There's no Tavoris Cloud available, no Pascal available, Brahmer is in jail (I think), B-Hop isn't available, Shumenov is the best option... Him or Danny Green.....
Beibut would be thumped. He's a weak champ. Dawson is a whole other level. Still, this would be better than anything else seeing as Beibut has a belt.
there's no way shumenov's management puts him in with dawson. especially after his last brutal LOSS to campillo. dawson would embarrass the guy.
Dawson would toy with him. That said, I don't think he'll be fighting anyone before Pascal, though. Maybe someone who'll come dirt cheap and whose quality matches the price tag, but I wouldn't hold my breath for it.
Dawson is going to fight twice this year: once again Pascal in July, and then again at the end of the year (Cloud?). I do wish he were more active, but his deal with HBO is exclusive and they get to approve every opponent.
HBO ****ed up making an all exclusive deal with Dawson. He's been dull in every fight. They need to match him with a brawler who'll make him punch a bit and create some interest in him
Off HBO, though? I thought he was locked in. He was great in the Johnson I fight, but HBO ****ed up in overpaying for Dawson/Tarver II. Dawson/Johnson II was a fight a lot of people wanted, but you knew Chad had the potential to make it an easier, less action packed night for himself. Dawson/Pascal and Dawson/Cloud figure to be great fights. For the sake of the division, Cloud needs to beat Johnson.
The contract between Pascal and Dawson is that Dawson is free to fight anyone right now but he MUST fight Pascal later in the year. I don't know if Dawson has signed the contract yet though.