FIGHT FOR IBF WELTERWEIGHT TITLE SATURDAY
THE IBF welterweight title will be at stake when Joshua Clottey of the Bronx faces Zab Judah of Brooklyn tomorrow night on HBO's "Boxing After Dark." But that's just icing on the cake as far as Clottey is concerned. Title or no title, Clottey simply wants a piece of Judah to settle a "score" from a 2004 incident at Gleason's Gym.
"I've wanted to fight him for a long, long time because he pushed my trainer," Clottey was saying last week in Las Vegas. "We were training in the gym and my trainer told him we needed some space and Zab pushed him. So that means we have a score to settle. I really want to fight him bad."
Clottey (34-2, 20 KOs) gets his chance tomorrow night when he faces Judah (36-5, 25 KOs) at the Palms. Judah will be trying for his fifth world title, while Clottey is seeking his first.
"I want to be a champion," said Clottey, a native of Ghana. "I have to be a champion. I have to beat Zab. If Zab beats me I'll retire for one year."
Judah only admits to seeing Clottey working out at Gleason's years ago and says the two briefly sparred. But Clottey denies ever getting in the ring with Judah. "I never sparred with Zab," he said.
The winner could get a chance at newly crowned WBA welterweight titleholder Antonio Margarito, who defeated Miguel Cotto in an epic battle last Saturday in Las Vegas. A replay of that bout will precede Judah-Clottey on HBO.
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Former military hero Brian Stann (5-0) defends his WEC light heavyweight title at 9 p.m. Sunday on Versus against Steve Cantwell (4-1). It's one of three title fights to be televised. Stann, a retired Marine captain who won the Silver Star during his first tour of duty in Iraq, will be making the first defense of the title he won last March.
"It's going to be a lot harder to defend the title than it was to win it," said Stann, who scored a first-round KO over Cantwell when the two fought in March 2007.
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Joe DeGuardia is big on boxing promoters working together for the sake of the sport. He puts his words to action Wednesday night when he'll be co-promoting two shows in New York at the same time.
DeGuardia's Star Boxing is teaming with Sal Musumeci's Final Forum to promote ESPN2's "Wednesday Night Fights" telecast from the Aviator in Brooklyn.
Junior welterweight Ali "Hurricane" Oubaali (21-3, 17 KOs) will headline against Chris Fernandez (15-4-1, 9 KOs). Meanwhile, DeGuardia's heavyweight attraction, Vinny Maddalone of Queens, will be featured on Lou DiBella's Broadway Boxing Card at B.B. Kings Blues Club.
James Moore (15-1, 10 KOs) and Dat Nguyen are also on the card. Will Rosinsky and Philip Jackson-Benson are making their pro debuts.
"This is what boxing needs," DeGuardia said, "for promoters to work together to put together excited shows and give the fans what they want to see."
Check my blog Round-by-Round notes, including whether Ron Scott Stevens was forced out as chairman of the New York State Athletic Commission because of his perceived views about mixed martial arts.
