Pretty simple, does Chad Dawson beat Pascal in a rematch? Does he beat Hopkins? Or both? I think he beats both.
If Steward can bring more fight out of him than that is all that is required. It isnt a skill issue with Chad it is all mental and dare I say Chad might be mentally challenged either perceptively or actually as in a cognitive issue. Not sure which it is but like i said there hasnt been a better combination puncher at LHW since Holyfield.
Dawson pre-Pascal I thought he would beat both Pascal and Hopkins, but even though I think he beats Pascal in the rematch, Dawson doesn't have the aggressiveness of a prime Jermaine Taylor or Joe Calzaghe to be able to put that much pressure on Hopkins before getting sloppy. A Dawson-Hopkins would be a draw with Dawson narrowly outboxing Hopkins until Hopkins figures him out with cleaner shots and bodyshots slowing down Dawson. It would be too close to call. I really hope Hopkins retires after the Pascal fight or has an easy defense farewell fight. Once he makes history, no one will have **** on him and that record won't be broken for a very, very long time.
Dawson got lazy, simple as that, he hadn't really been pushed and took the Pascal fight lightly. He has by far the best skill set out of the three and had he not been cut I believe he would have stopped Pascal the first time. Hopkins wanted no part of Dawson obviously.
Dawson lacks desire in the ring, he has all the tools, good jab, punches in combinations, he can get on his bicycle, I think he has a good chin. Maybe it was issues with J.Prince that caused his mental problems.
Don't know where Dawson's at right now. He might end up getting rocked by Pascal again and caught off guard with his weird/explosive style. Or he might make some adjustments to deal with Pascal's movement and slow him down. He might beat Hopkins now, but Hopkins might rough him up and out-think him. Both are kind of tough to call. I don't really know why people talk up Dawson like he's some uber-skilled beast when focused. He has some speed, decent combination punching, but he doesn't mix offense and defense well, he has a lot of mental lapses, and he's not all that durable. Basically, he's a good fighter, but sure as hell isn't something special. edit: his defensive reflexes are also underwhelming. He's got the Cotto thing going for him...he's enjoyed more success than he would otherwise because of the era he fights in.
Both. Dawson's a pimp. I'll be the first to admit I'm wrong, but I've got mad love with Dawson's resume and future direction.