Zabdiel "Super" Judah

It has, if you can believe it, been eighteen months since Judah graced a prize ring.

Actually, that is untrue. He was last seen in a ring exactly a week ago, but in street clothes rather than boots & trunks. He was supporting & heading up the entourage of (and playing hype-man to) Jesus "Chuy" Gutierrez, a boxer he manages, who fought on a CBS Sports Net televised undercard.

The loss to Paulie Malignaggi, however, came in December 2013. It was only four months later that Malignaggi was bushwhacked at the hands of very limited paper titlist Shawn Porter. Calls for Judah to retire had already been joining into a chorus, and that sequence of events brought it to a fever pitch, yet no announcement was ever made. For all intents & purposes, despite having vanished from all rankings before the first page was torn off any 2015 calendars, Judah is still a presumptively "active" fighter.

He was even rumored to be in talks with the ominous singularity that is Roc Nation Sports, who stand poised with deep pockets and clear intentions to court world class talent, yet have still not made any impact moves that have really stuck firm...including their dalliance with Judah, since, again, no announcement was ever made about them officially reaching a deal. As of just a few months ago, however, the mere fact that he entered talks served to indicate he does plan to lace up again.

He seems to be focusing most of his energies on building his brand, Super Management Group, perhaps looking to carve himself a slice of the pie before Al Haymon gobbles it all up. Thus far his roster is decent enough but not terribly deep and with no marquee names. It features Chuy Gutierrez, now 13-0-1 (4), and Filipino lightweight prospect Harmonito Dela Torre, 15-0 (10).

If he does come back in a non-managerial capacity, I actually wouldn't mind seeing a rematch with Amir Khan at welterweight, in all honesty. :think The version of Judah that lost to Malignaggi, if he can muster up that same form now pushing 40, could very well give the Khan that struggled with Algieri more hassle than he did @ 140lbs four years ago. (that was a better weight for Khan, sturdier, more powerful, and he was better under Roach than w/ Hunter. If he is getting hurt by every punch Algieri throws you have to fancy Judah's chances if he can plant just one signature uppercut...)

 

Legitimate question, I don't remember (and can't be arsed to go YouTube it right now) - was it a legit body shot or a low blow as Judah claimed? Or borderline?

 

You don't think he showed a little fire versus Paulie?

I could be remembering that wrong, but my vague recollection is that it was competitive and entertaining. Of course Malignaggi soon thereafter getting mugged by Porter made Judah's stock vicariously dip, but Judah did show intermittent flashes of his old speed that night...and if he can sneak in just one uppercut on Khan's chin... :think

Of course, even presuming Judah can replicate his form against Malignaggi is a BIG "if" at this point. We're talking about eighteen months of rust and he's pushing forty.

 

Fair enough.

Yeah, actually I not only saw him losing to Matthysse, but, people forget, he was getting BEATEN UP by Mabuza before he bailed himself out w/ a luckily timed uppercut. :yep

I just had a fuzzy memory of him dredging up some vintage moments versus Paulie. Maybe not. :conf

Or maybe it was just that Paulie himself was on the decline, given what happened next..

 

Yeesh.

It's funny, I actually just saw a tweet from Joan Guzmán begging Stephen Espinoza for a fight. :yep

It has actually been even LONGER since Guzmán saw meaningful action than Judah.

I always kind of wanted to see them get it on - why not do it now, with both at the crossroads where a loss pretty much spells retirement? :conf

 

:yep

It really is weird - he was a pretty major star in the sport for some years, and has just sort of quietly disappeared.

I don't remember seeing any threads asking what ever happened to him, or speculating on his retirement, or anything. Like, since the Malignaggi vs. Judah RBR thread it was as if he just went poof from everybody's consciousness.

 

Throw in Guzmán and make it a "shot old speedster" round-robin tourney. :deal