It must have been sometime between the young mans bout vs. Ian Gardner and Eric Harding that I recognized the vast potential that lies within this pugilistic athlete. Rarely do we find such a well knit package in a fighter yet his share of nay-sayers seem to only grow by the dozens after every prize fight. Rather than attempt to sway the masses on his side Id like to take a moment and reflect and revisit Chads most recent bout vs. the game and determined Magic Man Tarver. Its no mystery that Chad has had his share of hiccups along his adventures in boxing land but might I add that many boxing addicts consider success through adversity commendable. Chad has been hurt, dazed and dropped yet he seemingly calls upon his inner warrior to push him even harder .taking more risks to prove his rights of passage. I for one would utterly despise any fighter who finds it almost natural to seek out danger after feeling my wrath .as if hes telling me Thats all you got this is what I call character, its a fighters self evolution and resolve that separates them from the crowd. Chad wanted to prove a point, he wanted to show the boxing public that he has no qualms going toe to toe with Tarver, eat every punch he decided to throw and give back his own leather in appreciation. I have never seen Tarver placed in a shell of obscurity, his sporadic attack only added to his sub conscious awe of Dawsons offensive arsenal. Hopkins out smarted a somewhat less that 100% Tarver while Dawson twice dwarfed and pigeon holed the Magic Man. I admit I cant rightfully place a large amount of stock on the young mans performance vs a 40 year old fighter but I also cant put to bed the toughness he portrayed, the pushing the shoving and the relentless attack. It was as if the time he took off during the bout and hits he absorbed where used to fuel his fire. Tall, lanky, strong, well conditioned, determined, skilled and full of feline reflexes the boy is the total package in my opinion. A dose of reality would be to mention his so called lack of KO power .well would it be fair if he packed a punch like Julian Jackson?? Jack of all trades he is, master of none ..what Chad has shown me is that his cup is only half full and to deny his talent should be a crime to humanity. This boy can and would give any light heavy hell at the moment (retired & active) my safe money will always be on him to walk out the ring victorious.
Excellent post Caper. Dawson is underrated by people here. I really don't know what more they want. It's not like he was going to KO Tarver who has good defense and a good chin. He basically beat the crap outta him for 2 fights but for some it's not enough. They still continue to call him china chinned boring and feather-fisted when he's shown just the opposite. Standing up to Johnson's attack firing back and not melting down under his pressure. He took good shots from Tarver who can crack and didn't go down. He outclassed Adamek the current CW champ. The guy is the real deal but has no comp at 175 left to face. He has to move down to 168 and seek out the best there, perhaps then he'll get some respect.
The boys had my respect for quite some time, I truly can't comprehend why he dosent serve up more accolades from the boxing community. Case in point anyone who treats adamek like a punching bag without fear of retaliation proves as a testament to their fighting pedigree.
The Dawson Effect? He doesn't put his opponents to sleep, he puts the audience to sleep. Nah, he's good. He's got a lot of skill and some heart in the heat of battle, but he does tend to lose focus and fade down the stretch. I think there certainly is an X factor missing there. He's a very likeable guy and I'd like to see him do well, but I'm not convinced he's champion caliber. Not yet, anyway.
I under-rate him because many, many, many people on here over-rated him. I've had to argue all bloody day with a guy who thinks he would of KO'd Calzaghe. :-(
At light heavy Joe would need to pull out every trick to ease past Dawson. Chad's a different beast when compared to the two 40 somthings he fought at that weight class. While I'd give Joe the edge I would'nt be surprised to see the young horse simply outwork and land quite a large amount of combos on Joe. You'd have to be a blind nutthugger not to consider Dawson a stiff test for the aging Calz.
Cosign...Dawson would also give himself the opportunity to take on some marketable names. Victories over Froch and Kessler would help him capture the attention of the american public while building public support and demand.
