By Mac Arnold
Fighting Side Editor

The Zab "Super" Judah vs. Amir "King" Khan 140-pound unification bout was anything but an intriguing matchup on Saturday night.

I was visiting with a good friend who was in from California and by the time I got home, the fight was in the fourth round. (I picked up the first four rounds the next morning on HBO's replay.)

But in the short time I got to see the live action, it was obvious that Khan (26-1, 18 KOs) was dominating the older champion Judah (41-7, 28 KOs) and had him busted up and looking for a way out.

Khan gave him that opportunity with a short right hook to the body during a clinch in the fifth round which was right on the belt line, and Judah dropped to his knees after a momentary pause, writhing in pain.

After referee Vic Drakulich counted 10 over Judah, he got up to his feet quite easily and was shocked to find that the blow was not ruled low but a legal shot.

I was fairly disgusted at that point. There wasn't any doubt that it was a legal punch, I mean, don't they say, "No punches below belt"?

HBO's scorer Harold Lederman said the rule is for fighters to keep their punches above the belly button, which was obscured by Judah's trunks.

Again, I believe the fighting side and heart of Judah knew he would eventually be knocked out by the 24-year-old Khan and he sought a way to capitulate with dignity.

And once I watched the first four rounds the next day, it was clear why because he was being dominated and rocked by Khan's faster hands.

Unfortunately, some of the damage to his face came from an early accidental head butt, but other than a couple of nice right hooks, Judah looked every bit his 33 years and was simply outgunned.

For Khan, I believe the world is his oyster and I envision he will be the next likely opponent for whomever wins the Sept. 17 WBC Welterweight title fight between Floyd "Money" Mayweather Jr. and "Vicious" Victor Ortiz.

By Mac Arnold
Fighting Side Editor

This Saturday's matchup for the unified super lightweight title between Amir "King" Khan and Zab "Super" Judah has all the right makings to be an exciting fight even if both boxers possess similar styles.

It also is a crossroads bout for each as well. Khan, the WBA champ at 25-1 with 17 KOs, can hold claim to his rightful place among today's best fighters and continue on in his quest to gain a fight with five-time champ Floyd "Money" Mayweather.

Judah, the IBF champ, at 33 a loss at this point in his career would likely drop him into the category of faded ex-champs. He already has lost a 2006 IBF welterweight title fight against Mayweather.

Both pugilists are puncher-boxers who focus more on putting punches together in order to score a knockout and are content on winning a decision if need be to take the fight.

Often similar styles can break fights rather than make them, but since each boxer here is more brash than the ordinary fighter, I see this heightening the action.

The volatile Judah (41-6 28 KOs), who shoved a ref with a glove and tossed a stool after he was stopped in his November 2001 junior welterweight title match against Kostya Tszyu, often starts fast and fades in the later rounds.

Khan, who says his youth will be served in this fight, counts on his hand and foot speed to get inside of his opponent to score punches and then get out.

Both fighters have highly touted trainers with Khan being handled by an even bigger loud mouth, Freddie Roach, and Judah having longtime Olympic and lightweight champ Pernell Whitaker in his corner.

I see this fight going the distance with Khan having his hand raised after the final bell rings in the 12th round. There could be some early struggles for the British battler, with the southpaw Judah scoring a flash knockdown perhaps in the third or fourth round.

The fight is on regular HBO and I'll be front and center watching in the Arnold living room at 10 p.m. Saturday.

By Mac Arnold
Fighting Side Editor

I just went ahead and changed this blog to a boxing one because of the putrid decision I watched on HBO's "Boxing After Dark" on Saturday night. That's how much I was moved by this crock of a win.

The Paul "The Punisher" Williams' majority decision over Erislandy Lara was one of the worst I've ever seen in years and years of scoring fights.

Williams (40-2, 27 KOs) was on the rebound after his devastating second-round KO loss to former junior middleweight champion and current WBC middleweight champ Sergio Martinez in November.

Lara (15-1-1 10 KOs) repeatedly exposed Williams' glaring weakness at blocking and slipping overhead lefts and drilled the much taller 6-foot-2 pugilist again and again over the 12-round fight.

The same style of left that Martinez used to drop Williams eyes wide open, face first on the canvas.

Just glancing over some blogs on the topic, one noted that a Martinez-Williams III bout isn't likely to happen because Martinez tweeted "Williams would get killed."

That one judge -- Al Bennett -- had it a draw at 114-114, was remotely acceptable, but how the other two -- Hilton Whitaker (115-114) and Don Givens (116-114) gave the fight to Williams left me incredulous. ESPN.com had it for Lara 116-112. HBO's Harold Lederman, the network's unofficial scorer, had Lara winning a wide decision.

I had 116-112 for Lara.

All three HBO commentators -- Max Kellerman, Bob Papi and ex-champ Roy Jones Jr. -- had disgusted looks on their faces while finishing out the broadcast and commented as such that the decision basically stunk.

I realize shooting my mouth off here won't do much to rectify what has been happening in boxing since decisions have been rendered in the beginning of the 20th century.

However, letting off steam seems to be the best way to get it off my chest and therefore into the public awareness, which may eventually work its way into a solution.

Well ... maybe.