Remember when Douglas handed Tyson his ego in a to-go box? Or when Holyfield served Tyson a dish best served… bitten? Those were the days, right? If you were around for the Judah vs. Tszyu fight 22 years ago, you’ll remember it as the night when Judah’s chin checked out early, and Tszyu’s fists wrote a check that Judah’s mouth couldn’t cash. It was the showdown that had boxing fans hyped – Zab “Super” Judah, undefeated and flashy with 21 KOs to his name against Kostya “The Thunder from Down Under” Tszyu, a man with a quiet demeanor and a record almost as shiny.
In the build-up, Zab was too busy peering at his own reflection to notice Tszyu. Speaking of reflections, to see Zab is to understand the man – Brooklyn-bred, with a talk that’s as smooth as his footwork, or so he thinks. In an interview, he was so sure of his victory that he might as well have asked Tszyu to mail in his belts. “Winner takes all,” he said.
Zab was too busy polishing his own legend to notice Tszyu quietly oiling the machinery of his own destruction. The man from Down Under was underrated, sure, but he was about to open up a can of whoop-ass that would send shockwaves through the boxing world.
Asked about a possible rematch with Tszyu if he were to win, Judah’s response dripped with the kind of arrogance that could make a saint snappy: “I said winner take all, ya know what I’m saying.” It’s that attitude, folks, that could turn cheers into jeers in no time.
Tszyu? He played it cool, giving props to Judah and assuring fans he was more than just a warm-up act. He might have been the underdog, but there was something about him that said he wasn’t just there to make up the numbers.
Judah’s entrance was less ‘gangsta’ and more Fourth of July parade, strutting in with the Stars and Stripes like a superhero cape. And who’s in his corner? None other than the notorious Mike Tyson, because of course, who else spells ‘gentlemanly conduct’ like Iron Mike?
Tszyu entered the ring to the vocals of a lady whose fashion choices raised brows higher than her vocal range. The song? A cheeky number about knocking someone out.
Judah came out swinging in the first round, and we all thought, “Here we go!” But if Tszyu was a book, his cover would read “Calm, Collected, and Coming for You.” Unimpressed with the pizzazz, Tszyu was like a silent movie star, his actions speaking louder than Judah’s words.
Over to round two, and boy, did the tables turn! Tszyu, in a display of poetic pugilism, delivered a right hand that had Judah hitting the canvas harder than a sack of potatoes thrown from a Soviet-era tractor. Judah’s recovery was a masterclass, a two-step wobble that would’ve made Charlie Chaplin stand up and applaud. The “Judah chicken dance” was born!
The ref started the count, and by the time he hit four, Judah popped up like a toast from a toaster, only to wobble and fall again. It was like watching Bambi on ice – if Bambi had been wearing boxing gloves and a look of utter disbelief. Judah staggered and stumbled, his legs apparently not on speaking terms with his brain.
The aftermath was pure soap opera. Judah, now the spitting image of a man who’s just been told his lottery win was a prank, threw a tantrum that would’ve made a two-year-old blush. Judah went after ref Jay Nady and it all started kicking off… chairs flying, fists flailing – a real circus act, with Judah as the disgruntled clown.
And Tszyu? He was the serene ringmaster, basking in the glow of victory, undisturbed by the commotion. He was the eye of the storm – the calm, collected force that had turned the boxing ring into a dance floor, and Judah into a reluctant participant in the “Tszyu Tango.”
As Judah was escorted out by the police, still in a daze of confusion and denial, we all knew we’d witnessed something special. It wasn’t just a fight; it was a lesson in humility, a cautionary tale of what happens when you let your mouth write checks your fists can’t cash.
HBO’s Tim Smith conducted the post fight interviews.
Tim Smith: How badly hurt were you?
Zab Judah: (in stumble bumble stuttering English) I mean…I’m in a world title fight; I got hit with a good shot. But I got up with no count, I mean, I went down, but for sure I was up. I just feel I wasn’t even given a chance or a count.
Tim Smith: There is no standing 8 count in Nevada.
Zab Judah: He just stopped it…4 and that’s it?
Tim Smith: So you thought it was an early stoppage?
Zab Judah: It was an early stoppage…I mean… you see how quickly I got my head back together, and um you know, I was ready to go back, you know what I mean?
Tim Smith: Did you get up too quickly?
Zab Judah: Yeah, you know what I mean, yeah, maybe from my lack of experience, I got up quickly, but you see shortly after that I was ready to go again, know what I mean? He just waved it off, that was crazy.
Tim Smith: Ok, we’re going to take a look at the knock down, so tell me what’s going on Zab? (The final scene of the fight was shown)
Zab Judah: Ok, you know what I mean. (Stumbles for words) I was pulling back, I bet you. I got hit by a good shot. I went down…maybe I got up too fast…
Tim Smith: You’re a little wobbly…
Zab Judah: Yeah, I mean, you’re hurt…ok. I mean, ok, you know. I was wobbly, you know what I mean? It’s what type of fight…I got up too fast you know…they got to give you time to get up…this is not like some…you know…this is a world title fight.
Tim Smith: What are you saying to the referee?
Zab Judah: He already stopped it…I said what are you stopping it for? You know what I mean…I’ve seen fighters roll around on the floor…he just never gave me a chance. Big as this fight is. They should never been stopped it like that.
Tim Smith: But you were really wobbly here Zab…
Zab Judah: Ok, I’m on the floor Tim…I can’t be wobbly on the floor, cut it out man, don’t try to be smart. Look, look, he didn’t even start the count on me…look, look…
Tim Smith: Do you think he stopped it because you went down a second time?
Zab Judah: I mean…I gues…I don’t know what was going through the ref’s mind…look, look, I’m back…I’m saying to him what are you doing? Hey, I can’t cry about it…know what I mean…all I can do is come back…I’m a young fighter, Kostya Tszyu is a legend…know what I mean? I’m just happy to be in there…I thank God no one was hurt…and I’ll be looking for a rematch.
Tim Smith: After the fight, your emotions got the best of you and you went over and had a few words with the referee, do you regret doing that?
Zab Judah: Yes, of course, I mean, you know what I’m saying…I don’t mean to harm any body at a championship fight…it’s just that it’s a big fight…and you gotta understand with a big fight like this …with stakes on the line….you got to understand emotions are involved, know what I mean? So…anything I did to the referee…or anybody else…I apologize for…(His trainer can be heard in the background saying the referee owes Zab an apology.)
Tim Smith: This was a highly anticipated match up, a controversial ending, would you like to see it again?
Zab Judah: Of course, I mean, I’m a true champion…I’m pretty sure Kostya Tszyu is a true champion and I’m pretty sure he wouldn’t want to win a fight like this…you know what I mean…this is a mega fight…the best this division has to offer…I mean what are you going to do now…fight other guys? I mean…I feel we should do it again because we are the best out there that happened…it was a controversial fight, you know what I mean? I went down, of course, but I got up like the soldier I am. And maybe I might have over reacted a little bit, I’m sorry for that, but I was still able to keep on continuing. You got to feel me on this… on a big fight like this…emotions are involved…I mean for him to come over and wave it off, I just was like, over, it can’t be over? I mean this is a mega fight, so for him to stop it like that I felt was uncalled for.