Zabdiel Judah (born October 27, 1977) is an American professional boxer. Being 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, defeating Jan Bergman by knockout in the fourth round. He successfully defended his IBF champion title five times before losing to Kostya Tszyu by TKO on November 3, 2001. The biography of Zab Judah has everything: scandals, fights, arrests. Although he was never addicted to drugs or imprisoned.
Amateur career
Zab Judah came to boxing at the age of six. He was a two-time US champion and a three-time champion of the New York Gold Gloves. He also won the 1996 PAL National Championship.
Judah tried to earn a spot on the US boxing team in 1996. After defeating Ishe Smith and Hector Camacho Jr., he lost to David Diaz in the final, which did not allow Zab Judah to qualify and get into 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 round two. After defeating George Cren and Omar Vazquez in May and June 1997, he defeated Caesar Castro, James Salava and Ricardo Vazquez in the first round by knockouts. At the beginning of next year, he knocked out Steve Valdes 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. Flores received a cut, and the fight was stopped in the third round, because he could not continue it due to an injury. A technical draw was officially awarded.
Series of victories
On April 14, 1998, Zab Judah beat the two-time Dominican Republic champion Angela Beltre, stopping him in the second round. The victory brought Judah the opportunity to fight against 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 welterweight title, winning a fourth round knockout victory in January 1999 over Wilfredo Negron.
On February 12, 2000, in Uncasville, Connecticut, he fought with Ian Pete Bergman for the vacant IBF welterweight title. Despite some difficulties, he still won in the fourth round. On June 20, 2000, he defended his title by defeating Junior Witter in Glasgow, Scotland.
Two months later, on August 5, 2000, in Connecticut, he defeated former IBF welterweight champion Terron Millett. Further on the list of his defeated opponents are Hector Kiroza (October 20, 2000), Reggie Green (January 13, 2001), Allan Wester (June 23, 2001). The latter victory allowed Jude and WBA welterweight champion Kostya Tszyu to meet, who had previously defeated Oktay Urkala.
Judah's fight - Tszyu
On November 3, 2001, a duel between Zab Judah and Kostya Tszyu was scheduled at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada. Judah was initially considered a favorite. The whole first round of the initiative was his. However, Tszyu ultimately won, by decision of the referee, by TKO. This decision provoked 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 coach Yoel Jada tried to restrain the angry boxer, he nevertheless escaped and tried to arrange a brawl. After that, Judah was fined $ 75,000, and his license was suspended for six months.
After defeating Omar Weiss in July 2002, Judah challenged De Marcus Corley for the WBO welterweight title on July 12, 2003 at the Orleans Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. He won in the third round, although he broke his left arm during the battle. Defending the WBO title, he defeated Jaime Rangel in the first round on December 13, 2003.
In 2004, Zab Judah, by a decision of the judges, lost to Corey Spinks, who then bypassed in the second leg. To the list of the defeated in the same year, he added Rafael Pineda and Wayne Martell.
Undisputed Welterweight Champion
In 2005, as a welterweight champion, he had only one fight with Cosme Rivera. His next fight was on January 7, 2006 at Madison Square Garden in New York against Carlos Baldomir. For Judah, a victory in this fight could lead to a fight with WBC welterweight champion Floyd Mayweather Jr., which was tentatively scheduled for April. However, in the seventh round, Judah was injured in his right hand, and ultimately in the tenth, Baldomir won by unanimous decision.
Although the fight with Mayweather should not have taken place due to the loss, the promoters of both boxers were still able to agree. However, the terms of the deal had to be reviewed. If earlier Mayweather had to earn at least $ 6 million, and Judah - $ 3 million plus a percentage of the profit, but due to the loss of Judah, Mayweather would now have to earn at least $ 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 and Mack Center in Las Vegas.
In this battle, by the decision of the judges, Mayweather won. The fight itself ended in a brawl between the boxers' trainers. As a result, both trainers were fined, their licenses were revoked for a while. Zab Judah also received a fine of $ 350,000, and his license was revoked for a year.
Return
The first in 2007 was the battle against Ruben Galvan, but his result was not counted, because due to the dissection, Galvan could not continue the fight, which lasted less than four rounds. On June 9, 2007, Judah lost to Miguel Cotto by technical knockout in the fight for the WBA welterweight title.
In the next fight with Edwin Vazquez, despite the injury, the victory remained with Judah. 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 supposed to fight Shane Mosley, but the fight was postponed after Zabu needed 50 stitches on his right hand after he slipped in the bathroom and broke a glass door shower stall.
On August 2, 2008, Judah lost to Joshua Clottey by a technical decision in the fight for the vacant IBF welterweight title. After losing in a fight with Clottey, the boxer fought Ernest Johnson on November 8, 2008. Despite two cuts, he won the battle by unanimous decision. In November 2009, he won by technical knockout in the second round against Ubaldo Hernandez from Mexico.
On November 6, 2009, Judah hosted a bout at the Palms Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada. The former undisputed welterweight champion won the battle by technical knockout in the second round. In June 2010, Judah decided to revitalize his career. His opponent was Jose Armando Santa Cruz from Mexico (28-4; 17 KOs). Zab won by technical knockout in the third round.
Welterweight again
On November 6, 2010, he won the previously undefeated Lucas Mattiss in the fight for the vacant NABO light welterweight title. The former world welterweight champion fought for the first time in almost seven years.
After the victory over Matthiss, negotiations began on the fight against Kaiser Mabuza. Both sides, in the end, agreed to fight on March 5 with the vacant IBF welterweight title at stake. Former champion Pernell Whitaker has 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 WBA champion Amir Khan took place on July 23, 2011. This was the seventh defeat in his entire career. In March 2012, he defeated Vernon Paris with a technical knockout.
Another defeat in his career, American boxer Zab Judah suffered in April 2013. In this fight, he lost to WBC World Champion and WBA Super Champion Danny Garcia. After a few years, Judah still won two more victories: in January 2017 over Jorge Luis Mungia and a year later over Noel Majia Rincon.
Personal life
Judah has nine brothers and two sisters. Five of his brothers are also boxers. Father and trainer Yoel Judah is a six-time world kickboxing champion and has a seventh-degree black belt. In July 2006, he was arrested after a celebrity basketball game at Madison Square Garden on the basis of a warrant for a family court. In August 2007, Judah became involved in a fight at the Stereo nightclub in New York.
The tattoos of Zab Judah are rather contradictory: on one hand are quotes from the Bible, on the other there is an inscription “Out of law”. The latter, according to him, means that he follows the path that he has chosen for himself.