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CHANCES ARE I WOULD HAVE DONE THE SAME By Jeff Mayweather |
Saturday night in Las Vegas at the Thomas and Mack
Center a fight for the IBF World Title took
place between
former undisputed welterweight Champion Zab "Super"
Judah and current Pound for Pound King "Pretty Boy"
Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Two
young fighters still in the prime of their careers
put on a great display of talent. Two-time World
Champion Zab Judah, got an early start out of the
blocks against Mayweather, wining at least two of
the three first rounds. Soon there would be no doubt
why Mayweather is considered the best pound for
pound fighter in the world today as he made
adjustments and systematically broke Judah down
round by round. A prime and ready Judah, the one
that brought his A-game, not the one who found a
hundred and one excuses as to why he lost to Carlos
Baldomir.
From the fourth
round on Mayweather imposed his will on Judah and
started to land punishing blows. Judah had no answer
whatsoever; as he went back to his corner his
trainer who also is his dad pleaded with Zab as to
what he needed to do to emerge victorious. He gave
him some great advice but, unlike his son, he wasn't
on the end of the punches that made Judah go into
survival mode and even got to the point of sheer
desperation. As each round passed, it became more
and more evident that he had zero chance of winning.
Round after round it got worse; swollen eye, busted
nose, and busted lip. Judah couldn't take the
beating like a man or a true warrior and this is
where the real problem arises.
Zab Judah who
claims he isn't a dirty fighter did the same exact
thing against his last opponent when he found
himself hurt and about to lose his belt. This has
become Judah's way of dealing with defeat. Judah
deliberately threw a low blow to Mayweather's groin,
crippling him in devastating pain; Judah even took
it a step further as he intentionally again hit
Mayweather in the back of his head with his best
punch of the night and followed that one by a hook
that just missed.
Roger Mayweather,
Floyd’s trainer and uncle, did what anyone else
would have done if what was taking place in the ring
happened to someone they loved and cared about. What
Judah did would have brought me out of my seat as
well. That blatant rabbit punch could have very well
caused Floyd his career; you can paralyze someone
throwing a punch like that while they are unable to
protect themselves.
I was once asked by
a casual fan why do these guys make so much money
when they fight. I said to him because every time a
fighter steps in that ring he is risking his life;
not to mention that only 1% of all boxers ever see
anything close to a million dollar payday.
The only time a
casual fan understands what I just said is when a
tragedy happens in the ring; when the fighter is
carried off on a stretcher and his family and loved
ones are left to deal with happened on that night.
With some luck he comes back, half the person he
was, but so many times when they leave on a
stretcher there isn't any coming back. Their life is
lost, and what Zab Judah did very well could have
killed Floyd Mayweather in the ring that night.
Would Roger have looked like the bad guy for his
actions then? No he would have been looked at in a
very different light. What he did was react to
someone doing something wrong and dirty to someone
he loves. It's that simple and should he be fined
for his actions? Yes, but if Roger is fined, Zab
Judah should be fined three times as much, since he
caused the melee because he wasn't man enough to
take the beating he was getting.
The fine handed out
to Roger is ridiculous. How can you fine someone
almost 50% of their earnings even before they have
paid taxes on their money? It's an injustice in my
eyes and I'm sure many more people as well. With
that being said there are very few people that would
not have done the same exact thing if it was their
loved one in that situation. To me that is what you
are supposed to do when there is foul play
involved.
I know there are
rules and regulations, but if that punch would have
ended Floyd Mayweather’s career, what would have been his
compensation, other than his life as a fighter is
over and Judah continues on with his life. To me
that would be a bigger injustice.
Chances are had I
been in the corner that night I would have done the
same thing.
4-16-2006
Brought to you by Saratogamist
copyright 2001-2006

-Photo Credit: Jose
Hernandez/BRC--
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Comments can be emailed to Jeff Mayweather