25.03.08 – by James Slater: Former light-welterweight and welterweight king Zab “Super” Judah has began running his mouth off ahead of his May 31st fight with fellow former world champ, “Sugar” Shane Mosley. So sure is Judah that he will win in May, he has offered Mosley a $100,000 bet that he will knock Sugar out when they clash at The Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.
“The last time I offered a fighter a $100,000 bet, was against Cory Spinks. What did I do? I knocked him out! Shane Mosley is getting knocked out on May 31st. I’m one hundred percent a better fighter,” the fast talking Judah declared at the Los Angeles press conference to hype the fight. This is certainly big talk from Judah, especially when one considers the fact that Mosley has never been stopped in his whole career. Indeed, of the two men, Judah is probably the more vulnerable in the chin department..
For his part, Mosley, 44-5(37) appears completely unaffected by Judah’s boasting. “It doesn’t matter what he says,” the softly spoken Mosley said. “I have a mission. I have a goal and my goal is to destroy everything in front of me.”
Both men have a lot at stake in the upcoming bout. Whoever loses may well have no place left to go at the top level. So who will win?
Judah, 36-5(25) is the younger man at age 30 compared to Mosley’s 36 years, and is a fast southpaw. Mosley, despite his years, is also a fast fighter. Yet Judah believes Mosley has lost a step or two in the speed department as of late. Both guys fought and lost to Miguel Cotto recently, and both men shipped heavy punishment. The winner on May 31st, then, will likely come down to who has more left.
Both Zab and Shane have achieved plenty in fine boxing careers. Judah is a former two-weight king, and Mosley is a former world champion at lightweight, welterweight and light-middleweight. Both fighters have met some great fighters in their careers also. Mosley has beaten the likes of Oscar De La Hoya and Fernando Vargas (twice) while Judah has bested the aforementioned Spinks and Junior Witter. Now, at the tail end of their careers they meet head-to-head.
For this writer’s money the fight WILL go the distance. I don’t see a KO either way. I do, however, see Shane Mosley proving he still has some sugar left, as he widely outpoints Zab over the bout’s 12 rounds.