The fight with Mayweather in 2006 was a significant milestone in Judah's career, despite the fact that he entered the ring after an unexpected loss to Carlos Baldomir. This event was memorable not only for its outcome but also for the chaos that erupted in the ring. Judah started the bout confidently, but in the tenth round, events unfolded that became some of the most memorable in boxing history.
At the moment Judah landed a low blow and another shot to the back of the head, Mayweather was given a timeout. Mayweather's uncle and trainer, Roger Mayweather, rushed into the ring, leading to a brawl. Soon, Judah's father, Yoel, joined him, and the conflict quickly spiraled out of control, dragging in members from both teams. Restoring order took several minutes.
💬 "It was pure madness, but not in the sense that my father was out of control," Judah recalls nearly two decades later. "Roger and Leonard Ellerbe tried to attack me, and my father, seeing Roger hit him, punched him in the face. I knew something serious was about to happen since my father is a ninth-degree black belt in Shotokan jiu-jitsu and a three-time world champion in kickboxing.
💬 "I understood that all of this was happening in front of the whole world, and I had my father ready to fight. We weren't afraid; we were ready for war. That's how it turned out. These were real emotions, real people. I saw Floyd just standing in the corner doing nothing. I perceived the situation differently because they were trying to attack my father," Judah adds.
After this incident, Judah was unable to return to the fight, and Mayweather continued the bout, winning the match. However, in Judah's opinion, the brawl had a significant impact on the course of the fight.
“This incident changed the entire course of the bout. In fact, the fight should have been stopped right there,” Judah explains. “I was being choked in the corner. When I lunged at Roger, he got under my body and was choking me while the security guard held my arms. I couldn't move, and he choked me until I started to lose consciousness. This definitely should have led to a disqualification. We all understand that if my team had attacked Floyd, it would have ended with an automatic disqualification,” emphasizes the boxer.
Judah was no stranger to scandals, recalling his loss to Kostya Tszyu five years earlier when he lashed out at referee Jay Nady in a moment of protest.
💬 "I just want to say that I was a product of my environment," Judah shares. "I'm not ashamed of it. I'm proud of where I'm from, but I'm not proud of some of my actions. I'm from Brownsville, Brooklyn, New York. For those who don't know, it's poverty at its worst. Growing up there, I was a talented boxer from a young age, and large sums of money flowed through me. I remained the same guy from Brooklyn, and I had my millions, my team. I was a product of my surroundings, and that's why I acted the way I did."
