By Taj Eubanks, June 13, 2007 – Hot on the heels of the most exciting match of the summer comes a truckload of controversy. Message boards across the internet are filled with feuding fans that are divided into two factions regarding the outcome of Cotto-Judah. While no one disputes that the explosive contest was a cause celebre, there is a 1000 lb. elephant in the room that the Justice for Judah faction state that they can no longer ignore. This group of fans feels that the low blows that Zab suffered at the hands of Miguel Cotto irrevocably altered the course of the match, sapping Judah of much-needed energy and leaving him vulnerable to Cotto’s onslaught..
What’s worse, they postulate, is that the champion fouled Judah intentionally. They feel that the moment Cotto found himself hurt he resorted to survival tactics, stating that the champion was clearly on queer street after eating a thunderous Judah uppercut.
Adding insult to injury, they say, is that the referee gave unfair advantage to Cotto, reprimanding Judah during clinches and ignoring Cotto’s roughhouse tactics. They feel that if Cotto had fought a clean fight then he would’ve been on the road to his first loss. Of course, there is a rabid set of fans that vehemently dispute these allegations.
The Cotto Contingent makes several arguments against Justice for Judah’s conspiracy theories. First, the Contingent points to the fact that Cotto has no history of unsportsmanlike conduct. Second, they state that the 2 low blows, while definitely painful, couldn’t have had a huge effect on the outcome as Zab was simply overwhelmed by a superior fighter. Third, they postulate that if Zab was indeed that de-energized then he could have taken five minute rests after each blow and that since he chose not to, c’est la vie. Fourth, they feel that the referee argument is hogwash, as the referee warned Cotto after the first low blow and then deducted a point after the second. Finally, and most importantly, they feel that this is yet another lame ruse by Zab and his fans to explain away another poor performance in a major fight and that making excuses robs Cotto of his right to savor his first major victory.
The battle of the boards rages as we speak, tempers flaring and blood pressures rising. The Justice for Judah faction feel that the only way to clear up the controversy is for there to be an immediate rematch, in which Judah will most certainly whip Cotto like a thief being flogged at high noon in the Old West. Cotto’s Contingent maintain that Judah was fortunate to leave with his faculties intact the first go-round and that a rematch will prove to be nothing more than masochism on Judah’s part, as Zab will most certainly receive a worse beating next time.
Is there unfinished business to be settled between these two proud warriors? Must there be a controversy-free rematch to determine the true victor and rid the pro-Judah cognoscenti of their doubts? Only you, the diehard fans, can decide.