Judah loses to Clottey but might win Margarito sweepstakes

By Tim Smith

LAS VEGAS -- Joshua Clottey promised that he would beat Zab Judah, and in doing so, would punish Judah to the point that he'd cry.

Two out of three ain't bad.

Clottey battered Judah, busted his nose and sliced open his eye, and won a ninth-round technical decision to take home the vacant IBF welterweight crown at the Palms casino on Saturday.

Clottey did not make Judah cry, though. As a matter of fact, if there was any sorrow after the fight it was on the part of Clottey, who could not cleanly put away Judah, a two-time world champion from Brooklyn, N.Y.

With his gutsy performance against Clottey, Judah (36-6, 25 KOs) remains a credible threat in the welterweight division. And because Clottey sustained a torn bicep in the fifth round of the fight, he might get leap-frogged by Judah in a possible match against Antonio Margarito on Nov. 1 if Clottey isn't healed well enough to take the date.

Judah loses to Clottey but might win Margarito sweepstakes....