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The Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles had that boxing buzz going Monday. Reporters and photographers scurried through the door leading to the lobby, looking to make their way to the Sugar Shane Mosley-Zab Judah news conference.
They will get it on May 31 at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. Whichever former champion wins, he will likely be in line for a shot at a welterweight title.
After the proceedings, and while other reporters were sitting down with the two fighters, I was invited to sit down and do an interview for HBO, which will televise the bout on pay-per-view.
The subjects broached during the interview were thought-provoking. One in particular struck a nerve. The interviewer wondered if Judah would be able to tap his full potential if he has finally grown up, like he claims he has.
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| Judah told Mosley he is 'too small for me.' (Getty Images) |
Judah again was suspended when he instigated a brawl during his 2006 fight against Floyd Mayweather Jr. that saw Judah and members of both camps fighting in the ring during the 10th round; Mayweather did not join the melee.
At a Las Vegas news conference March 15 held the morning of the Manny Pacquiao-Juan Manuel Marquez rematch, Judah said, "There comes a time in your life when you grow up."
On Monday, Mosley said that sometimes Judah does "immature things in the ring," but that "he says he has grown up."
If Judah's maturation process has indeed caught up with his talent, he could be a tough nut to crack. For example, even though Judah was stopped by Miguel Cotto in the 11th round of their fight last June, Judah had Cotto in enough trouble where he could have stopped him. Even Mosley can't say that, even though he went 12 solid rounds in losing a close decision to Cotto in November.
"I'm not looking past Zab Judah because he definitely can crack," Mosley said March 15 in Las Vegas. "He can fight. I think he hurt Miguel Cotto more than I did."
So we know Judah (36-5, 25 KOs) can fight. His temper and his lack of focus, however, have always been a detriment. If he can harness that energy and put it in all the right places, Judah is still young enough to again become welterweight champion. And if he can stay on top of his game mentally as well as physically, he has enough talent to leave an indelible mark on the sport.
He must train his behind off, so much so that when he gets smashed in a fight, he can recover better. He must remember that if he does want to be all that he can be, he must live in the gym and not on the streets. Judah, from Brooklyn, does seem to have some street in him. That's not a knock, rather an observation from somebody who ran the streets hard as a young man.
Boxing must come first, his friends second.
