By Vivek Wallace: The loaded jr. welterweight division boast some of the best talent in the sport today from all around the world. Normally, when the topic hits headlines, the likes of Brit Amir Khan, American’s Timothy Bradley, Devon Alexander, and Victor Ortiz, as well as Argentinean Marcos Maidana, remain squarely at the forefront. With all of these young newcomers viewed as the ‘new-gifts-under-the-tree’, there’s one old box sitting in the corner that suddenly deserves a second look. According to many critics, this ‘old box’ was placed to the side as a result of a defected checklist, containing all parts necessary for success, yet inconspicuously missing heart, determination, and dedication. Trouble is, a closer examination of the newer ‘gifts’ recently revealed that many of them may in fact also lack this vital trio necessary for complete assembly, shifting the focus back to corner with the old and previously opened box.
Quite an interesting way to theorize this new found sub-plot, eh? In one corner, we have a group of rising stars, just exposed to the world.. And in the other corner, we have a Brooklyn-born bad-boy who operates better when he feels it’s him against the world! Quite a backdrop to ponder as we prepare for what could be the official second-coming of Zab ‘no-longer-known-as-but-still-potentially-super’ Judah!
In little more than 30 days, Zab will continue his run at greatness by taking on what could be one of his stiffest test in recent years, certainly his stiffest since returning to the place it all started for him……the 140lb jr. welterweight division.
The man standing across from him, Argentinean Lucas Matthysse, has yet to reach the plateau of those rising stars previously mentioned, but his power poses great danger, and his undefeated record provides much reason to deliver, as Judah will have to do something no man has done to get one step closer to his final destination in the sport. Without question, Matthysse will enter the ring as an intriguing roadblock, but if he has one detriment that could prove too strong, it’s his level of experience. With 6 years and only 70 pro rounds under his belt, there’s little doubt he will have to accomplish more than some view him able to by the end of the night.
For Judah, the road back to the top remains a lonely one, as his evolution has taken him from headline evenings against the likes of Mayweather, Cotto, and Clottey, back to Friday Night Fights, and again closer to the limelight. Much wiser in his older age, like many others have learned, Judah realizes his true battle lies within. In an era filled with high-definition enhancements, in apt fashion, I recently stated to a casual fight fan that “the only thing to ever separate Judah and Mayweather was 3-D vision”. Sight typically fades with age, but if the aging Judah has finally ‘seen’ the big picture, realizing that DISCIPLINE, DETERMINATION, AND DEDICATION can take him further than a quick lip, I think we may all wanna revisit that open box in the corner again. Those missing elements may have been there all the time. Perhaps we, like Judah, wasn’t initially patient enough to look hard enough (within) to find them! Stay tuned.
(Vivek Wallace can be reached at vivexemail@yahoo.com, 954-292-7346, Youtube (VIVEK1251), Twitter (VIVEK747), Myspace, and Facebook)