While others believe their potential fight would be little more than a cash grab, Zab Judah has suggested that Floyd Mayweather, his former opponent, must have a “strategic” reason for wanting to face Ryan Garcia.
The bizarre matchup continues to be discussed as a possible option for Garcia, who claimed his WBC world title by dethroning Mario Barrios in February.
Returning to action last month, the 28-year-old then retained his welterweight strap with a second-round finish over Conor Benn, before calling for a unification match with WBA champion Teofimo Lopez.
But while that showdown could materialise in February, Garcia’s lawyer and advisor, Guadalupe Valencia, has told Ring Magazine’s Mike Coppinger that a Mayweather fight is also on the cards for next year.
This, if terms are agreed, would be Mayweather’s first professional outing since 2017 and, therefore, can only take place if the Hall of Famer agrees to put his 50-0 record on the line.
The fight itself, meanwhile, seems largely nonsensical – given the near two-decade difference in age – yet Judah, who lost a unanimous decision to Mayweather in 2006, has told Fight Hub TV that the 49-year-old might have an ace up his sleeve.
“If he takes on this fight, it’s because he knows something. Floyd Mayweather does not just jump in the ring and make stupid, outlandish moves.
“All of his moves are strategic; all of his moves are planned out. I don’t know what would make him want to tangle with a [28-year-old], being [nearly] 50 years old [himself].
“But I feel like, if he does sign the contract, he knows something that we don’t know.”
With Garcia having previously trained at the Mayweather Boxing Club, Judah’s logic is that Mayweather has seen chinks in the 28-year-old’s armour.
