By James Slater: As fans have no doubt read by now, recent IBF 140-pound champ Zab Judah has appealed against his July 23rd loss to World Boxing Association (WBA) light-welterweight ruler Amir Khan (who won the IBF strap that belonged briefly to the New Yorker, with a 5th-round KO win).
Zab has issued complaints on two counts: for the “low blow” Khan knocked him out with in the 5th-round, and for the referee not penalising Khan for hitting him behind the head. Judah has sent his appeal off to The Nevada State Athletic Commission and to both the WBA and the IBF. His long-term goal? To get a rematch with the fighter who so thoroughly dominated him in Las Vegas.
Of course, there is almost zero chance Judah will get what he claims he wants (does he really want any more of what the too-fast, too-sharp and too-powerful Khan was giving him last month?), and would any fight fan in his right mind want to see a part-two of what took place on July 23rd anyway? Talk about an utterly pointless, impossible sell of a rematch? Zab and his team should know better.
But just suppose for a minute the 33-year-old somehow wins his appeal (even though any sensible person could see he was hit with a punch that landed right on the belt line and knocked him down, with Zab then making very little effort to beat the count), and one of the organisations orders a second fight between he and Khan! Sure, Khan would likely just give up the IBF or WBA belt if this happened, but the fact remains; Judah is trying to make a return no fight fan wants. What did we ever do to Zab?!
Another rematch that could be on the cards, also pretty pointless, is an Antonio Tarver-Danny Green return up at cruiserweight. Earlier today in Australia, Green held a press conference – not to announce his retirement as some suspected – but to formally ask Tarver for a return fight in the States. The 38-year-old was stopped via a 9th-round retirement in his IBO title defence back on July 20th, being outclassed in the process. However, Green is now hoping Tarver, who travelled to his homeland for fight-one, will now grant him the opportunity of winning back his belt with a fight in America.
Again, as one-sided as the first fight was, why would anyone want to see a return? Not as pointless as Khan-Judah II maybe, and also perhaps not as tough a sell, Tarver-Green II would nonetheless be no fight that would bring the fans running for a ticket.
All in all, both (slightly) possible rematches can go away and desist from annoying the fans. Both Khan (especially) and Tarver have bigger, better and more appropriate fights to fight.