Judah and Tua back in business
Last weekend two former prospects who lost their way over the years stepped up their returns to the ring and attempted to reinvent themselves as comeback kings.
On Friday night Zab Judah continued his return with an impressive win over Jose Armando Santa Cruz, while David Tua scrapped a draw in a hard-fought and controversial battle with Monte Barrett on Saturday night.
“Super Judah” looked bang in form against Santa Cruz in their match-up. It was a hark back to the Judah who burst on the scene in the late 1990s. He rolled back the years to show good footwork, an excellent jab and fast hands as he destroyed Santa Cruz inside three rounds.
It would seem that Judah is looking to move back down to light-welterweight and he does look a much better fighter around that level. In fact he seemed like a man on mission as he climbed into the ring at the Prudential Centre in New Jersey. From the first bell he was bouncing in off the front foot and throwing out his southpaw jab efficiently. Straight away Santa Cruz looked overwhelmed and well out of his depth as Judah pranced around picking his shots at will and ducking out of any counters.
With the first two rounds in the bag Judah dropped his challenger with a solid left uppercut, Santa Cruz was up quickly, but got trapped on the ropes almost immediately afterwards and the former undisputed champion started laying into him with combinations before the referee halted proceedings.
There was no ring-rust evident and Judah looked in excellent form; he was fast, strong and explosive. Granted Santa Cruz is at best a second-tier fighter, but as far as a tune-up fight goes this was first-rate for Judah and he seems to have a real focus and determination about him now that perhaps he was lacking in the past.
Tune-up fights don’t always go so smoothly, as David Tua will now attest. He stepped up his own comeback which he hopes will lead to another world title shot, by taking on the veteran Monte Barrett and found himself in a thrilling battle.
The big Samoan has been calling out both David Haye and the Klitschkos but on the evidence of this fight his days as an elite fighter may be over. “The Tuamanator” started the stronger, dishing out some big shots in the opening few rounds, including a huge overhand right in the second.
Certainly “2 Gunz” Barrett wasn’t here to make up the numbers on what would be his last-ever bout. He had clearly worked hard in training and out-boxed Tua in a tactical display. As the taller fighter with the longer reach Barrett kept former contender Tua out of reach with a very slick left jab and aimed to frustrate his opponent over the course of 12 rounds.
This caused mass frustration for Tua, who tried to work Barrett’s body but was prevented from doing any serious damage by 2 Gunz’s left jab.
It all came down to the last round which was all action. With the fight heading in either direction Tua went for the KO, but couldn’t find the knockout punch, out of frustration he threw Barrett to the floor and suffered a point’s deduction as a result.
Barrett got up and with seconds remaining and the two went toe-to-toe against the ropes in a brutal and ferocious exchange. Tua came out the worst and unbelievably met the canvas for the first time in his 18-year career off the back of a gritty Barrett combination.
The cards came in as a bit of a farce, a rarely seen majority draw with one judge even giving the fight 115-111 to Tua despite of the last round.
This is the last we will see of Barrett, one of those fighters who always looked good, until you put him in with someone top-level. He said after the fight: “Everybody knows I was the winner. I fought with heart," he said.
"This is my last fight and I was retiring anyway but this is the sort of thing that makes a man retire, because the sport of boxing is not pure like the fighters."
Unfortunately for Barrett, a lot of people will probably always remember him as the guy who sprinted into the ring against David Haye, tried to jump the ropes and landed on his face.
So mixed fortunes for Judah and Tua. Judah looks really good and it will be great to see him back at light-welterweight fighting some of the highly talented opposition knocking about there.
As for Tua he looked unconditioned, old and slow. Haye and the Klitschkos can rest easy once again and the heavyweight division can mercifully remain as boring as ever.
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