[The Ollie Reed F...]

Ummm second (or is it third?) that.

[salvador]

nearly got kod? you better be kidding.

I'm not. That huge shot off the ropes in the first round had Tszyu hanging on for dear life. If Judah had been able to land one more shot, Tszyu would have gone down. I don't really know how that's even debatable.

[The Ollie Reed F...]

Wow! Just had to interrupt watching the All Blacks do their thing against England to watch this fight. Didn't take long to review.

Zab actually did better in that first round than I remember but truth is although he shook Kostya up a couple of times in NO WAY did he have him close to being put down. His head cleared quickly enough and was soon enough good to continue (as evidenced in the 2nd round LOL).

[lloyd mayflower]

Have to agree with Fitz, theres more straw clutching going on here than a scarecrow trying to masturbate! Tszyu was going nowhere near the canvas, he was just warming up the band to start playing the birdie song for Zab to dance along to.

[salvador]

You mean this one?


Tszyu was moving back and retreating while Zab missed every shot other than that one. When you are moving back avoiding punches and then get hit with one, it's natural that it will push you back further in the direction you are already going back in and then when you hit the ropes, it caused a sudden change in direction because and then lost his balance. He then clinched to get back his footing. You don't see him with jelly legs at any stage after that or any indication that he was hurt. Based on that, I don't know how anyone can say he was close to getting knocked out. The clinching was due to not having his balance or footing rather than him holding because he was hurt.

It was the punch just before that shot that hurt Tszyu and I believe that if you include that extra 5 or so seconds before the tape above begins that you'll see that Tszyu was stunned big time. He was holding on tightly because Zab had hurt him and was going in for the kill and Tszyu didn't have the legs or balance to defend himself.

It is kind of interesting that the two people here who have the strongest opinions about Tszyu not being hurt by that punch happen to be from Russia and Australia.

[salvador]

I actually just watched the fight again and I will concede that Tszyu wasn't quite as hurt as I had remembered, but he was definitely hurt and he was definitely hanging on for defensive purposes because Judah was coming on strong. I will stand by my comment that the punch made a lasting impression and was an important factor in Tszyu's decision not to give Judah a rematch.

[Maxy]

Even if everyone unanimously agreed that Zab was close to the KO (which I don't think he was), there is no way that would have deterred Tszyu from giving him a rematch.

Tszyu would beat him by knockout 10 times out of 10. Zab talked his way out of a rematch before the fight and didn't deserve one after it.

[moscow bear]

It was the punch just before that shot that hurt Tszyu and I believe that if you include that extra 5 or so seconds before the tape above begins that you'll see that Tszyu was stunned big time. He was holding on tightly because Zab had hurt him and was going in for the kill and Tszyu didn't have the legs or balance to defend himself.

It is kind of interesting that the two people here who have the strongest opinions about Tszyu not being hurt by that punch happen to be from Russia and Australia.

sal, i never said he was not hurt....dont put these words in my mouth.

[True-Boxing-Fan]

I actually just watched the fight again and I will concede that Tszyu wasn't quite as hurt as I had remembered, but he was definitely hurt and he was definitely hanging on for defensive purposes because Judah was coming on strong. I will stand by my comment that the punch made a lasting impression and was an important factor in Tszyu's decision not to give Judah a rematch.

You have got to be kidding me about that last sentence. Tszyu utterly destroyed Judah by devastating 2nd round KO. IMO Judah was never the same after that fight, his confidence was totally shot. That 1st round was just a feel out round for Tszyu and he was just getting warmed up. Once Tszyu warmed up and had a feel for Judah, game was over. To say a rematch never happened because Tszyu was scared of the punches that Judah landed in the 1st is complete nonsense. Tszyu would have stretched Judah out again in a rematch without a doubt.

[MarzB]

All that Tsyu was setting Judah up is BS. I'm not taking anything away from how Kostya annihilated him but Judah DEFINITELY won that first round pretty decisively.

That my friends and foes is Judah's problem. He's a total front runner that is completely unfocused. I personally believe that Judah thought he was going to just STEAMROLL Kostya and soon as Kostya tasted won of his lefts, it would be curtains. Unfortunately for Judah Kostya is/was extremely resilient.

I won't take anything away from Kostya but that right landed so flush Judah when he went down probably didn't realize he was down and on queer street (LITERALLY) that he popped up way too soon. That said, didn't Judah IMMEDIATELY after his suspension jump up to welterweight??

A Floyd Mayweather vs. Kostya match was more of a possibility (had Kostya not lost to Hatton) than a rematch with Zab.