron Millett in Connecticut. Further on the list of his defeated opponents are Hector Quiroza (October 20, 2000), Reggie Greene (January 13, 2001), Allan Wester (June 23, 2001). The latest victory allowed Judah to meet WBA welterweight champion Kostya Tszyu, who had previously defeated Oktay Urkal.

Fight Judah - Tszyu

On November 3, 2001, a fight was scheduled between Zab Judah and Kostya Tszyu at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada. Judah was initially considered the favorite. The entire first round, the initiative was with him. However, Tszyu ultimately won by technical knockout, according to the referee's decision. This decision caused a negative reaction from Judah. He picked up his chair and threw it into the center of the ring. Despite the fact that his father and trainer Yoel Jada tried to restrain the angry boxer, he still broke free and tried to start a fight. Judah was then fined $75,000 and had his license suspended for six months.

After defeating Omar Weiss in July 2002, Judah challenged DeMarcus Corley for the WBO Welterweight Championship on July 12, 2003 at the Orleans Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. He won in the third round, although he broke his left hand during the fight. Defending the WBO title, he defeated Jaime Rangel in the first round on December 13, 2003.

In 2004, Zab Judah lost by decision to Corey Spinks, whom he then beat in the return match. He added Rafael Pineda and Wayne Martell to the list of those defeated that same year.

Undisputed welterweight champion

In 2005, as welterweight champion, he fought only one fight against Cosme Rivera. His next fight took place on January 7, 2006 at Madison Square Garden in New York against Carlos Baldomir. For Judah, winning this fight could lead to a fight with WBC junior welterweight champion Floyd Mayweather Jr., which was tentatively scheduled for April. However, in the seventh round, Judah suffered an injury to his right hand, and Baldomir ultimately won by unanimous decision in the tenth.

Although the fight with Mayweather should not have taken place due to the loss, the promoters of both boxers were still able to come to an agreement. However, the terms of the deal had to be revised. Previously, Mayweather was expected to earn a minimum of $6 million and Judah $3 million plus a percentage of profits, but due to Judah's loss, Mayweather was now required to earn a minimum of $5 million while Judah was guaranteed $1 million plus profit percentage above $7 million. The fight took place on April 8, 2006 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.

In this fight, Mayweather won by decision of the judges. The fight itself ended in a brawl between the boxers' trainers. As a result, both coaches were fined and their licenses were revoked for a period of time. Zab Judah also received a $350,000 fine and had his license revoked for a year.

Return

The first in 2007 was a fight against Ruben Galvan, but its result was not counted because due to a cut, Galvan was unable to continue the fight, which lasted less than four rounds. On June 9, 2007, Judah lost by technical knockout in a fight for the WBA welterweight title.

In the next fight with Edwin Vazquez, despite the injury, Judah won. On November 17, 2007, in Providenciales, the boxer defeated Ryan Davis. On May 31, 2008, at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Judah was scheduled to fight Shane Mosley, but the fight was postponed after Zab needed 50 stitches on his right hand after slipping in the bathroom and breaking a glass door shower cabin.

On August 2, 2008, Judah lost to Joshua Clottey by technical decision for the vacant IBF welterweight title. After losing the fight with Clottey, the boxer fought Ernest Johnson on November 8, 2008. Despite two cuts, he won the fight by unanimous decision. In November 2009, he won a fight by technical knockout in the second round against Ubaldo Hernandez from Mexico.

On November 6, 2009, Judah fought at the Palms Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada. The former undisputed welterweight champion won the fight by TKO in the second round. In June 2010, Judah decided to revitalize his career. His opponent was Mexico's Jose Armando Santa Cruz (28-4; 17 KOs). Zab won the fight by TKO in the third round.

Welterweight again

On November 6, 2010, he defeated previously undefeated Lucas Matthysse for the vacant NABO Light Welterweight Championship. The former world champion fought at junior welterweight for the first time in nearly seven years.

After the victory over Matthysse, negotiations began to fight against Kaiser Mabuza. Both sides eventually agreed to a fight on March 5 with the vacant IBF welterweight title on the line. The former champion joined Zab Judah's training sessions to help him prepare for the match. On March 5, 2011, the hero of our article defeated Mabuza by technical knockout in the seventh round again, ten years later, claiming the IBF title.

The next fight with the WBA champion took place on July 23, 2011. It was the seventh defeat in his entire career. In March 2012, he scored a TKO victory over Vernon Paris.

American boxer Zab Judah suffered another defeat in his career in April 2013. In this fight, he lost to WBC world champion and WBA world super champion Danny Garcia. A few years later, Judah still won two more victories: in January 2017 over Jorge Luis Munguia and a year later over Noel Mejia Rincon.

Personal life

Judah has nine brothers and two sisters. Five of his brothers are also boxers. Father and coach Yoel Judah is a six-time world champion in kickboxing and has a seventh degree black belt. In July 2006, he was arrested after a celebrity basketball game at Madison Square Garden on a family court warrant. In August 2007, Judah became involved in a fight at the Stereo nightclub in New York.

Zab Judah's tattoos are quite controversial: on one hand there are quotes from the Bible, on the other there is the inscription “Outlaw”. The latter, according to him, means that he follows the path that he chose for himself.

Alexander BELENKY

Tomorrow in Moscow at the CSKA basketball arena there will be a fight between Russian Khabib Allahverdiev and South African Kaiser Mabuza in the up to 63.5 kg category. Initially, it was assumed that the Russian boxer’s opponent would be the American Kendall Holt, but he was “grabbed by the pants” by a bailiff in a case of non-payment of alimony. As a result, Allahverdiev will fight Mabuza. The change was more than equal as Mabuza beat Holt.

However, there were other events “on the map” of this fight, the main one of which was the reconciliation of two great boxers - Russian Kostya Tszyu and American Zab Judah, who had not met since the first knocked out the second on November 3, 2001. Judah then did not agree with stopping the fight at the end of the second round and, as they say, lost his temper. And now they met in Moscow. I was able to talk to both of them after the reconciliation, which we naturally began by discussing.

Zab JUDAH: "I APOLOGIZED TO JIU"

Zab, when I saw you together with Kostya Tszyu, it seemed to me that you were sincerely glad to meet and that there was no trace of hostility, if there had ever been one.

That's right, not a trace remains. How can I hate a man who gave me the opportunity to fight such a fight and earn money for my family? At the same time, I did exactly the same thing for him, so why on earth wouldn’t he love me? We help each other. Moreover, we are close and understandable people to each other. Of course, in any sport there are special moments, but they pass. Life doesn't end with them.

I apologized to Kostya for acting wrong after our fight. We shook hands, hugged as friends, and we both felt good about it. We haven't seen each other all this time. This is an absolutely amazing story. Eleven years have passed. And so we meet in Moscow, and how we meet! It was simply impossible to imagine such a thing. It was one of the best moments of my life.

You are very different from your well-known image. In life you turned out to be a completely different person. Much more modest, even a little shy. Does this mean that there are, as it were, two Zaba Judahs: one - as if for a hostile world, the other - for themselves and friends?

Not really. I never play anything. I am me all the way, wherever I am: in Brooklyn, and in Las Vegas, and in Moscow. But life taught me to behave correctly, not to stick out some things, not to hide behind something. And the main thing is that God gave me another chance in this life and told me: “Do it right this time.”

- Maybe you just changed with age?

A normal person should become better with age, like good wine. When I was very young, I didn’t know where to turn, I had no experience. I guess I often behaved wrongly. And now I am a more stable, reliable person. I know what life is, I know what I want from life, that’s why it has changed for me. I have my children, my God, my understanding of life, now everything is completely different. My family means a lot to me. She gives meaning to everything I do, and everything I do is ultimately for my family.

Your career has, as they say, had many ups and downs. Have you ever had a moment in your life when you lost confidence in yourself?

I have remained the way you see me because I always believed in myself, even when the whole world wrote me off. You may be having a hard day, the kind of day that you think will never end, when you think that all sorts of misfortunes will rain down on you forever. This happened to me many times, but I knew that I could handle it, that I would find the strength to change everything for the better.

Even when the media was burying you alive, saying that your career was over, like it was after the fight with Carlos Baldomir?

It was probably the worst day of my career. In my life. I was the absolute world champion - and suddenly I stopped being one. I still believe that I didn’t lose that fight. There wasn't a scratch on my face, and he looked like he'd been pulled out of the wreckage of a train accident. But even then I believed in myself. Everything can change for the better. I remember the times when Manny Pacquiao was quite an ordinary boxer. Good, but ordinary. And how has he changed?

- I can’t help but interrupt you. If the Mayweather-Pacquiao fight does happen, who will win?(Our conversation took place before the scandalous refereeing decision in the Pacquiao-Bradley fight, where the referees somehow managed to discern the latter’s victory . - Approx. A.B.)

Floyd Mayweather will win.

- Maybe the fact is that Pacquiao is a kind of ideal machine, and Mayweather is an artist?

Absolutely right. The difference between them is the same as between God and a scientist. I'm not calling Floyd a god, I'm just drawing a parallel. A scientist calculates a formula and does something, but God simply does it.

-Are you friends with Mayweather?

Yes. As soon as I get home, I'll call him first. But for all that, I give Pacquiao his due. He is one of the main heroes of boxing today and deserves his fame. His example shows: if you have talent, you can pull it out if you have the desire.

Since we're talking about talent... I remember well that as soon as you started performing in the ring, people immediately noticed you...

Yes, my style suited the court.

Absolutely right, it was impossible not to notice you. However, there are some very good boxers who work in a low-key but effective style, such as Winky Wright, who in his best days could beat anyone and was not particularly liked by the public.

I always loved watching Winky fight because I saw what he did and how he did it and realized how great he was at it. But the general public - yes, they need something different. However, even the most spectacular fighter, and the best one, can have a bad day when he does not satisfy either the audience or himself. True, there was Arturo Gatti. Nobody cared whether he lost or won, everyone just came to look at him.

Let's now move on to the fight you want to watch too. Have you seen Khabib Allahverdiev? After all, there is a chance that he will be your opponent in the fight for the vacant IBF title. You probably already have some opinion about Khabib?

Yes, I saw his fights on YouTube. I watched it with great interest. I really liked it. A young, talented fighter, very motivated or, as we say, “hungry.” Fast, technical. I have no doubt that working with Kostya Tszyu will help him become even better. Khabib has something that many do not have - a great teacher. But ultimately everything will depend on him. In boxing, what goes around comes around. This is what Khabib sows now, what work he puts into himself, he will reap later.

Kostya Tszyu: “OUR RELATIONSHIPS ARE ABOVE SQUARRING”

It was not possible to get Tszyu to sit down for an interview. He has recently acquired many wards, not to mention the fact that he is now preparing Khabib Allahverdiev for the fight with Kaiser Mabuza, and when the opponent changes a week before the fight, this does not add happiness to the coach. In general, I had to be content with talking on the phone. However, we still started not with his current hard work with our famous boxers, but with Kostya’s meeting with Zab Judah.

You met Zab like old friends. They seemed to be sincerely happy with each other. You were just a pleasure to look at.

We really treat each other very warmly now. I would say that our relationship is above all the squabbles and strife that existed before, just like boxing is above all squabbles. I was very pleased to see Zab, and I was not even prepared for the fact that he, in turn, would be so happy about our meeting. This was a pleasant surprise for me.

Kostya, you have recently become a kind of “team coach” of our professionals. You train Denis Lebedev, Alexander Povetkin, and now Khabib Allahverdiev. Are there any peculiarities in working with each of them?

There are features, but the main thing is that, it seems to me, I showed them how a real professional should work. First of all, this concerns physical fitness, to which I have always paid great attention, but they are far from sufficient.

I remember I was completely stunned once when I saw how and how much you worked in the gym. In order to withstand this, you just need broken health.

To do this, you need the appropriate physical form, and they didn’t have it. The same applies to special physical training. Povetkin, in my opinion, now understands all this himself. And it’s the same with Denis. At first he resisted, saying that heavyweights don’t need to work as hard as lightweights, to which I told him that heavyweights need to work twice as hard.

I saw with my own eyes how you work with Allahverdiev. It's not easy for him. What do you think: Is Kaiser Mabuza a serious opponent for Khabib?

A very dangerous opponent, a puncher who loves to go forward. Tall, taller than Khabib. At the same time quite fast.

- Is he a straightforward fighter or is he trying to somehow outwit and outplay?

He is straightforward, but dangerous in his straightforwardness. He strikes a lot and goes forward no matter what, in this he is like all Africans. Strong-willed guy. It's very difficult to stop this one, and if you don't stop it, it will eat you.

- Does Mabuza have any particularly dangerous blow, a crown?

Yes, all his blows are dangerous. He hits well both left and right. Flies forward and hits. True, his blows are sweeping, so we will catch him making mistakes and blunders and punish him for each of them.

- If you compare Mabuza with Kendall Holt, is the African a lighter or heavier opponent?

Well, first of all, he beat Holt, and quite recently, so in theory Mabuza is a more dangerous opponent. Of course, in boxing such correspondence comparisons often mean nothing.

Do you mean that if Boxer A beats Boxer B, and Boxer B beats Boxer C, that doesn't mean that Boxer A beats Boxer C?

Absolutely right. But in any case, it seems to me that Mabuza is an even tougher opponent than Holt, and even he was far from sugar. Overall, we expect a very tough competitive fight.

Kostya Tszyu - Zab Judah. An exclusive article about the details of the famous knockout of the Russian champion.

Judah started playing professionally in 1996. After two and a half years he became " temporary"IBF world champion. And a year later, promoter Gary Shaw organized for his protégé a fight for a full IBF belt, which became vacant. The same title that Kostya once held. Vince Phillips, after an unexpected victory over the Russian , defended the belt several times, but soon faced the talented Terron Millett. Millett knocked out Vince and became the new champion. However, Terron was injured and was deprived of the trophy. He was played by the two first numbers in the rating: Judah and Jan Bergman, with the condition that the winner must meet with Millett.

Zab defeated both Bergman and Millett. The incredible speed and mobility of this left-hander was amazing. But there were some moments left behind the scenes that many experts turned a blind eye to. Judah fell to both Bergman and Millett. He had an incomprehensible fight with Mickey Ward. Ward pressed the whole fight, and who knows how the fight would have turned out if it had been Mickey, say, .

Even worse, Zab opposed " slippery"left-handed - Junior Witter. All this was attributed to the youth and ardor of the American from Brooklyn.

Gary Shaw decided to wait to see how it ends" disassembly"Two other world champions - Kostya Tszyu (WBC) and Sharmba Mitchell (WBA). Kostya defeated the American in February 2001 and became the owner of two belts. It was then that negotiations between Gary Shaw and Vlad Wharton began ( promoter Kostya). The decision was made " to warm"the audience before the megafight and put the fights between Kostya and Zab within the framework of one show. This moment became decisive in choosing the favorite. Until June 2001, the fighters' chances were regarded as approximately equal. However, everything turned upside down on June 21, 2001. Judah, literally, destroyed Allan Wester, while Tszyu with great difficulty defeated the awkward German, silver medalist of the Atlanta Olympics - Oktay Urkal. The fight turned out to be nervous and tense. Kostya won by unanimous decision, but immediately lowered his ratings before the fight with Zab. The chances of his success were: 1 to 2.5.

The promotion of the battle has begun. Judah unleashed a barrage of criticism on his future counterpart.

Kostya limited himself to compliments to the enemy and assured that he was ready for battle. However, many things were not in Kostya’s favor. First: age. Konstantin was 33 years old, while his young opponent was only 24. Second: the boxing world remembered Tszyu’s defeat at the hands of Vince Phillips in May 1997. Third: the incomprehensible fight with Oktay Urkal completely ruined the picture.

For the first time, all three major belts in this division were on the line. For the first time, the American public will see in person the absolute world champion in this category. Everyone understood that the winner would forever go down in boxing history and stand on a par with such names as Antonio Cervantes and.

A funny episode happened at the weigh-in. Judah, with all his appearance, demonstrated disdain for the enemy. Kostya suddenly touched him in a friendly manner and said something to Zab. After these words, Judah looked confused.

Vlad Wharton lost to Gary Shaw in terms of the question: who will enter the ring first. Two champions. As a rule, it is the title holder and favorite who enters the ring second. It was Judah. The referee is Jay Nedy, whose candidacy, oddly enough, was insisted on by Gary Shaw. Jay remembered that evening forever.

The fight started cautiously. Judah, contrary to his usual tactics, did not rush into the attack, understanding the danger posed by the Russian’s right hand. " Crown"Zaba was hit with a left hand from below, between the gloves. The American struck this punch in response, taking the enemy's attack on his right shoulder, twisting his body, and shooting from a comfortable swing position for a left blow. His repeated jab reached the target, and Judah caught Konstantin with his favorite technique. He " thrust"Left fist straight to the chin. Tszyu had great difficulty staying on his feet. Zab was gaining momentum. He began to build on his success at the middle distance. Konstantin lost the threads of the fight and no longer controlled the distance with his front hand. The round came to an end.

During the break, there was no panic in Tszyu’s corner. Johnny Lewis, the Russian’s permanent trainer, calmly spoke about the plan for the fight.

In the second round, Tszyu began to push the American. To hit hard ( what Judah did in the first round) you need to rest your foot on the ring for a moment. Stay. Kostya knocked Zab out of position. Judah wasn't too bothered by this. He believed that he had already done most of the task. Moving around the perimeter of the ring, Zab, without suspecting it, set a trap. Tszyu practically did not throw a right hand. He used only his front hand, but a few seconds before the end of the round he threw a deuce: left - right. She reached her goal, but the final blow was on its way out. Judah shifted, but Kostya already felt the distance with his right. She " found a goal"The next moment, he threw out his right hand again, following his left, and sent his opponent to the floor. Zab got up too quickly and was pulled to the side. Jay Nedy stopped the fight. It was a shock.

Jay didn't break the rules. The fighter was shocked and he only fulfilled his purpose.

Zab was so annoyed that he shoved his left glove in Nedy's face, for which he was fined $75,000 and suspended from fighting for six months. Judah apologized to Jay.

Judah kept his word. He returned and won the WBO super lightweight title. He became the undisputed welterweight world champion by knocking out Corey Spinks in a rematch.

The debate about the stop did not subside for a long time. The fight caused a huge resonance in the press. What I liked most were the words of one American journalist. He called this knockout, literally translated: " natural accident". This can be perceived in different ways, but the winner and the person who went down in boxing history as the first absolute world champion was and remains Kostya Tszyu.