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Where does Chad Dawson go from here?

WelshDevilRob

By WelshDevilRob
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WelshDevilRob Proficient

WelshDevilRob

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Where does Chad Dawson go from here?

 

by Jack Sumner aka @Southpaw Jack

 

Following his tenth-round loss to Andre Ward at super middleweight last September, Chad Dawson needed to rebound upon his return to the light heavyweight division. Still WBC champion and the division’s consensus number one fighter, ‘Bad’ Chad was expecting a “tune-up” on his return to 175.

 

That was at least how he referred to the challenge of Adonis Stevenson, who had moved up from 168 with a reputation as a fearsome puncher. “If the only thing you can say is he’s a good puncher, I feel sorry for him,” Dawson said, whilst also quipping that he’d had to Google Stevenson to find out who he was.

 

A minute into last Saturday’s encounter in Stevenson’s adopted home of Quebec, Canada, Dawson would find out all he needed to know about the 35-year-old and his much speculated power.

 

Stevenson landed a thunderous left hook to Dawson’s temple to send him crashing to the canvas; the champion beat the count but not referee Michael Griffin’s discretion and the fight was waved off. Dawson was champion no more and with one punch the landscape of the light heavyweight division had changed dramatically, evoking memories of Roy Jones Jr being levelled by Antonio Tarver nine years ago.

 

Tarver’s overhand left early in the fight relieved Jones of his number one spot at 175 and ‘Superman’ would never be the same force again. A man who shares Jones’s moniker, Stevenson, took Dawson’s ranking with a left hand of his own. Having now suffered back-to-back stoppage defeats, how much of a force will Dawson be from this point forward?

 

Read more: http://www.ringnews24.com/index.php/world-boxing-news/item/5023-where-does-chad-dawson-go-from-here

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davemurphy Newbie

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Re: Where does Chad Dawson go from here?

 

No changing trainers or rebuilding him by facing lesser names and trying to build his confidence back up is likely to put this stunning defeat behind him. I know it's just one loss, but the gravity of it was such that I don't think Dawson's fragile ego will ever be able to push past it. He might continue to fight on, but it'll likely be as a steppingstone on the ESPN-level, he'll be a hard sell to Showtime/HBO and probably to any Champion looking to defend. If he can afford to, retirement would seem the wise choice.

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brooklynbrawler Newbie

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Re: Where does Chad Dawson go from here?

 

Funnilly I think it does make for a good matchup, but you have to ask what Dawson offers Cleverly now with no titles and off the back of a couple of losses.

Dawson isn't "shot", he's still the same fighter he always was, but just isn't being seen in the same light any more.

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iamasadlittleboy Newbie

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Re: Where does Chad Dawson go from here?

 

Funnilly I think it does make for a good matchup, but you have to ask what Dawson offers Cleverly now with no titles and off the back of a couple of losses.

Dawson isn't "shot", he's still the same fighter he always was, but just isn't being seen in the same light any more.

 

What he offers is the chance for Cleverly to get a recognisable name on his record....

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brooklynbrawler Newbie

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Re: Where does Chad Dawson go from here?

 

What he offers is the chance for Cleverly to get a recognisable name on his record....

 

 

I agree that he would be by far and away the best fighter Cleverly has ever faced, but would anyone realistically give him credit for beating Dawson, when many people already think he's shot or no longer a force in the division?

It's not a whole lot better than facing Chris Eubank tomorrow if it's only to get a "name" on his record.

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LondonRingRules Proficient

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Re: Where does Chad Dawson go from here?

 

Dawson isn't "shot", he's still the same fighter he always was, but just isn't being seen in the same light any more.

 

--- I would say his lazy attitude and lack of fidelity to a single trainer has conspired to do him in. I could see in the first Popkins fight that he wasn't boxing to his full abilities by use of his footwork and jab. Even so he made Pops start yelping and quitting early on.

 

The Dawson fight was just stupidity for moving down in weight for a meager payday and then Stevenson landing the first predictable shot of the fight. Reminds me of SuperJoe walking into a Popkins right early on. You'd think he could train himself to see the only predicable meaningful punch Pops had left, but no, in his excitement Joe went in as an amateur, really about the only negative thing I ever saw in his career.

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davemurphy Newbie

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Re: Where does Chad Dawson go from here?

 

I'm willing to bet that after two consecutive bad knockouts that he really ins't the same fighter.

 

Rob-

The real wildcard is above the shoulders. I don't think PHYSICALLY he's in all that bad of shape, but there's kind of Michael Moorer-type-thing going on inside this guys head and you never know what the hell your going to get.

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brooklynbrawler Newbie

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Re: Where does Chad Dawson go from here?

 

The problem isn't that Cleverly isn't any good...the problem is that he was fast-tracked to a world title without beating anyone of note, and subsequently hasn't raised his game even towards world level fights.

He looks promising in many bouts and looks mediocre in others..there may be some degree of disinterest when you're going into a fight you're expected to win every time.

I think he's good, but the fact is with the guys he's faced to date, there's no real bar to tell HOW good he is, and whether he belongs at the level he's "meant" to be at.

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davemurphy Newbie

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Re: Where does Chad Dawson go from here?

 

The problem isn't that Cleverly isn't any good...the problem is that he was fast-tracked to a world title without beating anyone of note, and subsequently hasn't raised his game even towards world level fights.

He looks promising in many bouts and looks mediocre in others..there may be some degree of disinterest when you're going into a fight you're expected to win every time.

I think he's good, but the fact is with the guys he's faced to date, there's no real bar to tell HOW good he is, and whether he belongs at the level he's "meant" to be at.

 

Brawler-

In that sense, he could be considered a Welsh version of Tavoris Cloud, who was also fast tracked to a title, and looked promising at times and others not.

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mofo2 Contributor

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Re: Where does Chad Dawson go from here?

 

Mofo-

Well, for me the Jury is still out on Nathan, but it sounds like your already voting for a verdict on the charge of Impersonating a Fighter :laugh:

I bought into him initially Dave, but as his career has progressed I've not saw anything in him that suggests to me he deserves the hype he is getting and I backtracked on my opinion....impersonating a fighter is a nice way of putting it though mate :laugh:

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davemurphy Newbie

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Re: Where does Chad Dawson go from here?

 

I bought into him initially Dave, but as his career has progressed I've not saw anything in him that suggests to me he deserves the hype he is getting and I backtracked on my opinion....impersonating a fighter is a nice way of putting it though mate :laugh:

 

Thanks, Mofo, I figured you'd enjoy that line. I see, so it's not so much that you don't see any skills or potential in him, it's just that in your opinion the hype train was overtaken the slow-moving actuality train. Let's say he were to actually get a Froch or Hopkins fight and win it, would you be back-on-board? Or is this something your going to have a problem with from now? (Or is it that your not even considering the possibility such a fight happens?)

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mofo2 Contributor

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Re: Where does Chad Dawson go from here?

 

Thanks, Mofo, I figured you'd enjoy that line. I see, so it's not so much that you don't see any skills or potential in him, it's just that in your opinion the hype train was overtaken the slow-moving actuality train. Let's say he were to actually get a Froch or Hopkins fight and win it, would you be back-on-board? Or is this something your going to have a problem with from now? (Or is it that your not even considering the possibility such a fight happens?)

I simply cannot understand why he is looking to spout shit about Froch when it is clear Clear Cobra has all the options he needs at SMW, he was throwing in for a fight he was never going to get, as for Bhop someone has to beat his ass and put an end to his career and it could very well be Cleverley if the fight was made, however I don't see it as a significant win if Nathan pulled it off....he is an ageing fighter that is clinging on!

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Meathead Newbie

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Re: Where does Chad Dawson go from here?

 

Slightly flattering result maybe?

 

Other than a punch, I've never seen what Stevenson possessed which justified the hype.

 

Knocking out a guy who I've never given the time of day doesn't mean, for me at least, that he's "arrived" as it were.

 

As for where Dawson ends up, quite frankly I couldn't care less. Never seen what others saw in him.

 

His options are limited. He doesn't have major US TV backing so unless he gets on a plane to Wales he won't be topping any cards or getting any paydays anytime soon.

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davemurphy Newbie

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Re: Where does Chad Dawson go from here?

 

I simply cannot understand why he is looking to spout shit about Froch when it is clear Clear Cobra has all the options he needs at SMW, he was throwing in for a fight he was never going to get, as for Bhop someone has to beat his ass and put an end to his career and it could very well be Cleverley if the fight was made, however I don't see it as a significant win if Nathan pulled it off....he is an ageing fighter that is clinging on!

 

Sometimes it's a good career move to spout off about those fights your never going to get, following the old adage (that I don't necessarily agree with, but many do) that any Press is good Press. But I think for Cleverly, we're moving into that area of the little boy that cried Wolf, people aren't taking him seriously anymore.....at least not with the rhetoric.

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davemurphy Newbie

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Re: Where does Chad Dawson go from here?

 

Slightly flattering result maybe?

 

His options are limited. He doesn't have major US TV backing so unless he gets on a plane to Wales he won't be topping any cards or getting any paydays anytime soon.

 

Meat-

I think Cleverly is about the only decent payday option, the alternative is to step back to the ESPN-level and fight for peanuts, which I don't think he'd be willing to do. It's HERE where not having a decent local following really KILLS him, if he was like a Peter Manfredo Jr. then he could simply return to his hometown and still draw fans to suspect mid-level comeback fights, but hell, Dawson couldn't draw fleas to Hartford for world title defenses. I've never been a big "Chad fan", and I can't say that I don't find his predicament somewhat amusing, somebody who thought they had the world at their feet and now can barely stand on them.

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