By Dan Ambrose: In a battle of #3 and #4 IBF ranked 140 pounders, former IBF light welterweight champion Zab Judah (41-7, 28 KO’s) will be fighting the new blood in the light welterweight division undefeated Vernon Paris (26-0, 15 KO’s) in a battle for the IBF light welterweight title at the Aviator Sports Complex in Brooklyn, New York. Judah was stopped in his last fight against Amir Khan and looked gun-shy, as if he was afraid to get hit. He got hit a lot before getting stopped in the 5th round.

Tonight, Judah has no choice but to get his feet wet if he wants to win the IBF title because Paris, an excellent body puncher, will be really bringing it to try and hurt Judah and get him out of there as fast as possible. Judah has been little more than six round fighter for the past five years and I don’t expect his stamina to suddenly improve in that area.

Paris has a pretty good idea that Judah isn’t the fighter he once was and is going to be really coming after him tonight to put a hurting on him to wear him down and get a stoppage. Either way, Paris will either wear Judah down to KO him or he’ll wear him down and win a 12 round decision. That’s a given. Judah has looked horrible in fights against Lucas Matthysse where he won what a lot of boxing fans saw as a gift decision, and looked to be on his way to losing to Kaizer Mabuza until catching him with a big shot to capture the IBF title in March 2011 with a 7th round TKO win.

Judah has only fought three good fighters since 2008 – Khan, Mabuza and Mattysse – and should have lost two out of the three fights. Mabuza staggered Judah shortly he himself was stopped. Judah was beaten by Joshua Clottey by a 9th round technical decision in August 2008.