Watch the fight again because no way in hell Dawson looked average and no way it was close either. Dawson won almost every round. atsch
By close I meant Dawson vs Hopkins. And yes Dawson didnt look spectacular, I was expecting him to look better at offense, Antonio was hanging in there for 6 rounds no trouble, then shot legs cought up with him.
Dawson looked great against Tarver. Great jab, putting his combos together well. He didnt put Tarver away but still looked great.
I have a tendency to think that Dawson doesn't talk tough and worse, he doesn't fight tough enough. Happens that no matter how skilled and superbly shaped you are and you gat to against Bernard Hopkins, you gat to have some sort of mental edge over your opponent to take the fight your way... I can't see Chad taking things his way against Bernard even if he uses that high arm defense, mobility on the back and FW step, sharpness and workrate ( triple right jabs, switching hooks dowstairs and upstairs like against Tarver)... Hopkins would simply keep him falling in to reach him and the result could be, yes, a KO for Hopkins and victory, sweet numba 50!
Dawsons workrate would be the factor in this fight. Dawson is smart enuff not to play Hopkins' game and do what Pavlik did. Dawson is a smart fighter and would put his youth to his advantage.
Dawson would win. I just see his athletic abilities causing alot of problems for BHOP. Look at the Taylor fights, Taylor was giving him trouble just because of his athleticism and that was when Hopkins was younger. Dawson is faster, a better boxer and just as athletic as Taylor.