Amir Khan vs. Zab Judah, a 12-round WBA and IBF Super Lightweight World Championship Unification fight, is presented by Golden Boy Promotions and Main Events in association with Khan Promotions and Super Judah Promotions and sponsored by Cerveza Tecate and AT&T. The HBO World Championship Boxing telecast begins at 10:00 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. PT.So Dave, I’d like to turn the call over to you for opening introductions.
K. Duva Hi. I’m here on behalf of Main Events and Super Judah Promotions. I am also here with Bill Halkias who is our partner in these promotions, and really, there isn’t much to say. The fight is nearing—every day getting closer, and we’re very excited. This is the fight Zab wants. This is the fight we want, and we can’t wait for it to get started.
D. Itskowich Kathy, you want to have Pernell and Zab make opening statements?
K. Duva Zab, do you want to speak.
Z. Judah No.
K. Duva Well, why don’t you just say a few words anyway?
Z. Judah ....
K. Duva Come on. How do you feel now that the fight is only a week away?
Z. Judah I’m the champion. Why do I have to go first?
K. Duva Oh. Okay. Well, we’re going to have to figure out a way to sort this out now. It’s true. You went first at the press conference, so maybe it’s Amir’s turn to go first.
D. Itskowich So nothing from Zab? Okay. Just to say a few words before I have Freddy and Amir say their few words, I want to introduce Asif Vali of Khan Promotions to say a few words. Asif?
A. Vali Yes. Good evening everybody. Good evening to the U.K., good morning there in America. It’s a big fight, and there’s a lot of press coverage here. Everybody’s looking forward to the fight. It’s around the corner now. Next week is going to be explosive. The U.K. viewers ....
I know Amir trained well and hard out there in America with Freddy, and time will tell on the 23rd. We’ll be able to come away with the IBF Super-Lightweight World Championship Belt as well as the WBA belt. .... We’re 110% focused, and we’re ready to go. So, look forward to seeing you there—everybody next week—and wish everybody all the best of luck.
D. Itskowich Thanks, Asif. I understand that, actually, Freddy may not be on the call, so I’m going to just jump right to Amir and have him make his opening statements. Like I said, he’s one of the rising stars in the sport. He is the current WBA Super-Lightweight World Champion from Bolton, England with a record of 25 and 1 with seventeen KO’s, Amir King Khan.
A. Khan Hi guys. I just want to thank everyone for calling on to the conference call. You know not long now to the fight. Training has gone really well. Preparation is up to where we want it to be. Like I said, we’re not too far now. We’re just tapering down from all the hard work. All the hard work’s been done now. So no looking back. And I’m happy the way training comes from, being with Alex Ariza and Freddy Roach on technique and tactics to beat Zab. We know it’s going to be a tough fight. We’ve been training really hard, and we’re going to be conditioned for this fight. Even if it goes first round or the twelfth round, we know we’re going to be in front of Zab all the way through the fight, and we’re going to be ready.
We’ve been watching a lot of tapes and stuff to see what mistakes he makes and what things he does right and how we need to beat him. And everything’s been going okay, so now we’re going to transition. We finished sparring on Monday. So hopefully got all the timing and everything right, and then we’ll be more than ready for the 23rd of July.
D. Itskowich Alright. Thank you, Amir. I guess now we can turn it over to questions from the media for everyone that’s on the call.
K. Duva Freddy did just get on the line as well.
D. Itskowich Freddy is on. Okay.
M. Sears So is Purnell.
W Hold one moment for Freddy, please.
F. Roach Hello?
D. Itskowich Freddy. Hi. It’s Dave from Golden Boy. Just wanted you to say a couple of opening remarks about the fight.
F. Roach Amir is in great shape. I think this was the best training camp we’ve ever had. We had some great southpaw sparring, and I think ... on Saturday, and I think Zab bit off more than he can chew for this one.
D. Itskowich Thank you, Fred.
K. Duva Dave Pernell is on the line, so let’s give him a chance too. P, you got something to say? Apparently not. Okay. Sorry about that, Dave. Sorry for interrupting.
D. Itskowich Okay, let’s turn it over to the media for questions.
Moderator Our first question comes from Steve Carp with Las Vegas Review.
S. Carp Good morning guys. Amir, you were just saying how you watched a lot of tape of Zab. Is this out of the ordinary for you, or is this part of your normal preparation? If it isn’t, why did you go to such lengths to be ready for Zab?
Z. Judah No, we’d normally watch a lot of tape of the fighters we got coming up, and the reason is so we know what we’re expecting when we go into the fight. We can’t focus too much on a tape because styles make different fights. So we’ve just been watching a few things that he does and where he makes a mistake and stuff, so I’ll know when I do go into the fight, I know exactly what his style’s like.
I’m not really a big fan of just sitting there watching hours and hours of your opponents tapes. I normally watch maybe a few rounds and then leave it to my trainer, Freddy, who comes up with a game plan.
S. Carp With Zab, you always have to worry about the unexpected. So how do you prepare for that? And maybe, Freddy, you could weight in on this as well because he’s been known to do some unorthodox things in the ring over his career.
F. Roach He’s a smart fighter. He has experience. We know he sets traps and we’ve got most of his traps down, and you can see how he sets his traps and lures guys into punches.
Of course, when he was losing to Mayweather, he fouled him of course, on purpose, to try to get him out of his game plan, and the fight broke up.
But we’re ready for all that, and it’s nothing new. It’s part of fighting, and we’re well prepared for it.
S. Carp Thanks guys—appreciate it. See you in Vegas next week.
M. Sears Pernell Whitaker is now on the call.
Moderator The next question comes from Dan Rafael from ESPN.
D. Rafael Zab, the last time you had a unification fight in the 140-pound weight class in Las Vegas, it did not go your way. That was the Kostya Tszyu fight. Can you imagine that here we are, I believe it’s now maybe 11 years later, or maybe 10 years later, that you’re back in another very big fight in this weight class in Las Vegas? Can you take me back to that time in all those years ago and what’s changed for you since then? Because it’s been a lot of ups and downs.
Z. Judah Yes. A lot. First of all, I want to thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for giving me this opportunity of being back in this position. I want to than thank him for that. And a lot of things have been changed ..., and I’m pretty pleased with Freddy and Amir Khan watching my old tapes, so they're learning something about the old Zab Judah.
The new Zab Judah coming to the ring on July 23rd is a monster. He’s 150% prepared for Amir Khan, and we’re going to have a lot of fun come Saturday night.
D. Rafael Could you have imagined though that 10 years after the fact that you would still be one of the best guys in the weight class? That you would still have a title? That you would be involved in another really big fight?
It’s been such a long time.
Z. Judah I really have nothing to do with it Dave. That’s God’s work. That’s the work of God. Just when a person counts you out and says that you’re finished—never listen to man. Never let man dictate your peace. This is something that—one of the messages that we will be coming with on Saturday night. The Lord has the final saying of when a person’s done and when a person starts.
D. Rafael You’re the veteran in this fight, of course. Amir is still a young fighter, still on the rise. Do you view this as you along with all the experience that Pernell brings to your corner—like the veteran teacher going to look to take the young kid to school?
Z. Judah One thing about it, we definitely going to take him to school. I think after Saturday night, he’ll figure out that Golden Boy and his trainer, Freddy Roach, set him up as a pawn. For people that play chess, they know what that is. They set him up for a pawn and put him in a position that he shouldn’t have been in.
And yet, I think he’s a great fighter. I think that it’s a little premature—before his time. Years down the line, he’ll have an opportunity to tell other fighters about the experience he learned in 2011 on July 23rd.
D. Rafael Thanks, Zab. Amir, are you there?
A. Khan Yes.
D. Rafael Amir, when you hear Zab talk like that about maybe it’s a little too soon for you to be in this kind of fight in your career because you’re still young, or do you feel like you were by far ready for a fight like this because of what you’ve accomplished in the last couple of years?
A. Khan I know we’re ready for this fight. That’s why we’re taking this fight on. We committed to this fight as favorites. I’m going to go out and try to take the two titles away. I’ve been training very hard for this fight. And he can say what he wants and he’ll see when the time comes. I know I’m more than ready for this fight, and I’m going to be prepared, and I know exactly what to do. He ... capable, I’ll have answers for him.
D. Rafael Was it at all hard for you to get over the fact that ... turned you down, and Zab, who was essentially the second choice, is now your opponent, or did it just water off your back—no big deal?
A. Khan Things happen for a reason, and I really think this fight ends up as a fight that .... A tougher fight is all. In my eyes, I see the bigger fight. Things happen for a reason, and maybe it was for the best.
Moderator Our next question comes from Jamie Jackson with the Guardian News.
J. Jackson Hi, Amir. Just two questions please. First of all, will Zab be your hardest opponent so far of your professional career? And looking beyond this fight—obviously you hope to win—you’re only 24. I’m wondering how many different weight classes do you expect to fight in by the time you finish? Amir, please.
A. Khan First of all, I think he is up there with one of the best fighters I’ll be facing .... Also, we’ve been training very hard, and I’m .... So you know, we’re going to be ready for him and whatever he brings on the table. And I love challenges. You give me a good challenge, that’s actually .... Maybe I could go up to 147 or maybe up ....
But maybe all in good time. ... to see how my body grows and how it feels. I’m still 24. As time goes on, maybe I’ll go up to—I’ll finish off my career at 154. I’ve just really got to have my body naturally just grow.
J. Jackson Zab, I believe you said, if I heard you rightly there on the line, that compared to the fight of 10 to 11 years ago against Tszyu, you’re now a monster and 150% better. Can you explain why, please?
K. Duva I think I’m going to have to speak now, and I need to explain something. In our negotiations, we were told that Zab would not be entitled to any revenue from the U.K. And we felt that while that was insulting—because we feel he is certainly half the equation here. That was what we were told we would have to live with.
And so, Zab took the fight with that understanding—that Amir would keep all the money that came from the U.K. even though they’re both world champions and even though we’ve agreed on a split of the money. So no offense to the British press, but Zab will not be answering questions until the fight is over to the British.
D. Itskowich I guess that means all you British media out there work on your American accents.
J. Jackson Okay. You want me to ask it in an American accent?
A. Vali ... as you know two fighters need to promote the fight. HBO ought to pay ... so they can, and Zab can disrespect where the fight is going out to—U.K. press, or any of the press in the world. I think that he should be involved in this, and it’s a promotion. And what he ... fans in the U.K. as well. And if he’s got fans in the U.K., he’s obviously disrespecting all his fans.
So British press, or wherever they are all over the world, whatever fighter it is, I think it’s wrong for Zab just to put that to one side. And the British are very sportish—one of the biggest fights in the U.K. for a very long time in this weight division. So he should be involved in it, and he should be answering any questions.
K. Duva Well, you’re certainly entitled to your opinion, and we respect that, and he means no disrespect to anyone. We feel he was disrespected in the negotiations, so this is something that we’ve decided has to be—we just cannot do anything to help.
We were basically told that Khan was such a big star in the U.K., it didn’t matter who he fought, and therefore, Zab was kind of insignificant there. So if that’s the case, fine. And again, we’ll be happy to have a press conference with the U.K. press the morning after the fight. We love all you guys. We’ve known many of you going all the way back to the ….
A. Vali I’m glad he’ll be having a press conference after that fight when he’s in defeat. I’ll hold you to that. So we’ll ... hold you to that. So when he’s been defeated, he’ll have a press conference with the British press. So we can ... so thank you very much for that, Kathy.
K. Duva You’re welcome. He’ll also have it when he wins.
J. Jackson Can I just jump back in and ask Asif one more question? This is Jamie Jackson again from the Guardian. On this point Asif, how would you describe your feelings about his refusal to speak? Are you angry about this? Are you furious?
A. Vali Well, I think it’s wrong for him not to be involved in any media work. Amir Khan is one of them guys who gets involved. He’s been on the forums. He’s promoting the fight. Today he announced it, and today we were discussing things and doing every single interview, U.K., China, Japan, wherever it was. He’s done all the interviews all over the world. Why Zab couldn’t get involved, I’ve no idea. Why he refuses , I have no idea. I haven’t got a clue why he refused it.
It’s not about being angry, it’s about getting involved in a promotion. A promotion is from two sides, not just one. And with all due respect Kathy, they need to promote the fight. It’s not a one-way promotion; it’s a two-way promotion. Amir did everything. He’s got four conference calls so far. He’s been on the radio three times a week throughout the last six weeks, and he’s been doing so much stuff, unbelievable, to promote the fight.
We’re very grateful to HBO for giving us the opportunity. We’re very grateful for Primetime for showing it live in the U.K. and the worldwide people and the rest of the world. But I’m a little bit disappointed—I’m very disappointed from Kathy’s point of view. I’m very disappointed in Zab. And they should promote the fight. Have you ever heard of a fighter not getting involved in a promotion like you have today? Disappointed.
K. Duva Well again, you’re entitled to your opinion. He is involved in the promotion. He’s on the phones today. He’s not involved in the promotion in England because he’s not involved in the revenue from England, so that is what we found to be wrong. And again, you got your way.
Moderator And our next question comes from George Cotton with Fox Sports.
G. Cotton Hi. What’s going on guys? This first question is for Amir. Amir, what do you think, if any, are some of the weaknesses you’ll be able to exploit against Zab in the ring when you guys lace up.
A. Khan I don’t think he’ll be able to take the pressure of the speed and power, really. I think he fought the likes of Mabuza and them guys there, and they’ve totaled him. And we’ll see how he copes with this. I really think he’s taken the wrong fight. And he can say what he wants, but he knows deep down he’s taken the wrong fight, and we’ll see .... We’ll see .... I hope he ... Zab Judah, he’s ....
G. Cotton Okay. And Zab, what do you think you’ll be able to show the world when you guys meet? I know you’re thinking that maybe that the guy took the fight a little too early. What do you think you’ll be able to show the world when you guys meet in the ring?
Z. Judah I would just like to show the world that I’m one of the best pound for pound greatest fighters out there. Amir Khan knows what he got himself into. He knows that this is a fight that his trainer, Freddy Roach, wanted to take, but it was a fight that he was pushed into because of the situation. You know what I mean? Every dog has their day. July 23rd it’s coming. We’re going to have some fun.
G. Cotton Can we get a prediction?
Z. Judah Zab Judah will be the one. Zab Judah will be the one.
G. Cotton Spectacular.
Z. Judah I promise you. I promise you. I don’t know who this guy’s looking at as far as when they speak about speed and power, but evidently they’re watching the wrong tapes. They’re going to be in for a world of surprises. I understand the people over there are misleading the young guy over there and telling him this and telling him that. But I think when the bell rings, after the first round he’ll come back to the corner and go, “Wait a minute. This is not what we prepared for guys. You told me it was going to be a different kind of Judah in there.
G. Cotton And the last question for Amir. Amir, this go-around, you’re dealing with a southpaw that had power. What are some of the things you guys worked on to deal with Zab’s speed and power?
A. Khan We were really quite lucky enough to be sparring with Manny Pacquiao in the previous camps and Alex Ariza, training with him. You know talking about power, I think he’s probably the most powerful southpaw in our division, and that was great help for me. We’ve had some great sparring partners who worked on techniques. We’re going to be ready for whatever he brings to the table. Training has gone really well with the game plan that we’ve got for the fight. It’s a great game plan, and you can say what you want about the first round. Maybe we come back in the first round, and the fight is over.
Because the way we can be ready for this fight, who knows, the fight might finish in the first round or the twelfth round. We’re going to be ready for him, and we will see if he’s still there. We just hope Zab is ready for this fight, and he can say what he wants.
Z. Judah Exactly. The way his sparring ‘s been going guys—like he said—the fight might be over in one round. I know everything, trust me.
Moderator Our next question comes form Gabriel Montoya with MaxBoxing.com.
G. Montoya My question is for Amir. The press recently, there’s been a lot of talk about you versus Floyd Mayweather, you’re going to get him next after Ortiz. Is that you looking forward, or is that just a bunch of internet writers coming to you and asking you about Floyd Mayweather and then printing you answers. Are you looking ahead, or no?
A. Khan I think everyone knows I’ve got a big task in front of me. I’ve got Zab Judah’s ... offer. Every fight, I have goals, and my goals are to take the best out there and the likes of Floyd Mayweather one day. At the moment, I want to take things a step at a time. And I think it’s pretty blown out more than anything, but I just want to make things straight up. I’ve got this to deal with, and then hopefully then I’m going to sit down with my team and plan out where my future is.
G. Montoya There was a big to-do about you and Alex Ariza not working together for a fight—a lot of back and forth there. Now you guys are working together, as I understand it. Why is that? why did you guys get back together.
A. Khan I really think he’s probably one of the best ... conditioners out there. And we’ve got a winning team, and I don’t think we should break a winning team. He’s good at what he does, and if he wants to get you in shape and get you stronger, he’s the best man to do it. So that’s the reason I got back with him, because I know her pushes me hard, and he’s not afraid to tell me what to do and what not to do. So I thought that’s who I need for this fight—someone who’s going to get me prepared and get me in the best condition.
G. Montoya Was part of it to do with the way the McCloskey fight went? You won, obviously, but it was not one of your prettier wins. You seemed to have a little bit of trouble with him. Was that his style, or was that the—
A. Khan ... fight. He had one of them styles—he just did not want to fight and didn’t want to get involved, and he made it a boring fight. I was doing all the circling. I was doing all the pressure fighting. I was doing everything. But then, I thought to myself the way the training camp went, I was conditioned well. I was still fit and everything because I really pushed myself. I really thought I think I should ... the way things were. I was happy the way things were before, so that’s the reason we got back with everything.
G. Montoya How long do you plan on playing at this weight class? If you win this, and ... doesn’t seem like he wanted to fight you, do you give up the 147, or do you stay here.
A. Khan I’ll probably move up to 147 for bigger challenges. And like I said, I think it’s a great time for me to move up to different divisions and fight these big names. There’s a lot of big names out there. And it’s a .... That’s the reason I cannot afford to get beat. I have to ... because there’s some huge fight that’s on me. I want to get through this fight and then go to the bigger fights.
G. Montoya I have a question for Pernell Whitaker if he’s still on the line. This is your second training camp with Zab. What are your thoughts and impressions? Was it easier or harder than the first time?
P. Whitaker Hello. Can you hear me?
G. Montoya Hi, Pernell. It’s Gabe Montoya at Max Boxing.
P. Whitaker Can you all hear me? Can you hear me.
G. Montoya I can hear you. This is your second training camp with Zab. How did it go in comparison to the first? Was it easier or harder.
P. Whitaker It was much easier. The first time is always—it was the learning experiences that it was my first time working with him. So it was a learning experience for both of us. He’s not a freshman fighter. He’s an experienced, professional fighter. But this time, it’s been a lot of fun. His preparation has been a lot of fun. I’m not going to give no strategies up. I’m not going to tell you what I’m planning on doing to this young man, but he’ll be okay. We’ll take good care of him—make sure he make it back to the U.K.
G. Montoya Thank you very much. One of our other writers is covering Zab, so Zab, I’ll just wish you good luck in the fight. Amir, good luck in the fight. And thank you all.
Moderator Our next question comes from Eddie Goldman with No Holds Barred.
E. Goldman Hello everybody. I was born in Brooklyn, so I guess I can ask Zab a question. Zab, can you explain a little bit more—you talked about the new Zab Judah, and you obviously seem to have rejuvenated your career and moving down from ’47 to ’40. Could you explain a little bit about how you’re different than you were a few years ago, and why you’re different.
Z. Judah I have a different mental .... A whole different mentality of .... I’m just more focused in on my career now. I’m focused in on my family and the morals of life, as a young man should be. I just think that I’m at a great place in life right now, and I’m fully prepared for this situation.
E. Goldman How much has Pernell Whitaker made a difference? Did that training with him give you a chance to sharpen up on your technique and your fundamentals?
Z. Judah Yes. Pernell Whitaker brought back a lot from my games, and he tapped into my memory status and has made me remember a lot of good things and just showed me what it is to be a scientific boxer. I added that to my style. And we have a complete full-version Zab Judah the way that the world knows him to be. This is the guy that you people love and the guy that you wanted to see ..., is the guy you will get to see July 23rd.
E. Goldman And a question for Amir. How are you going to prepare, since obviously you both have very, very strong amateur backgrounds and credential, but Zab is coming in—he’s older, but he also has more professional experience. How are you going to prepare for a more mature version of Zab Judah than existed a few years ago?
A. Khan The preparation is over for the fight, and the way things have gone in the training camp, I’m very, very happy with. The sparring was great, and conditioning-wise, I’m ready for him. But like I said, he can bring whatever he wants to the table because we’re going to be more than ready for it.
And we’ve got a game plan that we’re going to stick to, and I know that that game plan’s going to work. We’ve got a plan A and a plan B, but to be honest with you, I don’t think he is going to get through plan A. So .... We’re going to, like I said, ... and go in there and do what I do best.
E. Goldman How do you think he rates in terms of the opponents that you fought? You fought people like Barrera, but Barrera was at the very end of his career. How do you think he rates compared to Maidana and some of the other people that you’ve fought, at the time you’ve fought them?
A. Khan Physically, maybe he is on the same level as them. Maybe experience-wise, he’s ahead of them. These are the fights I need to make me get to the top, and I think it’s a great fight for me because it’s going to make me train harder, and it’s going to push me.
Throughout training camp, I knew it was going to be a tough fight. I can’t stop feeling I’m the one who knocked on his door and said, “Listen, we’ll take this fight on.” Between me and ... I turn the page over and I though Zab Judah was a good name to have because I know he’s beatable. I know what style to beat him and look good against him. I know he’s very awkward and everything, but we just love a challenge.
Moderator Our next question comes from Bob Bellin with USA Today.
B. Bellin Hi, Zab. These questions are for you. Do you look at this as a must-win fight in your career, and why or why not?
Z. Judah Yes. Every fight going forward today is a must-win fight. This is ... are going to put me right back to where I need to be at in the boxing game. I’m happy to be back on HBO again and happy to be fighting in the big fight, and I’m just 100% fully prepared.
B. Bellin Do you plan to stay at 140 pounds, or would you like to move up again? Where do you see the weight class for you in the future.
Z. Judah I make 140 pounds very well, very easy. This is the weight that I should’ve stayed at my whole career. And a lot people sometimes, when they start getting a little bit too big for the—when they can’t make the weight, they look at moving up in weight classes and things that’d be better. But for me, it wasn’t better. I was fighting much, much bigger guys and stronger guys. At 140 pounds, I’m dominant here. I’m dominant, and next Saturday, I’ll prove to the world that this was one of the reasons why I belong at 140.
B. Bellin So that being said, you don’t see Mayweather again in your future do you?
Z. Judah I can’t speak about the future. I don’t know. I don’t know what’s out there, what’s on the horizon, what God should put before me. But you know, I know that anything that God puts in front of me, I’m fully prepared for.
Moderator Our next question comes from Raj Pamar with 3 More Rounds.
R. Pamar Hi, Zab. How you doing. Just a quick question. Amir said a little earlier that he is the favorite, and in my personal opinion, you’re a very live underdog. Amir has Freddy Roach and Alex Ariza behind him, and Dave, in a very successful tandem-training fighters. Does that add any concern, any additional concern for you, or do you feel that won’t be a big factor for the fight?
Z. Judah Number one, with the favorites in the fight, that’s a man-made decision. A man made those odds up. A man made those numbers up. Like I say, if you’re into sports betting, they had Miami Heat to beat the Dallas Mavericks. And Dallas Mavericks came and smashed the odd-makers and beat the Miami Heat and won the championship. So that doesn’t mean anything, more or less, for the fight.
More or less for his trainers, Amir Khan, Freddy Roach and Alex Ariza, I have Pernell Whitaker. My trainer is—I think he’s an underestimated trainer. He was one of the best defensive fighters in the world, a six time champion of the world. He was a great fighter at his days, and great fighters make great coaches.
July 23rd I will be campaigning for my trainer to be trainer of the year. I think that after this is done, I will get fighter of the year and he will get trainer of the year.
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