ROUND TWO OF CHOP CHOP CORLEY-ZAB JUDAH WILL BE PART OF "BATTLE OF ORLEANS'' FIGHT CARD JULY 12

In A True Grudge Match, WBO 140-Pound Champion To Defend Against Former IBF Titleholder;
Main Event Features Rematch Between WBC/WBA Welterweight Boss Ricardo Mayorga And Vernon Forrest

27.06 - Press Release - The best punch of the night in Philadelphia on March 29, 2003, did not occur in the ring. The most impressive punch took place following the Bernard Hopkins-Morrade Hakkar post-fight press conference when former International Boxing Federation (IBF) 140-pound champion Zab Judah smacked World Boxing Organization (WBO) Champion DeMarcus "Chop Chop" Corley in the face during a heated exchange of words.

The most impressive punch took place following the Bernard Hopkins-Morrade Hakkar post-fight press conference when former International Boxing Federation (IBF) 140-pound champion Zab Judah smacked World Boxing Organization (WBO) Champion DeMarcus "Chop Chop" Corley in the face during a heated exchange of words.

"It was a sucker punch,'' said Corley (28-1-1, 16 KOs), who will defend his title against Judah (28-1, 1 NC, 21 KOs) on Saturday, July 12, at The Orleans Arena in Las Vegas. "It did not hurt, but it surprised me and drew blood. He (Judah) was just acting like a little gangster. He is going to wish he never put his hands on me when I get through with him on July 12.

"Judah is No. 1. He is the man I want to fight.''

The spontaneous scuffle at Bully's, a restaurant in the arena where the press conference transpired, began when Corley and co-manager Kirk Cashwell approached Judah to apparently discuss a possible fight in the near future. As Corley walked away, Judah then threw a left hand that connected flush on Corley's cheek.

"We were just walking by and somebody in Judah's camp said that we are nothing, and I said, 'our promoter's here. We can do it right now,' " Cashwell said. "They came to me, and that is when he hit Chop. He hit him as hard as he could, but Chop could not feel it. Zab cannot punch at all.''

Despite the fact that the punch was the only clean shot landed between the two, a mini-melee ensued for the next few moments, and the police were called in. Once they arrived in response to a "fracas" that had broken out, the floor cleared quickly after a few chairs were tossed. Someone in Judah's camp struck an unidentified member of Corley's camp in the face.

Once separated, the boxers were told to leave the premises, but Judah challenged Corley to meet him outside. When they got outside, the boxers nearly came to blows again. However, Cashwell and others persuaded his fighter to return inside before matters got even more out of control. Judah, meanwhile, had to be pulled into a car by members of his entourage.

When told of the incident that only ended after the cops intervened, promoter Don King said, "It was Zab and Chop Chop? Fighting for free? What the heck is wrong with them? Fighting for free? They did not even wait for the cameras?

"It looks like I am going to have to put this one together now.''

The bad blood between Corley and Judah dates to when the pair competed together as amateurs in the 1995 National Golden Gloves Tournament in Lowell, Mass.

"Everyone was picking Zab and myself to face each other in the finals," Corley said. "There were two other pretty good boxers getting some attention too - Hector Camacho Jr. and Chantel Stanciel. As it turned out, Stanciel defeated Judah. Stanciel and I fought in the finals, and I won to become the champion. I guess some animosity may have started there, but I am not sure. Judah signed with Shelly Finkel and Lou Duva, and I went with Sugar Ray Leonard."

There were other instances when the pair crossed paths, but the meetings were not confrontational.

"We (Judah and Corley) met up in 1997 in West Palm Beach, Fla., when he was helping his stablemate Pernell Whitaker prepare for a fight," Corley said. "I was brought in to work with Whitaker. We were cordial enough, but did not hang together. I always sensed that there was something that was bothering him (Judah) about me, but could not understand what it was."

Judah won the IBF Junior Welterweight Championship on Feb. 2, 2000, by stopping Jan Bergman in four rounds.

"I was happy for Judah and figured maybe he would give me a shot," Corley said. "I mentioned it whenever I saw him.

"Judah lost that title after a few defenses. When I won my title, whenever we would meet after that, he would try and talk, and ask if I was going to give him a shot. I have got no problem fighting him. This match was inevitable. As a matter of fact, now that he hit me when I was not looking, I want him more than ever."

"What happened that night is over," Judah said. "It was no big deal. All I am thinking about now is July 12 and my fight with Corley. That is a big deal. I am ready to get back in the ring and win myself another world title.''

In the other world title fights on the Don King Productions-promoted July 12 tripleheader, Ricardo Mayorga (24-3-1, 1 NC, 22 KOs) will defend his World Boxing Council/World Boxing Association (WBC/WBA) welterweight titles in a rematch against former WBC 147-pound champion Forrest (35-1, 26 KOs) and WBA Super Welterweight Champion Vivian Harris (22-1-1, 16 KOs) will make his initial defense against unbeaten No. 1 contender and mandatory challenger, Souleymane "The Sensation" M'Baye (27-0, 18 KOs).

Highlighting an outstanding undercard will be two 12-round elimination bouts. In a rematch of a July 27, 2002, contest, IBF No. 3 contender Pete Frissina (26-3-1, 15 KOs), of Tarpon Springs, Fla., will take on No. 5 Jesus Perez (23-2-2, 13 KOs), of Cordoba, Colombia, in an IBF bantamweight eliminator.

Frissina captured the initial encounter with a hard-fought 12-round decision to retain his North American Boxing Organization (NABO) 118-pound title. In addition, former WBA light heavyweight champion and current WBA No. 2 contender, Lou Del Valle (31-3-1, 21 KOs), of Long Island, N.Y., will battle No. 5 contender Manuel Siaca (16-4, 15 KOs) of Toa Baja, Puerto Rico, in a WBA light heavyweight eliminator.

The Mayorga-Forrest and Corley-Judah bouts will be televised by HBO.

Tickets, priced at $350, $250, $150, $50 and $35, are available by calling 866-87-FIGHT or (702) 284-7777 Monday - Saturday from 9 a.m. - 8 p.m., and from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets can also be purchased at The Orleans, via the Internet at www.orleansarena.com and at several other Las Vegas outlets, including the Sun Coast, Gold Coast, Meadows Mall, Boulevard Mall and the Galleria Mall.