MightyGloves.com

Mayweather takes IBF welterweight championship

posted by mightygloves.com on April 8, 2006, in News

LAS VEGAS, NV -- A chaotic scene in the tenth round had security trying to break up an altercation between Mayweather and Judah. However the fight was not between Floyd and Zab, but between Roger and Yoel. Floyd Mayweather. Jr. dominated the fight to win a unanimous decision and become the IBF Welterweight Champion before a sold-out crowd of 15,170 at the Thomas & Mack Center.

A low blow followed by an illegal right hand behind the head delivered by Zab Judah had Floyd Mayweather doubling over in pain as he staggered toward the neutral corner with five seconds left in the tenth round. Roger Mayweather, Floyd's Uncle and Trainer, stormed into the ring heading for Judah. Referee Richard Steele, who was officiating the bout, tried to stop the elder Mayweather, but by then Yoel Judah, Zab's Father and Trainer, had entered the ring and threw a punch at Roger Mayweather. The brawl was brought under control and the ring was cleared. Roger Mayweather was ejected and immediately suspended by the Nevada State Athletic Commission and the fight resumed.

Don King, Promoter for Zab Judah, was calling for a Mayweather disqualification because only the fighters and the referee are allowed in the ring during a round. "Once you get on the apron, the fight is a disqualification. It should be a total disqualification, King argued at ringside." There was a third man in the ring chasing the fighter during the round. The fight is over when the man stepped on the apron, and this man came all the way into the ring. We got to do this again.

The purses of both fighters, $5 million for Mayweather and $1 million for Judah, are being held pending a review of the fight according to Skip Avansino, Chairman of the Nevada State Athletic Commission.

Zab Judah, (34-4) dominated three of the first four rounds before Mayweather (36-0) took over. Mayweather�s continual punishment of Judah during the next six rounds led to the low blow by Judah which he said was unintentional. The final two rounds were much less intense with Mayweather biding his time to secure the victory. �I could have gotten him out of there, but the confrontation threw me out of my zone. Once that happened I decided to box the last two rounds and go home with the victory, Mayweather said. He comes on strong in the first six rounds and then he gasses out. We knew he would come out strong. That was our game plan, to relax and take out time. If there wasn�t the controversy, the fight would have ended.

Mayweather, who now claims titles in four different weight classes, won a unanimous decision with scores of 116-112, 117-111 and 119-109.

Judah�s quickness and southpaw style gave Mayweather some problems in the first four rounds but by the fifth round Mayweather did begin to dominate the fight, and by the tenth round one could clearly see the puffiness in Judah�s face from the continual pounding by Mayweather. The two illegal punches by Judah in the tenth round changed the momentum of the fight for Mayweather, who was enough ahead on the score cards to win barring a knock out by Judah.

"I don't know if he did it deliberately," Floyd Mayweather said, "but Roger said during the week that if he (Zab) did do anything, he was going to go in the ring like he did,"

"I was aiming for the body. I didn't mean to hit Floyd low, Judah said. Mayweather is a good fighter. He is very quick. I make no excuses. He was the better man tonight. It was a good fight. I'd like to do it again."

A replay of the fight will be aired on HBO Saturday, April 15, 2006 at 9:30 ET/PT.

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