Judah’s side spews frustration

By Jeff Haney

Monday, Aug. 4, 2008 | 2 a.m.

Sounding like the guy on the old Jerky Boys prank call who wants to “sue everybody,” Yoel Judah couldn’t decide precisely where to direct his frustration after his son Zab’s loss to Joshua Clottey for the IBF welterweight championship.

Yoel Judah, vowing to file an official protest regarding the outcome, first blamed the ringside physician and the referee for halting the scheduled 12-rounder in the ninth round due to a deep cut above Zab’s right eye.

Then he took aim at the judges for awarding Clottey a unanimous technical decision in the title fight at the Pearl at the Palms Saturday night.

Yoel Judah even mentioned the Nevada State Athletic Commission and Clottey’s promotional company, Top Rank, in relation to some vague alleged conspiracy against his fighter before returning to the stoppage.

“We were ready to keep going,” Yoel Judah, who trains his son, said. “Zab’s a warrior. He had a cut? He’s had cuts before. He would have still gone on. This is a championship fight. It shouldn’t have been stopped on a cut. That’s awful.”

The fight was halted at 1 minute, 22 seconds into the ninth round and went to the scorecards because it was ruled that Judah’s cut was caused by an accidental head butt.

Yoel Judah disputed ringside doctor James Game’s ruling that Zab Judah could not see well enough to continue.

“You know the stakes here,” Yoel Judah said. “Clottey’s an up-and-comer, Zab is a four-time champ. For the doctor to stop the fight and then for them to give it to Clottey on the scorecards is not right. If a man wants to continue, you have to let it go on. Zab wanted to continue.”

Judah was the busier fighter for much of the bout and landed 45 jabs to Clottey’s eight, according to CompuBox punch statistics. Clottey inflicted more damage with his punches, however, and held a 114-72 edge in power punches connected.

Clottey, who won his first world title, acknowledged he was stung by some of Judah’s shots but insisted Judah was tiring as the fight progressed.

“He wasn’t getting tired,” Yoel Judah said. “Clottey was doing a lot of things like putting him in headlocks, putting his weight on him. All we wanted was a chance to go into Round 10. Zab would have picked it up in the 10th, 11th and 12th. Zab would have closed the show.

“We wanted to take it to the bitter end. I would rather have had him knock my son out than have it end like this.”

Like his father, Zab Judah called for a rematch with Clottey after a rambling address at the postfight news conference in which he thanked at least 30 people by name, ranging from God to Bob Arum.

Also like his father, Zab Judah was critical of the judges, especially Duane Ford, who “messed up some of the legendary things I’m trying to do,” Judah said.

Ford scored the fight 87-84 for Clottey. Judges George Hill and Glenn Trowbridge had it 86-85 for Clottey.

The Sun’s scorecard also had it 87-84 for Clottey.

“I’ve got no quit in my heart,” Judah (36-6, 25 knockouts) said. “I never ran from any opponent, ever.”

Clottey, who sustained an injury to his left biceps in the fifth round and had trouble hoisting his championship belt afterward, said he would be amenable to a rematch, but the welterweight picture remains out of focus.

Clottey would like a rematch against WBA champ Antonio Margarito, who outpointed Clottey in 2006. Clottey has since won five fights in a row. Margarito, however, told the HBO audience Saturday night that his dream fight would be against Oscar De La Hoya.

“I don’t just want to be a contender,” Clottey (35-2, 21 KOs) said. “I want to be a champion. I want to fight the best. I want to be recognized as the unified champion.”

Ideally, Top Rank President Todd duBoef said, the next big welterweight fight will be decided by popular demand rather by the arcane rules of boxing’s sanctioning bodies, with their “mandatory” yet often questionable opponents.

“It’s not going to be the organizations determining it,” duBoef said. “It should be the people.”