Nope. Dawson was a special athlete and a more than capable boxer. He was legit. But this: This content is protected
I think Dawson would be up after 7-8 but fade and get stopped. He's better than generally appreciated, tho.
Too many question marks with Beterbiev, he hasn't fought anyone on Dawson's level. That said I think it would matter more on which Dawson showed up. Dawson sometimes looked like he might be the next ATG and then he'd come in looking like poo poo. An A game Dawson wins a decision in dominant fashion, a less than stellar Dawson gets wrecked.
He definitely would have. He was too athletic and too good a boxer. People harp on the one Johnson fight, but who hasn't gotten tagged and hurt in a fight, when you are a pro fighter? Dawson haters automatically gave Johnson six rounds in the bank, for one punch. lol Recall prime Dawson could handle big strong guys like Johnson, and Adamek, as well as guys who could box a bit like Tarver. Prime Dawson also had heart. He wouldn't fold when he got hurt, or dropped. I'd pick that Dawson over Beterbiev, by UD.
Dawson was a talented athlete but he built his rep on beating 40 year olds.. Tarver, Bhop, Johnson.. almost every time he fought a younger lion he either looked underwhelming or lost. When you look at his career in the round you realise that he was too fragile for somebody like Beterbiev. It's obvious to anyone that he'd have got broken up by the Russian. Ill just remind you all that Jean Pascal whooped him, a near 40 yr old Harding dropped him (Harding has a 25% KO ratio ) Adamek dropped him, he got stopped by Fonfara & Ward, Stevenson obliterated him .. he also looked like **** against Diaconu too.. he had a good run & was an enjoyable fighter to watch but I can't see him beating Beterbiev. In fact you could argue Johnson won one of those fights too..
I was high on Dawson before he went downhill but someone like Pascal would've had a better chance imo. I think Chad matches up terrible with AB. I still remember the dogfighting Glen put Dawson in as an old dog. It's like, I understand why Chad SHOULD give Beterbiev a problem, at his theoretical best, but the same way I'd understand why he SHOULDN"T have a dogfight with Johnson. . .
Btw, my point by posting the Johnson fight was that Dawson had off nights. So it depends on which version shows up.
Glen was stone and would've given Beterbiev (as well as everyone else in the current top 10) hell as well. Also Dawson coasted the first part of that fight, then dominated the rematch. Dawson UD with a couple precarious moments when his mind wanders in the ring (which it did in nearly every fight). Chad is woefully underrated.
Like I said in a later post, Dawson had off nights. He got dominated by Pascal up until he completely took over. He had lapses like that. So for as good as he really was, its hard to bet on him.