If Hopkins beats Dawson impressively....

As for the question, i would say top 4 or so. Hopkins is 46 for Christ sakes and would have beaten a guy he was ducking. Dawson will probably finish his career at HW and win a belt.

 

The way I'm reading it, Marquez has much the better chance to beat Pacquiao.

I respect Hopkins but am not a big fan of his.
Having said that, I'd rank a legit Hopkins win over Dawson at the very top of his resume.

Hopkins is an ATG to be sure, but I think many boxing fans overrate him.
A Hopkins win over Dawson, and I'd be the first person to say the words Hopkins and overrated dont belong in the same sentence.

Mad respect for Bernard Hopkins if he legitly beats Chad Dawson.
I'm on record here as saying I believe Dawson is going to stop Bernard Hopkins.

 

Exactly. Dawson has a problem motivating himself for fights. To me that was clearly the case in his Pascal fight.
Motivation is not going to be an issue against a verbal abuser like Hopkins.

If anything, I'd tone down my verbal abuse if I were Hopkins and hope to let a sleeping dog sleep.

Dawson is going to be motivated, and he's knocking Bernard Hopkins out!:deal

 

I think Chad Dawson is going pull an Oliver McCall in the 2nd half of the fight.

 

Dawson has seemed to me to not have 100% focus. I think you need 100% focus to beat a guy like Hopkins. Dawson has the tools to get the job done, but those tools are only as good as the mind and willpower driving them.

So I do think Hopkins will win. I don't think it will be easy, but I think he will win.

As to how it will rate... well, it will be amongst his better wins. Dawson is good, but we have seen in the last couple of years that he is flawed too.

 

Imo Dawson's focus is strayed when he does'nt respect the opponent.

I have every reason to believe Dawson respects Bernard Hopkins.
Dawson has been chomping at the bit to get at Hopkins, who else has Dawson called out???

Bad news for Hopkins!

 

dawsons gonna win just watch

 

I agree. I think Dawson will fight focused and show up. That's bad news for the 46 year old. When Dawson fights motivated and focused, he's a great fighter. Had he just pushed the gas against Pascal from the start, he would've KOed him by the 8th round or so. Dawson has all the tools in the world to be a P4P stud for years.

 

I've seen alot of athletes come and go who have the tools and the talent to be great, but dont have the desire and mental work ethic to get the best out of himself.

Does anyone remember Laker center Elden Campbell?

Dawson reminds me alot of Campbell.......a passive type of an attitude that is'nt motivated to put his skills on display every night.

Campbell on any particular night, if he showed up motivated and mentally ready to go, he could get it done both offensivelly and defensively on both sides of the court.
The problem with Campbell is that he did'nt have the work ethic to do it every night.


This is Dawson, and as I see him being motivated and focused for Hopkins, that does'nt mean he's going to carry it over to his next fight.

To motivate yourself for one fight is one thing.......to motivate yourself and gear yourself to prove it fight after fight is completely something different alltogether.

 

Elden Campbell had great physical tools indeed. Amazing vertical.

Dawson is at an age where he will probably be fighting top contenders from here on out so maybe he will get motivated but i get what you're saying. The motivation has to come from within. If you don't have it, you don't have it. Artificial motivation only takes you so far.

 

It would be much better than the Pavlik win.

Pavlik was fighting Bernard at 170 when he had only had one real fight above 160, which was Taylor at 164. If that isn't 90% of everyone's on ESB definition of a cherry pick, then I don't know what is.

Dawson is a legit 175-er who was #4 on P4P lists going into the Pascal fight. Adamek, Johnson X 2, and Tarver X 2 is totally legit.

 

I hope you are right.

I like Dawson, and don't really like Hopkins cause he is a racist mother****er.

Also watching Dawson at his best is a treat, hopefully he brings his A-game and wins. If he comes in focused and 100% motivated, then I agree he will win. I guess I just don't have the same faith as you that he will regain that focus.

 

I think Dawson is going to beat Hopkins but I wouldn't want to write Hopkins off anymore. Where would a win over Dawson rank? I think it would rank somewhere between 1-3 with Trinidad and Tarver. I'd personally put it as his best win when you add in Hopkins age but anywhere from 1-3 is fine.

 

Jeez.... Dawson really has gotten to some of you, hasn't he?

Pascal beat him easily, confused him with wild right hooks over the top and keeping the left hand in his face all night.

Not exactly the stuff of masters, is it?

He's really not that good, if he wins more than two rounds against Bernard I'd be amazed.

 

Well he's capable of pulling it together, no need to question that he isn't capable of, because he has shown in the past that he's capable. He showed a glimpse of his old self against Antonio Tarver, but Tarver was so shot that night, Dawson didn't need to to do much. He beat Glen Johnson the second time convincingly.

The question is will he fight to his potential against Hopkins given all the circumstances surrounding him now? I think he will, and if he does Hopkins will be in big trouble.