Remember that thread?



http://www.hboppv.com/events/mayweather_judah/

I hear the purse is 40 Million!!









Sworn Enemies, Mayweather vs. Judah
"Pretty Boy" Floyd Mayeather and Zab "Super" Judah to rumble in championship fight. Saturday, April 8, Live on Pay-Per-View.

LAS VEGAS, NV (February 7, 2006) - Can anyone stop 'Pretty Boy' Floyd Mayweather? Long considered boxing's pound-for-pound champion, the undefeated Mayweather faces his greatest challenge when he attempts to capture his fourth world title in as many weight divisions when he takes on three-time world champion Zab 'Super' Judah in a blockbuster showdown for Judah's IBF welterweight title, Saturday, April 8, at the Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas, NV. Promoted by Top Rank and Don King Productions, in association with Caesars Palace and Wynn Las Vegas, Mayweather vs. Judah will be televised live on HBO Pay-Per-View.

Mayweather vs. Judah will also mark the first time Hall of Fame promoters Bob Arum and Don King have jointly promoted a pay-per-view event since 1999. "Fight of the Millennium," which featured Oscar de la Hoya vs. Felix 'Tito' Trinidad, was the highest grossing non-heavyweight fight in pay-per-view history.






















I may be going in as the challenger but I will be fighting like a champion. You will never see me in the ring unprepared. He is the best in the east and I am the best in the west. Now we are going to see who the best of the best really is. Zab is fast and strong but he has no chin. No way he will be able to take my punch.
- Floyd Mayweather



Mayweather vs. Judah is a huge showdown, matching speed, power and strategies. Once best friends years ago, the two are now "Sworn Enemies!" Mayweather, (35-0, 24 KOs), from Grand Rapids, Michigan, is a three-time world champion at 130, 135 and 140 pounds. Judah, a three-time world champion, (34-3, 25 KOs), lives and trains in Brooklyn, New York. Finally the scale has balanced out, and after years of anticipation, these two gladiators will finally settle the question of who really is the best of the best.

"Fight fans know that what happened to Judah in January was an aberration," Arum declared. "Mayweather versus Judah is a fight that fans have been clamoring to see for years. It's going to be exciting, riveting and I am certain fans will get their money's worth."

"Zab Judah has performed at his best after coming off a loss, like he did against Cory Spinks," King said. "In the rematch with Spinks, Zab was very focused and scored a knockout to win the undisputed welterweight championship. I have every reason to believe he will do the exact same thing to Floyd Mayweather--knock him out--on April 8. Zab is at his best when his back is against the wall."

"Floyd Mayweather has a terrific opportunity to solidify his claim to be the world's top pound-for-pound fighter, while Zab Judah has the ultimate opportunity for redemption", said HBO Pay-Per-View's Mark Taffet. "April 8th could be a night of fireworks between two long-time archrivals."

At the age of 28, Floyd is a nine-year pro. Boxing's biggest superstar, he is considered to be the best active fighter at any weight, "pound for pound."

In his last fight on November 19, Floyd fought as a welterweight for the first time and knocked out former WBA super lightweight world champion Sharmba Mitchell in the sixth round.






















I have waited my whole life for a fight like this. This will be an extravaganza. This is so people will know who the best is pound for pound.
- Zab Judah



Floyd won the WBC super lightweight world title fight on June 25 with a dominant sixth-round TKO against defending champion Arturo Gatti. After the fight, HBO boxing analyst Larry Merchant said on the telecast, "We don't see many fighters with his kind of skills. He fights as naturally as a fish swims, and sometimes the fish is a shark."

In his last appearance, Judah faced No. 1-rated World Boxing Council mandatory challenger Carlos "Tata" Baldomir in the Theater at Madison Square Garden on Jan. 7. Judah built a comfortable scorecard lead halfway through the match of 59-55, 59-56 and 58-56 that evaporated after Baldomir wobbled him with a right hand in round seven. After that, Judah struggled to regain his previous rhythm, and ended up on the losing end of a very close decision.

Zab, the IBF world welterweight champion, is also a former two-time jr. welterweight world champion. He won the IBF jr. welterweight world title at the age of 22 in February, 2000, and made five successful defenses over the next 21 months. He won the WBO jr. welterweight world title at 26, in July, 2003, and made one successful defense before he moved up to the 147-pound division in April, 2004.

Zab is experienced against top opposition, and has fought current world champion Carlos Baldomir, and former world champions Cory Spinks twice (TKO9, L12), Rafael Pineda (W12), DeMarcus Corley (W12), Kostya Tszyu (TKOby2), and Terronn Millett (TKO4). He also has impressive wins against contenders Omar Weis (W10), Reggie Green (TKO10), Junior Witter (W12), Jan Bergman (KO4), and Micky Ward (W12).

The Mayweather vs. Judah pay-per-view telecast, beginning at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT on April 8, has a suggested retail price of $44.95, will be distributed by HBO Pay-Per-View and will be available to more than 56 million pay-per-view homes. The telecast will be available in HD-TV for those viewers who can receive HD.

Mayweather vs. Judah Pre-Fight Analysis
By Bert Randolph Sugar with Steve Small







"Pretty Boy" Floyd Mayweather

Zab "Super" Judah

Strengths:

Strengths:

The fastest hands in boxing today. He throws every punch in the book--and then some. And has good power in either. Very underrated body puncher.

A smart tactical fighter with an unusual defensive style--he leans straight back and to his right, away from opponent's punches, making them reach and enabling him to counter with his right.

Stepped up to test the welterweight waters in his last fight against the speedy lefty Shamba Mitchell and had no problems with the added weight.

Almost as fast of hand as Mayweather and faster of foot, Judah has the style to frustrate Mayweather.

With more KO's (25 to 24) against heavier opponents, Judah has the power to match Mayweather's--and then some.

An effective fighter when he is aggressive, Judah can bring the fight to Mayweather, causing him problems.

Embarrassed by his loss to Carlos Baldomir in his last fight, Judah is focused for this showdown with Mayweather feeling as he did in his rematch with Cory Spinks, that he can once again "bounce back" from a loss.





Weaknesses:

Weaknesses:

Mayweather's style works better against right-handed fighters than against lefties because he leans towards a southpaw's power hand as opposed to away from an orthodox fighter's power hand, something Judah will look to exploit.

Mayweather leaves his chin up when he leans back, leaving him vulnerable to Judah's power left.

Mayweather has fragile hands, something that has deviled him in previous fights--as they did in the fight against Carlos Hernandez in 2001.

In the past Mayweather has had trouble with fighters who crowd him, leaving him little room to do that voodoo he does so well from longer range.

Judah tends to lose his concentration during lulls in the action and forgets what he should be doing. And, as he did in fight against Baldomir, sometimes lets the fans fight his fight for him.

Judah's chin had been called "questionable"--for references, please see his two-round knockout by Kostya Tszyu.

With a tendency to back straight up with his chin up in the air, Judah leaves himself vulnerable to straight right hands down the pipe.








Must Do To Win:

Must Do To Win:

Floyd must capitalize on Judah's mistakes. This is what Kostya Tszyu did when Judah backed straight up with his chin in the air, dropping him with a straight right.

Mayweather should test Judah's chin early in the fight to see if it's wanting, as advertised.

Mayweather should look to beat Judah at his own game, outspeeding him and showing Zab that he's better at the best part of his game.

Zab must be aggressive, moving in behind the jab and trying to catch Mayweather with left crosses as Floyd leans back.

Continue to move in and out, not stand in front of Mayweather after punching, as he did against Tszyu.

Judah must stay focused, keep moving and don't move back straight up, but move back to the right or the left.

And, above all, Zab must stay focused and not let up.