Zab Judah vs. Paulie Malignaggi: Play-by-Play & Live Updates
Sherdog.com has live updates from Brooklyn, N.Y., where welterweights Paulie Malignaggi and Zab Judah will clash in a 12-round boxing bout.
Advertisement
Junior middleweight contender Julian Williams was too much for Orlando Lora to handle, remaining unbeaten after stopping him in the third. Williams pummeled Lora (29-5-2, 29 KOs) from the start and eventually forced the towel to be thrown in 34 seconds into the frame. Williams improved to 14-0 with 8 KOs.
Sadam Ali kept his unbeaten record intact with a sixth round
knockout of Jesus Selig (12-2-1, 6 KOs). Ali (18-0, 10 KOs) dropped
his foe at the end of the fifth and then closed out the show just
22 into the following stanza.
Light heavyweight Marcus Brown tore apart Kevin Engel (20-9, 16 KOs) in the first round to remain undefeated. Brown (8-0, 7 KOs) was felled with mere seconds left in the round but when he climbed back to his feet the referee stopped it. The official time was 3:00 of the first.
Junior featherweight contender Juan Dominguez (16-0, 11 KOs) won a lopsided eight round unanimous decision over Camilio Perez (9-2, 4 KOs). The official scores were 79-73 and 78-74 (twice).
With blood streaming out of a laceration above his left eye, Anthony Dirrell raised his arms in triumph for the final 10 seconds of his championship fight, knowing he had it in the bag. The problem was, reigning WBC super middleweight king Sakio Bika had kept the fight extremely close. Dirrell knocked Bika down in the fifth and even though the Aussie was penalized a point in the 11th for a low blow, the American left the ring without the title.
Bika was far more aggressive throughout the contest and the two 10-8 rounds notwithstanding, he seemed to control the pace throughout. Dirrell (26-0-1, 22 KOs) countered his opponent extremely well throughout the contest, but he eased off the gas pedal during the latter stages of the fight, allowing Bika (32-5-2, 21 KOs) to steal round after round. In the end, the fight was declared a split draw when the three judges couldn’t decide a victor; the official scores were 114-112 (Bika), 116-110 (Dirrell) and 113-113, allowing Biak to retain his title. Sherdog had it 114-112 for Dirrell.
Cuban defector Erislandy Lara utilized a near-flawless gameplan to confuse, frustrate and befuddle Austin Trout throughout their 12-round affair to win a unanimous decision. Lara’s deft footwork and precise counter punching kept Trout at bay from the start and his off-kilter approach in their junior middleweight contest prevented Trout from finding any sort of rhythm.
Though the fight wasn’t aesthetically pleasing, the Cuban nearly scored a one-punch knockout late in the eleventh. A perfect counter straight left hand over a lazy right hand floored the American with about 30 seconds left. Trout staggered back to his feet and was on extremely wobbly legs when the fight resumed, though he was able to survive the period. Though he desperately needed a stoppage in order to win the duel, Trout was unassuming in the final round, allowing Lara to secure the win. The official judges all heavily favored Lara, now 19-1-2 with 12 KOs, via tallies of 118-109 and 117-110 (twice). Sherdog.com also had it 118-109 for Lara. Trout has now dropped two consecutive bouts to fall to 26-2 with 14 KOs.
Most boxing experts expected Devon Alexander to possibly have some trouble with the pesky Shawn Porter, but those same insiders mostly felt he’d retain his IBF welterweight title. What most didn’t foresee is the undefeated Las Vegas fighter to not only take the fight to Alexander, but also take the fight from him.
Porter darted in and out when he needed to, but the bulk of his gameplan was to force Alexander into an uncomfortable brawl throughout the contest. Porter’s handspeed and awkward angles, coupled with timely clinching, prevented the defending champ from getting his rhythm going. The St. Louis native was badly rocked by a crushing straight right hand early in the third and then wobbled later in the frame by a left and from there it was an uphill battle. He suffered cuts around both eyes in the latter stages of the contest and never quite seized control of the contest in any round.
Porter didn’t steamroll Alexander (25-2, 14 KOs), though; “The Great” bounced back late in the fight and got his counter punching going, but even though he was snatching rounds back from the contender, the early hole he dug himself was too great to escape. In the end, the three ringside judges all favored Porter via tallies of 115-113 and 116-112 (twice), allowing him to capture his first legitimate title. Sherdog.com also had it 116-112 for Porter, who improved to 23-0-1 with 14 KOs.
Zab Judah vs. Paulie Malignaggi
Round 1
Michael Ortega is the referee for this welterweight showdown. The Battle of Brooklyn begins and for a lack of a better word, the Barclays Center crowd is rather subdued, considering both fighters are hometown guys. Paulie is the first to throw, but his left jab misses. They trade jabs; Malignaggi with his left and Zab with his right. Both feeling each other out, with nothing hard or clean landing as of yet. Malignaggi is slightly more aggressive, but his punches are mostly falling short of their target. Judah looks a bit more relaxed than does Malignaggi. Paulie reaches deep with a lead right hand and Judah just misses a counter right hook. Left hoom by Malingaggi misses by a few inches. There already is some slight reddening around the left eye of the “Magic Man.” Judah eats a left jab coming with a straight left. Very close fight but Malignaggi’s higher punch output bans him the frame.Sherdog Scores
Mike Sloan scores the round 10-9 MalignaggiGary Randall scores the round 10-9 Malignaggi
Round 2
Both men are feinting with jabs and counters. Short left hand by Judah lands and Malignaggi slips. His glove touches the canvas and Ortega rules him down. Malignaggi is vehemently protesting the call but it was legit. Malignaggi looks like he’s a bit more desperate, but he quickly calms down and regains his gameplan. Judah is bouncing around more and starting to throw his right jab with more conviction. Malignaggi just misses a powerful right cross as Judah ducks underneath. Nice jab by Judah. Judah’s jab is setting the pace and distance; he’s keeping Malignaggi away. Paulie misses three left jabs near the bell.Sherdog Scores
Mike Sloan scores the round 10-8 JudahGary Randall scores the round 10-8 Judah
Round 3
Judah is firing that right jab repeatedly early in the round and moving to his right. Malignaggi is digging hooks to the body. They clash heads when Paulie digs to the body. Both are holding their foreheads. Judah has a little gash over his left eye because of the clash of heads. It’s not bleeding too badly and he’s allowed to continue without the doctor coming into the ring. Malignaggi also has a cut near his left eye. Hard left jab/right cross by Malignaggi. Paulie now has his left jab working effectively. They exchange jabs in the center of the ring, though they both miss their shots. Judah is waiting for his foe to make a move, but Malignaggi simply feints him, trying to set traps. Hard left hand by Judah, which is answered by a sweeping right cross. Malignaggi is now bleeding badly from the cut he suffered from the earlier clash of heads; Judah’s cut is under control.Sherdog Scores
Mike Sloan scores the round 10-9 MalignaggiGary Randall scores the round 10-9 Malignaggi
Round 4
Malignaggi is already dripping blood from around his left eye to start the round. Nice double jab by Judah. Judah sticks his opponent to the body. Malginnagi is being the aggressor, but he’s not landing anything worthwhile. Judah continues to paw with the jab. Malignaggi is down again, but it’s correctly ruled a slip after the two became entangled during an exchange. Malignaggi is stalking Judah but he’s not cutting off the ring well enough. Judah just misses a left cross over the top. Very little action in the round, leaving the crowd listless. Another close round.Sherdog Scores
Mike Sloan scores the round 10-9 MalignaggiGary Randall scores the round 10-9 Malignaggi
Round 5
Paulie fires his left jab to start the round. He triples it up and then digs a right to the body. Judah bobs and weaves, but he fails to throw a hard counter. Malignaggi pins Judah in the red corner. He unloads a flurry, but Judah sneaks out the side and gives him a comical grin. Nice body shot. Nice body shot by Judah. Malignaggi lunges with a left/right but both punches miss. Judah is not initiating any sort of offense other than pawing jabs. Malignaggi, though he’s not dishing out punishment, is doing much, much more inside the ring.Sherdog Scores
Mike Sloan scores the round 10-9 MalignaggiGary Randall scores the round 10-9 Malignaggi
Round 6
Judah fires a stiff jab to start to round off. Malignaggi jabs to the body. Again. Nice straight right hand thru the guard from the Magic Man. Another. Malignaggi is becoming more and more aggressive but Judah simply backs away and looks to counter. Hard right hand to the face by Malignaggi. Another. Hard left/right to head and Judah backs away. Judah doubles up with the jab and snaps Paulie’s head back. Paulie jabs to the head and body. Zab throws a right jab, but Paulie counters it with a right hook. Malignaggi lands a hard jab behind the ear followed by a three-punch combo to the head. Malignaggi is in total control and starting to pick apart Judah bit by bit. All Malignaggi.Sherdog Scores
Mike Sloan scores the round 10-9 MalignaggiGary Randall scores the round 10-9 Malignaggi
Round 7
Judah’s corner is starting to appear concerned and trying to get Zab into the fight. They are telling him that he needs to “go get him!” Malignaggi picks up right where he left off. Hard left hand by Judah lands clean and Malignaggi clinches. Not sure how hurt he is but the punch was flush. Judah throws a hard right jab. Another. Judah finally looks like he’s opening up more, though he’s still getting out-jabbed by his counterpart. Clean right to the face by Malignaggi. Judah has stopped throwing and has gone back into the back-pedaling Zab from the past few rounds. Malignaggi sees this and takes advantage of it with jabs to the head and body. Judah lands a decent right hand down the middle. Judah doubles the jab and fires a straight left, but Malignaggi parried it and counters with a left of his own.Sherdog Scores
Mike Sloan scores the round 10-9 MalignaggiGary Randall scores the round 10-9 Malignaggi
Round 8
Judah opens the round by digging a lead left to the gut. Malignaggi delivers a left/right to the body and then fires a jab to the head. Malignaggi continues to jab his way in, but Judah simply backs away with little in return. Judah is stalking his foe now, but he’s not letting his hands go. Hard left jab right through the guard by Judah. Malignaggi’s cut is still bleeding, though it’s not causing him any grief. Judah is slightly busier this round, but he’s still not as aggressive as his corner wants him to be. Malignaggi misses a sweeping right cross. Three-punch combo to the body by Judah near the bell. They trade jabs and then friendly trash talk. Close round.Sherdog Scores
Mike Sloan scores the round 10-9 MalignaggiGary Randall scores the round 10-9 Malignaggi
Round 9
Judah needs to step his game up now if he’s to walk away with the win. Malignaggi appears to be dominating the fight in terms of points and Judah needs to figure something out. Judah rattles off several jabs, but they aren’t fierce or flush. Malignaggi rifles off his own jabs and then slips a right hand through the guard. Malignaggi is now stalking Judah again and pins him along the ropes. Zab just misses a huge left hook. Stiff jab by Malignaggi, Another. Another. Paulie goes to the body and then to the head. Judah is showing no sense of urgency whatsoever. Hard right/left to the head by Malignaggi. Judah misses a straight left hand just before the bell.Sherdog Scores
Mike Sloan scores the round 10-9 MalignaggiGary Randall scores the round 10-9 Malignaggi
Round 10
Judah is having leg cramps in between rounds and his corner is rubbing them out. Yoel Judah is yelling at him to get going, demanding him to let his hands go. Malignaggi starts the round off just as he has before; with the jab. Judah lands a decent left hand through the guard. Very little action and the crowd is now growing irritated. Here come the boos. Sweeping right cross by Paulie misses. Malignaggi is much more active, but he can’t break through Judah’s defense. Judah is not letting his hands go at all. The crowd is louder with their displeasure. Malignaggi is raising his hands as a gesture to ask why Judah isn’t doing anything. Malignaggi jabbing over and over, getting nothing in response. Judah looks completely disinterested in the fight.Sherdog Scores
Mike Sloan scores the round 10-9 MalignaggiGary Randall scores the round 10-9 Malignaggi
Round 11
Yoel is yelling and imploring Zab to go. Judah lands a nice combo to the head to start the round. Judah finally letting his hands go, he fires three jabs in succession. Malignaggi regroups and lands a pair of jabs. More jabs from both, but nothing is landing. Judah resorts to doing very little in terms of offense. Malignaggi stalking again, and his bobbing, weaving and feinting are disallowing Judah to let his hands go. Boos cascade down onto the fighters. Judah seems completely unwilling to engage in the battle and appears content to coast to the finish. Malignaggi lands a good combo to the body.Sherdog Scores
Mike Sloan scores the round 10-9 MalignaggiGary Randall scores the round 10-9 Malignaggi
Round 12
Judah is likely down at least nine and badly needs some sort of miracle knockout in order to win. Yoel Judah is in his face, screaming at him to knock him out. Judah comes out like a storm and throws a right/left that lands. Paulie covers up but Zab fires three more shots upstairs. Malignaggi regroups and backs out, jabbing to regain control. Judah jabbing more. The early storm from Judah is over and it’s back to what it has been like for the past seven rounds. Nice jabs by Paulie, followed by a three-punch combo upstairs. Judah just misses a huge left hook. Judah throws four jabs, missing them all. Hard left cross by Judah is blocked. More posturing. They don’t exchange blows for twenty seconds, eliciting more boos from the crowd. With ten seconds left, Judah does nothing. Finally, he explodes with a ferocious right haymaker, a left, a right, missing them all at the bell. Then Judah continues to throw and roughhouse after the bell. Thankfully it’s broken up quickly.Sherdog Scores
Mike Sloan scores the round 10-9 JudahGary Randall scores the round 10-9 Malignaggi
The Official Result
Paulie Malignaggi Def. Zab Judah Decision (Unanimous) [116-111, 117-110, 117-110].Related Articles
