Chad Dawson Grabs Torch From Antonio Tarver; Vitali Klitschko is Back; Hopkins-Pavlik on Deck
October 12, 2008
“Pound for pound [Chad Dawson] is the best fighter in the world” – Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Last night Chad Dawson put on a boxing clinic on Antonio Tarver in a rare clash of fellow southpaws, but a common match-up of undefeated youth vs. battle-tested veteran. The light-heavyweight performance included incredible hand-speed, multiple 6+ punch combinations, head shots, body shots, and an impressive punch output. Even when Dawson lost a round to Tarver, it had less to do with Tarver and more to do with Dawson deciding to take a rest. Should we read more into this than the fact that Tarver was born in ‘68 and Dawson in ‘82? Not sure, but something special could be happening. Here are some thoughts:
Who is Chad Dawson? He is a fighter with a full array of boxing skill who comes from a very exotic boxing place called New Haven, Connecticut. In a sport completely dominated by other countries, Dawson is the very rare under-30 top-shelf American fighter (see Kelly Pavlik, Juan Diaz - maybe)… In beating the aging Tarver he displayed his boxing skills. In surviving a previously grueling and controversial decision with veteran brawler Glen Johnson, he showed that he had toughness and grit. The 26 year-old Dawson should keep improving, and is poised to clear out a light-heavyweight division full of aging legends. Tarver, Johnson, and Roy Jones Jr. all turn 40 in the next few months. “New” division arrivals Bernard Hopkins is 43 and soon-to-be retiring Joe Calzaghe is a pup at 36. These guys can’t fight forever, and it looks like it is Chad Dawson’s time to put an end to the light heavyweight Seniors Tour.
Just How Good is Chad Dawson?: Dawson’s complete ring display prompted announcer Al Bernstein says: “there is nothing offensively in a boxing ring that Chad Dawson can’t do”. Despite Bernstein’s quote and Floyd Mayweather’s ringing endorsement, many questions remain where a younger version of Tarver could have provided answers. Similar to Calzaghe, Dawson often employs his superior hand-speed in a “shoe-shine” fashion where he never fully lets go of his punches. Dawson says: “our motto is one round at a time”, and you can tell. His game plan seemed deliberate where he would easily win two rounds before taking the third round off. He simply gave away Rounds 3, 6, and the first half of round 9. And while normally measured, the Johnson fight showed that he can mix it up under pressure. Chad Dawson and his all-around skill is one of the best things to happen to the light-heavyweight division which has been starving for competent young fighters.
Respect for Antonio Tarver:Announcer Jim Gray asked if age was a factor, and Tarver said “I don’t think so”. Proud aging boxers never do. Tarver admitted that “I couldn’t land the left”,but the reality was that Tarver just couldn’t pull the trigger on the openings as he has in the past. His punches lacked crispness, were more looping and telegraphed, and even his body looked a little softer. Even still, he used his savvy to block many of Dawson’s punches and was never seriously hurt. Unlike Dawson and many other fighters, a young dangerous Antonio never received fighting opportunities to make any real money in his 20’s. It wasn’t until almost 35 that he was able to fight Roy Jones. Tarver has earned every penny he has ever made. If he gets a couple of more “legends tour” fight paydays to make up for the early days, there will be no argument here.
What’s Next For Dawson?: While Glen Johnson definitely deserves a rematch, it is unlikely Dawson wants any part of that with bigger money fights that are less tough. Expect him to wait on next week’s Hopkin’s-Pavlik and next month’s RJJ-Calzaghe winners and sign a fight. Dawson-Pavlik (assuming Pavlik victory) would be the best fight, but a mutual weight might be an additional issue. Expect Dawson to go vigorously after the RJJ-Calzaghe winner.
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NOTES:
Vitali (not Wladimir) Klitchko Beats Samuel Peter in Return to Ring: Okay, folks. I missed the fight and will have to catch the replay! Maxboxing has the recap. By all accounts, Vitali Klitschko shook off four years of rust to turn in a masterful performance against the hard punching Samuel Peter — and perhaps only hope to overturn an old and/or dull division. With Vitali’s belt, both Klitschko brothers are now champions. But there will be no all-Williams final at Wimbledon boys and girls, as the brothers have ruled that possibility out — no matter how many millions are at the table. If Vitali was like the old Vitali, I would have to take him over his bro. There is a reason Lennox Lewis retired rather than ink that lucrative Vitali rematch.
NEXT WEEK!: Bernard Hopkins vs. Kelly Pavlik: (Reprint) The last great middleweight is matched up with the current and possible future great middleweight. Hopkins is 43 and coming off his loss to Joe Calzaghe, but how many times have we pronounced Bernard dead before (see Tito and Tarver)? Much respect to Pavlik for taking this one. He has everything to lose, but very little to gain except a shiny name on the resume. Pavlik has never faced a technician like Hopkins before, and Bernard is not one to get knocked out. And has anyone actually ever looked really good fighting Hopkins? Boxingnews24 breaks down further “Why Hopkins-Pavlik is the Right Fight?”
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10 Responses to “Chad Dawson Grabs Torch From Antonio Tarver; Vitali Klitschko is Back; Hopkins-Pavlik on Deck”
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MODI,
I’m looking forward to you writing a preview of that Hopkins-Pavlik fight. I missed the Tarver-Dawson fight last night, and it sounds like I missed a good one. I saw some of Dawson’s earlier fights, and he does tend to try to take breaks in fights. Against fighters like Tarver, Jones, or Hopkins in their primes, that strategy would have made him toast.
K1’s height and jab were the story of this bout. He barely had to exert much energy to keep Peter off of him Peter’s face was puffed up pretty bad but he did not seem seriously hurt. He must of figured, “why bother” because all the rounds looked pretty much the same with no hope of any change. Intrestingly enough, the K brothers and Peter are the only heavyweights that I can think of right now.
Dawson, is the truth at 175. He might be a little chinny but I like the way he commits to the head and the body. Time for Marvin the Martion to hang them up though and spend more time with his hot wife. As you pointed out above-he can see the openings but can’t pull the trigger.
really enjoy your boxing analysis, MODI, because you really make the match-ups sound like must-see viewing. I have the Mosely-Mayorga and Dawson-Tarver fights on DVR and plan to dissect them later this week.
How bad is the heavyweight division if some guy can lay off for four years and come back and win a title in his return fight. That and the farce that will be Valuev-Holyfield have me shaking my head and what the Cadillac division of boxing has become.
Put me in Lennox Lewis’s camp because I think he won that Klitschko fight. Vitali tagged him all night but Lennox did what a champion was supposed to do and that was exploit a chink in his opponent’s armor to the fullest. The ref save K1’s eye and possibly his life that night because even a competent fighter would have continued to beat the hell out of Klitschko that night. Good fight and probably the last good one I’ve seen in the heavyweight division since.
Vitaly is a legendary fighter. Unfortunately for him, his skin was susceptible to cuts. He had Lennox Lewis reeling in their fight. There is nobody at heavyweight in the last decade who could tangle with Vitaly. That boy is a machine and has been the best heavyweight since Mike Tyson.
Chris Byrd lives on the next street from mine and comes over to listen to music or hit the heavy bag with me from time to time.
Spoke to him yesterday for the first time since his loss. Says he dropped too much weight, too fast. Says he’s coming back and kicking some booty.
kev,
Chris Byrd DEFINITELY took the weight off too quick. No doubt about it. It is impossible to drop that much weight so soon. I am also a big fan of Chris Byrd over the years, and Chris does not have that many fans! Most people were turned off by his style of defensive trickery in his young days, but I actually believed he was a defensive genius and enjoyed wayching him give up 40 pounds and still make his opponent look foolish.
Having said that, CHRIS BYRD SHOULD RETIRE! It was almost heart-breaking watching that last fight. It was his quickness that made him superior, and now he is simply too old. Period. I really hope that he reconsiders. He seems like a great guy, and I would hope he doesn’t jeopardize his health. Nothing more pridefully stubborn than an aging boxer…
Jimmy, I could probably agree with that… without the cuts, he wins that fight vs. Lennox…
Good analysis, MODI.
Dawson looked tremendous. Fought a smart, disciplined fight. The minute I realized that he was going to keep his guard up the entire fight I knew the fight was won. Looks like he’s really taking to the instructions from the corner now that he’s left Floyd Mayweather Sr.
And props to Tarver. He could have easily packed it in and been content to be ‘competitive’, like the Golden Boy Promotion veterans do. But he took chances and fought like a guy who really wanted to keep his title, down to the bitter end.
As far as Hopkins - Pavlik goes, I’m expecting a snoozefest. Much like Taylor-Hopkins I, with Pavlik throwing jabs from the outside and Hopkins simply being content to cash out. Maybe B-Hop catches non-head-moving Pavlik with one of those sneaky lead rights. Other than that, I just see Pavlik outworking Hopkins.
Vitaly is so good, he makes Vlad look weak. Vitaly is a monster and should be undefeated. He was on the verge of beating Lewis and forced Lewis into retirement for all intents and purposes. Chris Byrd shouldn’t even be in any conversation. He was getting completely WHORED by Vitaly in their fight years ago. Nobody out there is beating Vitaly unless this guy ages real quick. If he were American, Vitaly would be on every talk show, late night TV show across America. The guy is a legend and it’s sad that boxing today in America is about America boxers hyped by American run cable networks. It’s pretty sad indeed.
The bell tolls for everybody, especially in boxing. Bernard Hopkins is going to get beat terribly when he fights Pavlik. I can’t say I’m not looking forward to it. Hopkins has forever been one of boxing’s lowlifes. From cheating fight fans, to cheating promoters, to cheating inside the ring, to cheating his own trainers/managers/handlers out of their pay, Hopkins is proof positive that bad guys can get ahead in boxing. His style is not crowd pleasing and he doesn’t care. His methods of fighting are over the top illegal. He was involved in the biggest boxing fix (where Oscar took a dive against him and two weeks later signed a contract Golden Boy). Amazing how HBO didn’t bother calling it a dive on air, knowing full well Golden Boy was running the show. Go watch the film of that fight. The punch that “ko’ed” Oscar was a body punch that landed with the laces portion of Hopkins’ fist. The padded glove portion never connected. Oscar took a dive a full 3 seconds after the punch. That, my friends, is called a fix. Oscar knew he wasn’t going to win. Oscar wasn’t going to take a beating. They pitty patted themselves for 7 rounds and suckered the public into believing that was a real fight. That’s Bernard Hopkins. A fake and a fraud for his entire career. Whenever Bernard faced competition that was his size and weight or bigger, he took a loss.
I look forward to Pavlik putting a SEVERE beating on Hopkins. Good riddance as well. Pavlik is what boxers/boxing should be about.
Well, Pavlikd was schooled by Hopkins.
Hopkins really is a legend.