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Noah Zuhdi

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Noah Zuhdi (born February 27, 1983) is a former college basketball player,[1][2] former professional boxer and World Boxing Union (WBU) Lightweight Champion,[3][4] and current American entrepreneur based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. He is the grandson of famed, renowned heart surgeon Nazih Zuhdi[5] and son of attorney Nabil "Bill" Zuhdi.

Early life

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Zuhdi was the only child born to Janet Denker and Nabil "Bill" Zuhdi on February 27, 1983, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Zuhdi's athleticism quickly pronounced itself as he played for Heritage Hall High School and became a standout point guard for the team. By his senior year of high school, Zuhdi's strong performances on the court would earn him a nomination to McDonald's High School All American basketball team in 2001.[6] After graduation, Zuhdi would progress to collegiate basketball, first with Southwestern College in Winfield, Kansas, and then with St. Gregory's University in Shawnee, Oklahoma.[7][8] It was at St. Gregory's University where he would go on to be named an NAIA Academic All American.[7][9]

With his basketball eligibility winding down in college, Zuhdi focused on two other outlets to build and display his various skills: law and boxing. After graduating from St. Gregory's University, Zuhdi was accepted into and entered Oklahoma University's School of Law . While simultaneously training for boxing and studying, Zuhdi found success in both fields as he graduated from the School of Law in 2009 and became a champion in boxing.[10]

Professional boxing career

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Zuhdi forewent amateur bouts and started his professional boxing career on November 18, 2007. He would win his pro debut against Rafael Torres via TKO in Round 1. Under the guidance of Sean O'Grady and Buck Smith,[1][11] Zuhdi's early years were so successful that he won The Daily Oklahoman's Prospect of the Year award.[12][13] His rise up the ranks of boxing was cemented with a first round knockout of fellow undefeated fighter, George Colbert, in a bout for the Oklahoma State Lightweight Championship on November 24, 2008, in a highly contentious atmosphere at Remington Park in Oklahoma City. Before the bout with Colbert, Zuhdi observed, "It was the best atmosphere yet. You had my fans and his fans going back and forth."[14] Zuhdi would win the Oklahoma State Lightweight Championship with the victory.

Following his championship victory, Zuhdi won his next four fights, amassing a 9-0 record at the time. All of those wins would come by knockout. He would lose to Reymundo Hernandez in his 10th professional fight before bouncing back with five straight victories and joining with veteran trainer Dickie Wood. He proceeded to get his 15th victory over Richard Flores by unanimous decision, setting himself up for a WBU Lightweight Championship bout with German Jurado.[15]

WBU Lightweight Championship reign (2012-2014)

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On September 20, 2012, at the Cox Convention Center in Oklahoma City, Zuhdi fought a spirited battle against Jurado for 12 rounds, ultimately earning a unanimous decision and winning the WBU Lightweight Championship.[16][3] While it was an action-packed fight, Zuhdi never trailed in the bout, established dominance by the end of the seventh round, and won on the judges' scorecards by margins of 117-111, 116-112, and 116-112.[15] Zuhdi said afterward, "You want to be in fights that people will remember forever. No matter what else happens, this is why I got into boxing[...]I wanted this fight. I wanted to fight the best. You want to go toe-to-toe. This is why I sacrificed what I sacrificed."[3]

Zuhdi's first defense of his lightweight championship came against Gyula Vajda, a dangerous national champion from Hungary, on August 24, 2013.[17] Taking place in front of a sold-out crowd at the Lucky Star Casino in Concho, Oklahoma, the hard-hitting affair was brief but explosive. Significant shots were landed by both fighters in the first round with Zuhdi scoring a knockdown over Vajda. In the second round, Zuhdi knocked Vajda down again with a devastating barrage started by an overhand right, this second knockdown putting Vajda down for good. In a post-fight interview, Zuhdi stated, "I knew I had to do something quick in the second because I could see his demeanor change after the first knockdown. It was a great win. I give my opponent a lot of credit–he hit hard, he stayed in there, and he fought to get up (after getting knocked down). I'm happy with the result, but I'm looking forward to what's next."[18]

The second defense of Zuhdi's championship occurred at the OKC Downtown Airpark in Oklahoma City on June 6, 2014.[19] He would face off with Eduardo Pereira Dos Reis, a crafty fighter with only one loss on his record at the time of the fight. While previous fights had shown Zuhdi gutting out a fight and using his power to secure victories, this fight relied on strategy and patience. With each passing round, Zuhdi would fare significantly better, leading to combinations, infighting, and eventually injuring Reis's ribs until he did not answer the bell and come out for the fifth round.[20] After the bout, Zuhdi said, "I started out slow at first, but I was studying him. I felt I was significantly stronger and could break him down as the fight progressed[...] I was thrilled at the end, knowing that his will had been broken. I'm now 3-0 in title fights.  I'm proving that I'm continually progressing against a level of competition that is increasingly higher."[21]

Zuhdi would not lose his WBU Lightweight Championship in the ring and would walk away quietly from boxing to pursue various business ventures. His gloves from his first championship bout were collected and recorded by the Oklahoma History Center.[22] His career accomplishments were featured in Bob Burke's Uniquely Oklahoma history book.[23] His professional boxing record stands at 18-1, 1 NC (14 KOs).[15]

Entrepreneurship

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In addition to attaining and owning various real estate holdings, Zuhdi joined Charles Dowlearn in 2017 as co-owners and founders of Oklahoma Foundation Solutions, LLC, a foundation repair company based in Oklahoma City.[24][25] To the present day, the growing company has earned multiple service awards from Angi (formerly Angie's List) and Home Advisor.[26]

Professional boxing record

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Noah Zuhdi's 20-bout professional boxing record to date:[15]

20 fights 18 wins 1 loss
By knockout 14 0
Draws 0
No contests 1
No. Result Record Opponent Type Round, time Date Location Notes[15]
20 Win 18-1 (1) Eduardo Pereira Dos Reis TKO, 3:00 4 June 6, 2014 OKC Downtown Airpark, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA Retained WBU Lightweight Championship
19 Win 17-1 (1) Gyula Vajda KO, 1:09 2 August 24, 2013 Lucky Star Casino, Concho, Oklahoma, USA Retained WBU Lightweight Championship
18 Win 16-1 (1) German Jurado UD 12 September 20, 2012 Cox Convention Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA Won WBU Lightweight Championship
17 Win 15-1 (1) Richard Flores UD 6 September 2, 2011 Riverwind Casino, Norman, Oklahoma, USA
16 No Contest 14-1 (1) Terrance Roy NC 1 April 23, 2011 WinStar Casino, Thackerville, Oklahoma, USA Fight ruled no-contest after Roy tested positive for a banned substance
15 Win 14-1 Donny Miller TKO, 1:26 1 March 19, 2011 Cox Convention Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA
14 Win 13-1 Ruben Calderon UD 6 December 14, 2010 Cox Convention Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA
13 Win 12-1 Steven Cox TKO, 1:29 3 November 20, 2010 WinStar Casino, Thackerville, Oklahoma, USA
12 Win 11-1 Martin Armenta Chaparro UD 6 August 13, 2010 Cox Convention Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA
11 Win 10-1 John Temple KO, 2:55 3 May 21, 2010 Cox Convention Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA
10 Loss 9-1 Reymundo Hernandez KO, 1:16 1 February 11, 2010 Remington Park, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA
9 Win 9-0 Robert Flaherty KO, 1:49 2 November 12, 2009 Remington Park, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA
8 Win 8-0 Anthony McKay TKO, 1:47 1 August 25, 2009 Remington Park, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA
7 Win 7-0 Jason McClure TKO, 1:54 6 March 13, 2009 First Council Casino, Newkirk, Oklahoma, USA
6 Win 6-0 Jason Jones KO, 1:08 1 February 13, 2009 Remington Park, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA
5 Win 5-0 George Colbert KO, 0:45 1 November 24, 2008 Remington Park, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA Won Oklahoma State Lightweight Championship
4 Win 4-0 Blaine Burks TKO, 1:29 1 September 12, 2008 Comanche Nation Casino, Lawton, Oklahoma, USA
3 Win 3-0 Chance Brown TKO, 2:58 1 July 22, 2008 Remington Park, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA
2 Win 2-0 Isaiah Gibson TKO, 1:55 1 April 1, 2008 Remington Park, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA
1 Win 1-0 Rafael Torres TKO, 2:25 1 September 18, 2007 Remington Park, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA

References

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  1. ^ a b Przybylo, Robert. "O'Grady helps Zuhdi make switch to boxing". The Oklahoman. Retrieved 2022-11-06.
  2. ^ "Noah Zuhdi Biography". ESPN. Retrieved 2022-05-30.
  3. ^ a b c Oklahoman, By RJ Young, For The. "Boxing: Oklahoma City's Noah Zuhdi is World Boxing Union lightweight champ". The Oklahoman. Retrieved 2022-11-04.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  4. ^ "WBU Titles 2010-2014". wbuboxing.org. Retrieved 2022-05-30.
  5. ^ "Gloves from Zuhdi's historic win will be a part of History Museum exhibit". okcfriday.com. Retrieved 2022-05-30.
  6. ^ Transcript, Transcript StaffThe Norman (16 September 2012). "Zuhdi in fight of his life". Norman Transcript. Retrieved 2022-05-30.
  7. ^ a b "catBOX Entertainment". www.catboxentertainment.com. Retrieved 2022-05-30.
  8. ^ "Noah Zuhdi Goes For State Lightweight Boxing Title". okcfriday.com. Retrieved 2022-11-04.
  9. ^ "Zuhdi v. Jurado/The Fight For Glory Main Event". Boxing at FightKings.Com. Retrieved 2022-05-30.
  10. ^ Hoover, Brendan. "Lawyer up". Oklahoma Gazette. Retrieved 2022-05-30.
  11. ^ Martin, Charles. "Fight nights are back as boxing returns to Remington Park". Oklahoma Gazette. Retrieved 2022-11-06.
  12. ^ "The 13th Round - Boxing for the Hardcore". www.the13thround.com. Retrieved 2022-05-30.
  13. ^ "The Zhudi Family | Edmond Outlook". 2011-10-07. Retrieved 2022-07-16.
  14. ^ "Zuhdi wins matchup of hometown fighters | NewsOK.com". 2008-12-25. Archived from the original on 2008-12-25. Retrieved 2022-05-30.
  15. ^ a b c d e "BoxRec: Noah Zuhdi". boxrec.com. Retrieved 2022-05-30.
  16. ^ "Noah Zuhdi Defeats German Jurado of Panama for WBU Lightweight Championship". www.doghouseboxing.com. Retrieved 2022-11-02.
  17. ^ Shadid, Trent. "Noah Zuhdi to defend title in Concho on Saturday night". The Oklahoman. Retrieved 2022-11-02.
  18. ^ Przybylo, Phillip (2013-08-25). "Noah Zuhdi Blasts Vajda in Two, Retains Title". www.boxing247.com. Retrieved 2022-05-30.
  19. ^ Press, Boxing. "Zuhdi Puts WBU Belt At Risk Against Reis In Oklahoma City – Boxing News". Retrieved 2022-11-02.
  20. ^ Abrams, Marc (June 9, 2014). "Zuhdi TKOs Reis and retains WBU World Championship". Retrieved July 16, 2022.
  21. ^ "Another Dominant Defense For WBU Champ Noah Zuhdi - Boxing News 24/7". www.boxing247.com. 2014-06-07. Retrieved 2022-11-02.
  22. ^ "Gloves from Zuhdi's historic win will be a part of History Museum exhibit". okcfriday.com. Retrieved 2022-09-12.
  23. ^ Burke, Bob (2013). Uniquely Oklahoma. Oklahoma Heritage Association. p. 84. ISBN 978-1938923074.
  24. ^ "Oklahoma Foundation Solutions, LLC | Better Business Bureau® Profile". www.bbb.org. Retrieved 2022-11-02.
  25. ^ "About Us". Oklahoma Foundation Solutions, LLC. Retrieved 2022-05-30.
  26. ^ "OKC Foundation Repair Company Further Expands Their Services to Edmond". finance.yahoo.com. Retrieved 2022-11-02.
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