Mayweather captures title
LAS VEGAS -- Floyd Mayweather knocked the hip out of Zab Judah's hop last night at the soldout Thomas and Mack Center.
Mayweather dominated most of the final eight rounds of their International Boxing Federation welterweight title fight, pounding Judah's face into a crimson mess on his way to a one-sided decision over a game but clearly outclassed Judah. Judge Dave Moretti had the fight, 116-112, for Mayweather, Jerry Roth saw it 117-111, and somehow Glen Hamada scored it a ridiculous 119-109 for the now four-time world champion. The Globe card had Mayweather winning, 116-113, by taking seven of the final 10 rounds with one even.
''We know he's a front-runner," Mayweather said. ''He does everything early in the fight. Then we came on."
Both fighters started cautiously until Judah appeared to drop Mayweather with a short right hook in Round 2 as Mayweather tried to land a body shot. Referee Richard Steele never saw the right hand, however, and mistakenly ruled it a slip. Still, Judah was doing the majority of what little landing was going on, until Mayweather began scoring to the body in Round 3 in a way that would take a toll as the rounds wore on.
''I like to go to the body," Mayweather (36-0, 24 KOs) said. ''I think it paid off."
Judah caught Mayweather with a stinging straight left hand early in the next round, however, snapping his head back and propelling him into the ropes. For the rest of the round, Mayweather kept his hands high to protect his face, while Judah pumped his right jab and continued to move effectively as the challenger struggled to find some way to penetrate Judah's defenses.
He found it the very next round when he slammed a straight right hand into the middle of Judah's face and a left behind it that had Judah blinking and his face turning red. Judah tried to bluff his way around a further attack by moving his hands back and forth in front of his face but Mayweather landed another stinging right late in the round as the crowd roared for both men.
Round 6 was a tactical one, each fighter trying to move the other into a dangerous position without much luck, until Mayweather landed a solid right with a left behind it just before the bell. Mayweather was beginning to come on at that point and Judah (34-4) appeared to be fading, a trend that worsened in Round 7 when Mayweather repeatedly landed, wobbling Judah with a left hook early and cracking him with a string of jabs and right hands that left the champion's nose and mouth bloody and his head down.
Judah's punches came less frequently over the next two rounds, the blood still running from his nose and mouth as Mayweather kept closing the distance and blasting him in the rib cage. Occasionally, he would also shoot out right leads, the most effective punch against a southpaw, and they were breaking up Judah's face, which continued to bleed so much Mayweather's right arm was often as red as the cornerpads.
Judah was gamely trying to find openings but now was more concerned with keeping his face from being ripped apart as Mayweather's white gloves were tattooing an angry red color onto Judah's face.
By the 10th round, Mayweather was landing at will with Judah seldom punching back. Occasionally, he would flip out his right jab, but mostly Judah was now in retreat and his once vocal supporters sat silently, watching their man's face unravel in front of them.
There was no hip to his hop anymore until late in Round 10 when Judah, losing badly, fired what appeared to be a deliberate and lethal low blow, and as Mayweather bent over, Judah nailed him with a rabbit punch as Steele jumped between them. As he did, both Mayweather's uncle, Roger, and Judah's father, Yoel, who train the two, leaped into the ring. Police, fans, cornermen, and athletic commission inspectors all massed on the ring apron and inside the ring but cooler heads prevailed and after several minutes the ring was cleared and the fighters exchanged a sportsmanlike tap of gloves.
''Roger was choking me," Judah said. ''I was aiming for the body. I didn't plan to hit Floyd low."
Both fighters seemed affected by what had gone with each looking sloppy and doing little in Round 11. After the two exchanged a hug prior to the final round, nothing eventually happened except that the right side of Judah's eye and forehead continued to swell.
''I had his number early on," Judah said. ''But he's highly defensive. I'd like to do it again. Mayweather is very quick. I make no excuses. He was the better man tonight."
