Zab Judah is adamant he will be crowned ‘King of Brooklyn’ after knocking out Paulie Malignaggi.
The pair clash this Saturday night at the Barclays Center in New York, and while the fight has been viewed in some quarters as a ‘friendly’ matchup, with the two fighters having been nothing but respectful to one another in the lead up, Judah has poured scorn on such claims declaring that there is nothing chummy about this weekend’s showdown.
“I’m the real Brooklyn, New York. This is my office. They built this arena for me and on Saturday night I’m going to show the world why. We’re in a gladiator sport. We have to fight to the best of our abilities. People want to see tough fighters with skills. Even though my last fight was a setback, it still got me back here today.
“This isn’t a game for me. People keep saying this fight is friendly but at the end of the day these are the old Roman days. Only thing different is I can’t behead him, so I’m going to knock him out.
“I do the impossible. I’m the only one to put more hands on Floyd Mayweather than anyone ever has.”
Judah looked confident as he weighed in, hitting the scales at 146lbs, with Malignaggi bang on the welterweight limit at 147lbs.
The 36-year-old also questioned Malignaggi’s right to claim that he is from Brooklyn, claiming he isn’t the real deal.
“Paulie wasn’t born here, he migrated from somewhere else. To me, if we were comparing sneakers I’d be Jordans at Foot Locker and he’d be Canal Street, he’s not authentic. I’m authentic, I’m from here. I’m born and raised here.
“I feel great because I know we’re going to have a Brooklyn champion in myself. I’m going to make sure Paulie’s job [as a Showtime Sports analyst] is locked in stone. After this he’s going to be a full-time commentator.
“I know that this is a special opportunity for me, it’s the opportunity to crown yourself the King of your city. This is the old Roman days, there can only be one king and I’m taking it back to that. Saturday night, I’m back.”
