It must be the burden of all famous boxers to have to occasionally deal with drunken, testosterone-soaked fools who think it would be fun to prove their manhood by challenging them to a fight. It can only end badly.

Former welterweight champ Zab Judah got in some boxing practice at Stereo nightclub Monday night. Several sources say the southpaw slugger threw multiple punches during a brief melee at the Chelsea hot spot.

"He was at the club when all of a sudden he was sucker-punched by this one guy," according to a witness. "Then the guy's two other friends jumped into the fight."

A club source said a review of the videotape indicated the assailants "might have been plotting something."

The apparent attackers were removed by security.

In this case I'm not sure Zab Judah had much of a choice but to defend himself, but I can imagine his colleague Floyd Mayweather coming up with something creative, like slapping his assailants in the face with a 6-inch wad of $100 bills.

[NYDN]