Undercard Zuhdi Steals the Spotlight from Johnson V. James

Noah Zuhdi, who some might call “Oklahoma’s Brightest Prospect,” grew up in Northwest Oklahoma City idolizing his father’s longtime friend, former WBA World Lightweight Champion Sean O’Grady. A young Zuhdi asked his mother if he could grow up to be like his idol. She told him yes on one condition; Noah could not box.

Well, he honored his mom’s wish…for a time. Instead of the sweet science, Zuhdi took up the slightly less physical sport of basketball. He honed his craft and took it through Heritage Hall High School to St. Gregory’s University. During his college career, he was the 2003 Rhema Basketball Classic MVP.

After graduating from St. Gregory’s, Noah turned to boxing to stay in shape. He found the sport agreed with him; so much so that he turned pro without even boxing in the amateurs. His first fight was November 18, 2007 at Remington Park Racetrack & Casino in Oklahoma City. He surprised those in attendance when he KO’d his opponent, Rafael Torres, two minutes and 25 seconds of the first round. Since that night, boxing fans have been eagerly awaiting his next fight. They got their chance on the night of April 1st when he returned to a packed house, standing room only crowd at Remington Park for “Tuesday Night Fights” hosted by CatBOX Entertainment.

Zuhdi’s second professional fight was against Isaiah Gibson, a prison guard from McAlester, Oklahoma. The 25 year old Zuhdi was the fourth fight of the evening; however, he might as well have been the main event. The arena erupted in applause and cheers as he entered to Da Zu by local music artist Optimus Prime; a song tailor-made for Zuhdi. He had fans eating out of his glove as he took a pre-fight stroll around the ring. At the opening bell, Zuhdi rocketed his 134-pound frame across the ring to attack his opponent. Gibson quickly met a barrage of finely measured jabs followed by precise right uppercuts and hooks. It wasn’t long before Zuhdi put Gibson on his bicycle with his non-stop punching. The referee stopped the right one minute and 55 seconds into round one to save a fast-fading Gibson. Zuhdi won his second professional appearance by TKO.

For having just two fights under his belt, Zuhdi fights (and interviews) like a seasoned pro. With Sean O’Grady as his trainer and a first class promotional team behind him, Zuhdi may not be a main event fighter yet, but he has the pieces in place to get the attention of the boxing world. Again, the short work Zuhdi makes of his opponents, must keep his fans eagerly awaiting his next fight. North Texas Boxing is too.