By Chip Mitchell and Robert Uzzell:
Robert Uzzell:
Danny “Swift” Garcia
Danny Garcia is a hot ticket fighter right now. Fresh off of an upset victory over Amir “King” Khan, Danny’s last outing saw him ice Erik Morales in a rematch last October. His confidence is at an all-time high. He has wins over Khan, Morales (twice), Kendall Holt, Nate Campbell, and Mike Arnaoutis.
Danny has fought guys who were considered a little past it (Kendall Holt) and far past it (Morales twice). No matter how you see it, the WBA/WBC light welterweight champion is 25-0 heading into the showdown with Judah.
Zab “Super” Judah
Zab Judah has seen it all. He began boxing at the age of six and had 115 amateur fights. He is a five-time world champion in multiple divisions. I don’t need to go over who Zab has fought, because it reads as a Who’s Who in Boxing. He is 8-2 in his last ten fights, with the only losses coming to Amir Khan and Josh (Have You Seen Me?) Clottey.
Most fans will look at Amir Khan as the common opponent between Judah and Garcia and talk about the end result. Garcia stopped Khan, while Khan stopped Judah. What they forget, however, is that prior to the knockout, Khan was having his way with Garcia- just as he was with Judah. As I said earlier, Danny Garcia’s confidence is at an all-time high. Just like Zab’s last opponent, Vernon Paris. We see how well that turned out for Vernon, right?
Robert Uzzell Prediction: Zab Judah will return to New York and give a spectacular performance in Brooklyn, just as he did against Vernon Paris. Will it be enough? I say yes! I think Zab is going to use his speed and overwhelm Danny Garcia by stoppage between the sixth and eighth round.
Chip Mitchell
Zabdiel (Zab)“Super” Judah
This is an intriguing matchup based on the fact that it’s in Brooklyn and Zab’s only other fight there was against Vernon “Ice Man” Paris. Zab, who I picked against in that fight, turned the heat up on the talented young fighter from Detroit and stopped him in the ninth round.
There’s been a running joke for many years about Zab’s nine (or more) lives when it comes to title opportunities. Every time you think this cat is done, he does something to let you know that Brooklyn is still in da house!
Zab is going to have to come out aggressive in this fight. I think he’s going to have to bring it early for a variety of reasons. First of all, he has to send a message early to let Garcia know whose house it really is. Secondly, Zab has a tendency to fade in fights and a 35 year old fighting a 24 year old doesn’t play into his favor. He must use advantages in speed and experience to try to control the fight from the onset. He must not give away early rounds as he did against Khan.
Danny “Swift” Garcia
Danny Garcia has become the toast of boxing… or at least one of the toasts. The kid has got some serious guts (I guess dad gets partial credit here). Garcia doesn’t do one thing spectacularly. He simply does a few things well.
A few things about Danny that may come into play in this fight. Defensively, he just can’t seem to avoid the straight right hand. Zab is a lefty, but he throws a straight shot and does it with speed and power. I also notice that you can lure Danny into a brawl at times, which can be dangerous for either guy in this one. I have a feeling that Zab is going to gamble and be aggressive in this fight. In other words, I believe he’s going to try to turn it into a street fight. I also think Danny is going to accept his invitation to the party and try to mix it up with Zab.
Garcia would be wise to take his time and not fall into any traps. I would recommend an effectively aggressive approach, without getting wild and leaving himself open as he did against Khan. He needs to adapt to Zab’s speed, begin to pressure Zab by backing him up, and consistently throw combinations. No wide shots or he may get timed just as does to his opponents. What Garcia doesn’t need to do is look for the one big shot. If it is there, the pressure and combinations will open it up for him. I don’t mind mixing it up in spots, but don’t get carried away with it.
Chip Mitchell Prediction: There is plenty of TKO potential here and I wouldn’t be surprised if the fight gets stopped. My gut tells me Danny Garcia will weather a few storms and win a decision over Zab Judah.