Zab Judah vs. Paul Malignaggi: Brownsville vs. Bensonhurst

Zab Judah vs. Paul Malignaggi: Brownsville vs. Bensonhurst

Tonight, Brooklyn’s Barclay Center will be host to a good ole’ turf battle between two top welterweights, Zab Judah from Brownsville and Paul Malignaggi from Bensonhurst.

The winner will be crowned ‘King of Brooklyn,’ and will be honored with a special Brooklyn trophy belt while the loser will be forced wear a football jersey donning the name of the winner’s Brooklyn borough.

Although raised in separate parts of Brooklyn, Zab Judah and Paulie Malignaggi boxed and trained at Gleason’s Boxing Gym growing up.

They’re both two-division champions coming off strong losing performances to top-tier opponents and, most importantly, both need a win to remain relevant on the elite level.

The winner of Judah vs. Malignaggi could potentially face the winner of next weekend’s bout between Adrien Broner and Marcos Maidana.

“I see this as a fight for the empire, like back in Roman times. There was only one King and if the two people saying they were king fought, the loser would be beheaded. They just cut off his damn head,” said Zab.

Zab ‘Super’ Judah is a boxer-puncher who can fight well using multiple styles but, tonight, look for Zab to seek to turn this fight into a brawl against the nimble, ultra-fast but relatively light hitting Paulie.

Judah, even at 36 years of age, still possesses solid speed and quickness as well as formidable power. Having learned from his past mistakes, he’s now an athlete free of alcohol, late nights and immature decisions. Judah likens his training to that of 48 year old phenom Bernard Hopkins whose longevity is a result of his discipline outside the ring.

Paulie ‘Magic Man’ Malignaggi is a pure boxer with solid skills who proved in his last fight against Adrien Broner that he is still a top contender. The Bensonhurst native is a true performer inside and outside of the ring and has always tried to give fans their money’s worth.

Look for Malignaggi to employ a lot of movement in an attempt to avoid toe-to-toe exchanges. He’ll bob and weave, quickly jump in and out, and make use of his quick hands and quick feet to create angles to outpoint to shorter Zab.

Paulie is known for his courageousness but if he gets too brave and succumbs to the lure of a brawl, it may lead to his downfall.

This is truly a pick’em fight where neither has a distinct edge.

Tonight, two highly skilled pugilists will fight for the right to be called the ‘King of Brooklyn.’

-Sal Arteaga

Contributor for www.BehindTheGloves.com