Dawson has top wins over undefeated Hofer Adamek, ATG Hopkins and beat a good fighter in Tarver But then again Pascal Beat Dawson, beat him up in a competitive fight pascals spirit shun through, gave hofer Froch a very tough fight and beat a good fighter in lucian Bute. Dawson had the more skill and poise, a better boxer with range and speed, he had the talent of the two, mentally not the strongest and chinny. Pascal has far more grit and toughness, the more natural fighter. its a tough one! prime for prime pascal beat dawson, has gone onto have a long successful career. dawson just imploded into nothing.
2 fighters who failed to meet expectations. Dawson was coming on, before they stopped the fight on cuts against Pascal. Dawson was winning his last fight and couldn't hold up. Didn't have that inner strength. Pascal kinda prone to injuries. While his stamina seemed compromised, he did manage to go 12 rounds a few times, but only through grit and wasn't a technician. As Hopkins said, a clubber. Dawson the better technician, skills. Pascal as @lepinthehood stated, had grit and determination, but no skills to accompany. I agree. Tough one. Dawson better wins. So I'll say NotAwesomeDawson.
Dawson-Hopkins was arguably a draw. And Pascal did beat Dawson. It´s a really close one. Maybe Dawson?
it's hard to say because it feels like Dawson but prime vs prime they fought so in the style matchup Pascal was better. Dawson went on to easily easily easily outbox Hopkins. far before Kovalev did it. Pascal was more naturally athletic. however Dawson was destroyed in fights. Pascal was only destroyed in the rematch vs Kovalev which freddy roach corrected the awkwardness of Pascal (dumb move) Pascal was the more marketable skills and in a way a more complete fighter. but he didn't have the pure boxing skills. he also had Adamek, tarver and Hopkins. it's hard to say Dawson was better but he was, but prime vs prime styles made fights and Pascal was the better in the matchup even though Dawson was better overall
it was not arguably a draw one judge had it a draw and that was a "WTF moment" the fight wasn't even close.
I say this with bias because after Roy/Toney etc....fell into oblivion, Dawson was my favorite fighter. Chad Dawson was without a doubt the most aggravating fighter to root for of any fighter I've ever rooted for. Physically and skillwise Chad Dawson should've been damn near unbeatable. Tall, fast, rangy, good hand and footspeed, fair power, and good stamina. His brain was basically mush. He wouldn't listen and would go aloof for rounds at a time, in damn near every fight I've ever seen. He actually considered an extremely dangerous puncher like Stevenson as a tune up *facepalm* He sleep walked vs. Pascal, but his level was that most people still thought Pascal would lose a rematch in their fight. Dawson when he was on had far better wins than Pascal, and for quite a few years many people considered Dawson "the guy" at LHW. I don't think anyone ever considered Pascal "the guy," even when he was kinda/sorta "the guy"
dawson was number 1 in his division for a short while, Pascal was always at least 2nd to someone else. hopkins was manhandled by dawson but managed pascal without too much issue.
If Dawson stayed with Mayweather Sr., he could have been a much better fighter. Both fighters fail short of their hype, but I say Dawson. Even though he lost to Pascal, he did beat Bhop, Glen Johnson and Tarver.
Dawson hands down. Pascal has one victory that stacks up to Dawsons' tier of 5 best wins... and it was a cagey win over Dawson himself. That is it.
You are the first person I have ever seen give more than 3 rounds to Hopkins in that fight. That fight was among the definitions of decisive.
Peak focused Dawson would never have lost to Pascal. Pascal doesn't really have any high level wins. Dawson has Adamek, Tarver x 2, Johnson x2, and Hopkins. That's a middleweight resume that trumps any lightheavyweights in recent memory.