By Dan Ambrose: Zab Judah (42-7, 29 KOs) is slated to be the next opponent for WBA/WBC light welterweight champion Danny Garcia (25-0, 16 KO’s) in January of next year, and it’s expected to be a one-sided fight with Judah stopped early in this fight. However, Judah thinks differently, and sees himself not only beating the 24-year-old Garcia but becoming the undisputed light welterweight champion by the end of 2013.

Judah said to Fighthype.com “I’m telling you by next year, Zab Judah will be the undisputed junior welterweight champion of the world.”

Judah seems to be dreaming because he’s not going to beat Garcia. It looks like Judah’s 9th round stoppage victory over the slow and inexperienced Vernon Paris last March has gone to his head because he’s seeing things out of perspective. A closer reality will be Judah getting knocked out like he was against Amir Khan in his 5th round stoppage loss last year in July.

I don’t think Judah will last even five rounds against Garcia unless he fights completely passive and doesn’t throw any punches at all, because if he throws anything at Garcia, he’ll leave himself open for one of Garcia’s big left hooks that he likes to knockout his opponents with. Judah will not be an undisputed anything next year.

Judah is like the Audley Harrison of the light welterweight division. He keeps getting picked because he’s well known with casual boxing fans, but then he gets beaten again and fans forget about him for a while until he’s picked out again by promoter trying to get a name fighter for his guy to beat.

The good news is that once Garcia knocks Judah out, we won’t have to worry about seeing Garcia fight anymore soft old guys because Garcia will have to fight his WBC mandatory in Lucas Matthysse or else give up the strap without a fight. Hopefully, Garcia doesn’t vacate because that would look bad if he does that especially with all the talk he’s done about being willing to fight the best fighters in the light welterweight division.

Judah is technically one of the top fighters in the division, but he’s perhaps more of a bottom 15 contender behind the likes of Garcia, Matthysse, Khan, Brandon Rios, Lamont Peterson, Mike Alvarado, Ajose Olusegun, Tim Bradley, Jessie Vargas, Humberto Soto, Mercito Gesta, Kendall Holt, DeMarcus Corley and Mauricio Herrera.