Chad "Bad" Dawson and Everything that is Wrong with Boxing

I'm afraid your different sources misinformed you! And what they say not only doesn't make sense, but it's exactly the wrong way around!

The WBC rules require that when the Champion is handed the belt over as Diaconu was, he has to fight 2 fights against the two best ranked contenders before he is allowed a voluntary defence. This is why Diaconu has to face both Branco and Johnson. The reason he has to face Branco first, presumably, is because Johnson is ranked higher, so it's best till last - he fights the number two contender first (Branco) and then the number one contender (Johnson) and after that, he's free to fight a voluntary defence, if he's beaten them both.

Here's what the following article in the Romanian press says:

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After Diaconu was made full Champ by the WBC, Diaconu's promoter (Ganescu) recieved a letter from the WBC in late July 2008 designating Silvio Branco as Diaconu's mandatory challenger. Diaconu was required to defend the title against Branco by November 2008. If the two parties couldn't come to terms, a purse bid was to take place on the 15th of August, the WBC ruled.

Ganescu and Obreja (President of the Romanian Boxing Federation) sent a letter to the WBC asking whether Diaconu couldn't fight someone else, Glen Johnson, for example, instead of Branco, or whether they coudn't be given permission to organise a semi-final to designate Diaconu's mandatory challenger (so he wouldn't have to fight two fights [presumably because they felt the fight against Henry should count as one of them - my note]). The chance of their request being successful, however, is small, because the rules require that if a Champion becomes Champion the way Diaconu did, he must defend his title twice against two contenders selected by the WBC, in this case, Branco and Johnson, before he is allowed to decide himself whom to fight (in a voluntary defence).

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The WBC must have declined these offers because they officially ruled that Diaconu fight Branco, with the winner being mandated to fight Glen Johnson in the very next fight.

Ganescu started negotiations with Branco's promoter. Branco's promoter didn't want the fight to take place in Romania. Diaconu's promoter wanted the fight to take place in Romania so he purse bid was to decide where the fight would take place.

Diaconu's promoter won the purse bid and the fight will be held in Romania. The winner will figh Glen Johnson, the man both Branco and Diaconu were targeting, in the very next fight, as the WBC mandated.

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So, not only did Diaconu not insist on fighting Branco rather than Johnson, but he actually insisted on fighting Johnson rather than Branco, but was told no, you must fight Branco first, with the winner being required to fight Johnson, the number one contender, next. :good

 

I wouldn't say Dawson is ducking anybody. This fight will make it 2 straight fights against Top 5 Light Heavyweights.

 

amen I couldn't have said it better.

 

I have taken a lot of heat on this board for being one of the first to criticize Duckin' Dawson (hell I think I was the first to use that term) glad to see the chickens have come home to roost with this POS!

 

Real reason?

Lack of journalistic integrity. :good