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Time For Blue Chip Dawson To Pay Dividends

Conventional wisdom made way for an accurate adage: if it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it's a duck.
Oh, but if only things were so simple in boxing.
The boxing landscape is littered with the names of promising fighters who looked to be the next big thing, the next dominant champion, the next shining star in a galaxy quickly growing dim, only to burn out without ever generating a memorable light. Superior athleticism, herculean work ethic, and a shrewd promotional team are all helpful, but do not necessarily equate to greatness. There requires a certain fire within, a quality almost as rare as athletic gifts, that propels a fighter to something truly special. Of course, a little luck doesn't hurt either. But to have all these traits align is an unusual event, and just because a fighter looks like something special certainly doesn't mean that a great fighter has emerged.
Just ask Chad Dawson. If it were possible to buy shares in a fighter simply by sizing them up, Dawson would have been a blue chip stock circa 2005. On the surface, Dawson looks like he's engineered to be a fighter.At 6'1”, Dawson is a tall, solid, imposing light heavyweight. Dawson's commanding reach, solid jab, and southpaw stance are all qualities that will make any opponent question the wisdom of stepping into the ring with him.All this is wrapped up in a highly athletic and fundamentally sound wrapper.No light heavyweight in the post-Jones era is better equipped to be a dominant force and long-reigning champion.
But if anyone would have put their savings into the sure thing that was Chad Dawson The Prospect, they would have lost the farm by now. The harsh reality is that “Bad Chad” has done little lately to live up to his moniker.What should have been a dominant run has been spotty at best, and what could have been a career as a marquee fighter has been, instead, a nonstop battle to become even a minor draw. How bad is it for Dawson?He has absolutely no following anywhere in the U.S., not even in his neck of the woods in the Northeast. It was so rough that Dawson, then reigning light-heavyweight champion, had to travel to Montreal to face hometown challenger Jean Pascal in what would be a disastrous title-losing effort. His first fight with Bernard Hopkins, another fighter who has never generated big bucks, barely sold anything at the cavernous Staples Center in L.A. For Dawson, his career has been defined by an inability to gain any traction or momentum. Sadly, he has to shoulder most of the blame himself.
What seems to be the missing ingredient in Chad Dawson's fizzling career?Simply put, it comes down to one word: passion.
Fans can tell the difference between a classy boxer-puncher and a fighter who is being clinical to the point of being sleep-inducing. Part of it might have to do with Dawson's appearance. He's a big, tough looking dude, complete with deluxe tattoos and bonus points for a solid scowl. Looking at him, the average fan expects an in-ring presence to match the exterior. What they get from Dawson is usually the opposite.
A prime example was his loss to Jean Pascal. For all of Pascal's awkward explosiveness, he is really nowhere near the talent level of Dawson, and yet Dawson found himself falling prey to Pascal's ugly, energy-sapping ambushes. It was a classic case of the challenger outhustling the reluctant champion. Whenever Dawson took the bull by the horns, he was extremely successful against Pascal. The problem for Dawson was that his lack of urgency made such moments scarce, which allowed Pascal to build the lead that would ultimately lead to his technical decision victory. Dawson's listless, hesitant non-effort was especially frustrating because of what was at stake. He was an undefeated champion being groomed for big things. If that could serve as adequate motivation to press the issue against Pascal, it's hard to imagine what it would take to light a fire under Dawson.Instead, he sleepwalked his way to a loss in an effort so lacking in passion that it made Audley Harrison look like Arturo Gatti.
Quick to find an excuse for his poor performance, Dawson switched trainers to Hall of Famer Emmanuel Steward, known for being the mastermind behind some of the best offensive fighters in recent times.If anyone could serve in the role as the hired gun to resurrect Dawson's suddenly flagging career, Steward seemed to be the perfect choice.
If only the synergy between Dawson and Steward was as dynamic in reality as it seemed on paper, perhaps Dawson's career trajectory would be on a different course. But in his only outing with Steward at the helm, Dawson looked as passion-less as ever in a painfully methodical victory over Adrian Diaconu. In what should have been another motivating opportunity for Dawson to prove his critics wrong about his previous lackluster performances, he did little to strengthen his case that he is indeed something special.
Then, in his most recent outing, Dawson lost his cool against legendary in-ring pest Bernard Hopkins, whose game has as much to do with making his opponents look bad as it does making himself look good. All credit due to Dawson for waiting out his chance to get a crack at the title he once held, but it's impossible to look good against Hopkins, especially when resorting to the ridiculous WWE tactics he utilized in stalling the forward momentum of his career yet again.
Maybe all this criticism of Dawson is undue. He does, after all, have a fairly impressive resume considering that his name-brand value is next to nothing among the casual fan. He owns a victory over Tomasz Adamek, a distinction only future Hall of Fame heavyweight Vitali Klitschko can also claim. Dawson is also 4-0 against Jones conquerors Antonio Tarver and Glen Johnson. And it's hard not to admire a guy who is solid in who he is; Dawson is content with being a methodical pure boxer. There's nothing wrong with that. There are countless trainers who would love to bottle up what Dawson can do and deliver it intravenously to their fighters.
So what's the problem?
It's easy. Fans expect more than what a guy like Dawson has been willing to give. Relying exclusively on a solid jab might establish command within the ropes, but it isn't going to stir any hearts. Mechanically pounding out decisions will add wins to a record, but will do little to generate buzz. Fans, and the annals of boxing legend, smile upon fighters who boldly take chances, who are willing to forgo the safe route for the riskier, yet more memorable way. Chad Dawson is well within his rights as a fighter to stick to the safe, bland route he's been walking as of late. As much as pundits claim otherwise, he doesn't owe it to the fans to do things on their terms.
But that goes two ways as well. Just as Dawson doesn't owe it to the fans to take unnecessary risks, they don't owe him their hard earned cash to pay for his safety-first fights. If Dawson gives no reason for the general public to take notice of him, then the onus for his stagnant career rests singly on himself.
What compounds the frustration of watching Dawson’s impassive demeanor is that he has shown an ability to be an exciting fighter. Against Adamek in a title-winning effort in 2007, Dawson lived up to all the promise of his early career in clearly beating a prime, tough champion, even having to come off the canvas and gut-out some treacherous moments in the late rounds of an exciting fight. In his first outing against Glen Johnson, Dawson engaged in the most thrilling fight of his career as he went toe-to-toe with the hard as nails Johnson, emerging with a tight, hard-earned decision. Maybe it was the fact that those were the two toughest fights of his career that keeps Dawson from taking chances in the ring, but the exceptional moments of those fights have long since faded.
On Saturday night, Dawson has another chance to change the perception that his career has been a disappointment. Granted, it's against an all-time great fighter in Hopkins who specializes in messing up the best-laid plans of his opponents. It's also possible that, even if Dawson wins, he won't get the credit he feels is due because he will have beaten a 47-year old man, especially if he has to do it ugly, which seems to be the only way against Hopkins.
If Dawson ever wants to be considered more than a pretty good fighter, he needs to start making noteworthy statements. The court of opinion only deliberates for so long before a verdict comes in. Saturday’s opportunity against Hopkins might just prove to be judgment day for Chad Dawson.
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Notes and Nuggets from Thomas Hauser: Callum Walsh Returns to Madison Square Garden

On Sunday, March 16 (the night before St. Patrick’s Day), Callum Walsh continued his move up the junior-middleweight ranks with a brutal first-round knockout of Dean Sutherland at the Hulu Theatre at Madison Square Garden. The seven-bout card promoted by Tom Loeffler featured seven Irish boxers. Walsh stole the show but two non-Irish fighters on the undercard caught the eye.
In the third fight of the evening, Cletus Seldin (known as “The Hebrew Hammer) took on Yeis Gabriel Solano. The last time Seldin fought at Madison Square Garden (March 15, 2024), he took the ring announcer’s microphone after a majority-decision win, dropped to one knee, held out a diamond engagement ring, and asked one Jessica Ostrowski to marry him. The future Mrs. Seldin (who was clad in black leather) said yes, and the happy couple paraded around the ring together. They were married on September 7.
“So I’ve got a ring now,” Seldin says. “And I love married life because I love Jessica.”
A cynic at ringside on Sunday night wondered if Jessica might serve Cletus with a summons and complaint for divorce in the ring after the fight. Not to worry. The couple seems happily married and, after Seldin eked out a majority decision over Solano (now winless in five fights dating back to 2019), Cletus and Jessica announced in the ring that they’re expecting the birth of their first child.
In the next fight of the evening, Irish heavyweight Thomas Carty (255 pounds) brought a 10-0 (9 KOs) record into the ring to face 409-pound Dajuan Calloway (10-3, 9 KOs, 1 KO by).
Carty-Calloway was a poor match for a prospect. A fighter gets relatively little credit for beating a 400-pound opponent. And the problems posed by a physical confrontation with a 400-pound mountain are considerable.
With fifty seconds left in round two, Carty collapsed to the canvas as Calloway spun him around on the inside. Thomas rose, limping badly on a clearly-injured left knee. And referee Jamil Antoine foolishly allowed the bout to continue.
Carty tried to circle away, fell again. And Antoine – more foolishly – instructed the fighters to fight on. There was a third fall that the referee ruled a knockdown. The bell rang. And then the fight was stopped. It goes in the record book as a knockout at 3:00 of the second round.
Worse for Carty, he now appears to be facing surgery followed by a long rehabilitation. There’s no way to know how much further damage was done to his knee in the forty seconds that he was clearly impaired and under assault by a 409-pound man who was trying to knock him unconscious.
But the night belonged to 23-year-old Callum Walsh.
Walsh is from Cork, Ireland, trains in California with Freddie Roach, and came into the ring with a 12-0 (10 KOs) record.
“He’s a pretty good fighter,” Roach says. “He’s getting better. And he works his ass off in the gym.”
Equally important in an age when social media and hype often supersede a fighter’s accomplishments in the ring as the key to marketability. Walsh has the enthusiastic backing of Dana White.
Callum seems more at ease with the media now than when he fought at Madison Square Garden a year ago. And he has a new look. His hair is shorter and no longer dyed blond.
“It’s a new year, so time for a new look,” Walsh explained. Later, he added, “I don’t want to be a prospect anymore. I want to be a contender. I expected the road to be tough. I’ve never had anything easy in my life. I’ve worked as a fisherman. I’ve worked on a cargo ship. I like this job a lot more. They have big plans for me. But I still have to do my job.”
Sutherland, age 26, was born in Scotland and has lived there his entire life. He came to New York with a 19-1 (7 KOs, 1 KO by) record and, prior to fighting Walsh, noted, “I’m under no illusions. Fighting an Irishman on St. Patrick’s Day in New York; it’s all being built up for him. If it goes to the scorecards, no matter how the fight goes, I’m unlikely to get the decision. But when the bell rings, it will be only me and Callum. I’ve watched his fights. I’ve studied his habits and rhythm. I’ve been through hard fights. He’s untested. This is my big opportunity. I’m not here to be part of Callum’s record.”
Talking is easier than fighting. When the hour of reckoning came, Walsh was faster, stronger, better-skilled, and hit harder than Sutherland. Indeed, Callum was so dominant in the early going that round one had the look of a 10-8 round without a knockdown. Then Sutherland was flattened by a right hook at the 2:45 mark and any thoughts as to scoring became irrelevant.
It was Walsh’s best showing to date, although it’s hard to know the degree to which Sutheralnd’s deficiencies contributed to that showing. What’s clear is that Callum is evolving as a fighter. And he’s the kind of fighter who fits nicely with the concept that Turki Alalshikh and Dana White have voiced for a new boxing promotional company. Whether they’ll be willing to put Walsh in tough is an open issue. UFC puts its fighters in tough.
****
There was a void at ringside on Sunday night. After more than four decades on the job, George Ward is no longer with the New York State Athletic Commission.
Ward was the model of what a commission inspector should be. I watched him in the corner and in dressing rooms countless times over the years. A handful of inspectors were as good as he was. Nobody was better. Later, as a deputy commissioner, he performed the thankless back-of-the-house administrative duties on fight night while other deputy commissioners were enjoying the scene at ringside.
George and Robert Orlando (who, like George, is a former New York City corrections officer) also normally presided over pre-fight weigh-ins. That’s worth mentioning here because it ties to one of the more unfortunate incidents that occurred during the tenure of former NYSAC executive director Kim Sumbler.
On November 1, 2019, Kelvin Gastelum weighed in for a UFC 244 match against Darren Till to be contested at Madison Square Garden. The contract weight for the fight was 186 pounds. It was known throughout the MMA community that Gastelum had been having trouble making weight. Before stepping on the scale, he stripped down completely naked and a towel was lifted in front of him to shield his genitals from public view. Then, to everyone’s surprise, his weight was announced as 184 pounds (two pounds under the contract weight).
How did Gastelum make weight? Video of the weigh-in showed him resting his elbow on his coach as he stood on the scale.
Why am I mentioning this now?
Ward and Orlando know all the tricks. While they were readying for the Gastelum-Till weigh-in, Sumbler told them that they were being replaced on the scales by two other commission employees who had been brought to New York City from upstate. They asked why and were told, “Because I said so.”
George Ward was one of the behind-the-scenes people who make boxing work. He’ll be missed.
****
Six years ago, Gene Pantalone wrote a traditional biography of former world lightweight champion Lew Jenkins. Now he has written – shall we say – a creative biography of lightweight great Freddie Welsh.
Welsh was born in Wales in 1886 but spent most of his ring career in the United States. He captured the lightweight crown by decision over Willie Ritchie in 1914 and relinquished it to Benny Leonard three years later. BocRec.com credits him with a 74-5-7 (34 KOs) ring record in bouts that are verified and were officially scored. If “newspaper decisions” are added to the mix, the numbers rise to 121 wins, 29 losses, and 17 draws. Many of the losses came when Welsh was long past his prime. He’s on the short list of boxing’s greatest fighters. The only knock out he suffered was when he lost the title to Leonard.
Chasing The Great Gatsby is styled as a biography of Welsh and also an advocacy brief in support of the proposition that Welsh was the inspiration and model for the title character in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s seminal novel The Great Gatsby. I’m unsure how factually accurate Pantalone’s work is in some places. Also, too often, he uses big words when small ones will suffice. For example:
“He was a pugilistic virtuoso, a pummeling poet with fists of fury and a keen intellect. His duality was evident in every aspect of his being, an amalgamation of the vicious and the benevolent.”
Over the course of 349 pages, that weighs a reader down.
Still, there are some interesting observations and nuggets of information to be mined in Chasing The Great Gatsby. Among my favorites are Pantalone’s description of Jack Dempsey training for his historic 1921 fight against George Carpentier at a “health farm” that Welsh owned in New Jersey; Pantelone’s description of how the stadium that hosted Dempsey-Carpentier was built; and Pantalone’s evaluation of the fight itself, which he calls “a spectacle of titanic proportions,” before adding,” The truth was inescapable. The fight had not lived up to its grandeur, but the event did.”
****
Several of the books that Robert Lipsyte has written during his storied career as a journalist focus on boxing; most notably, Free to Be Muhammad Ali and The Contender (a young adult novel). Lipsyte’s most recent book – Rhino’s Run (published by Harper) – is a young adult novel keyed to high school football, not the sweet science. But the opening sentence bears repeating:
“Punching Josh Kremens didn’t feel as good as I thought it would, and I’d been thinking about it for five years.”
Be honest! Don’t you want to read more?
Thomas Hauser’s email address is thomashauserwriter@gmail.com. His most recent book – MY MOTHER and ME is a personal memoir available at Amazon.com. https://www.amazon.com/My-Mother-Me-Thomas-Hauser/dp/1955836191/ref=sr_1_1?crid=5C0TEN4M9ZAH&keywords=thomas+hauser&qid=1707662513&sprefix=thomas+hauser%2Caps%2C80&sr=8-1
In 2004, the Boxing Writers Association of America honored Hauser with the Nat Fleischer Award for career excellence in boxing journalism. In 2019, Hauser was selected for boxing’s highest honor – induction into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.
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Ever-Improving Callum Walsh KOs Dean Sutherland at Madison Square Garden

Irish luck was not involved as Callum Walsh won the battle of hard-hitting southpaws over Dean Sutherland by knockout on Sunday.
One right hook was all it took.
“You’re never going to beat the Irish,” said Walsh.
In a contest between Celtic super welterweights Walsh (13-0, 11 KOs) retained the WBC Continental America’s title against Sutherland (19-2, 7 KOs) in quick fashion at the Madison Square Garden Theater in Manhattan.
Usually fights between southpaws can be confusing to both contestants. But Walsh had expressed a fondness for fighting lefthanders then vividly exhibited the reasons why.
Walsh, 24, a native of Cork, Ireland, now living and training in Los Angeles, quickly demonstrated why he likes fighting lefties with a steady flow of combinations from the opening bell.
He did not hesitate.
Sutherland, 26, had only lost once before and that was more than two years ago. Against Walsh the Scottish fighter was not hesitant to advance forward but was caught with lefts and right hooks.
After two minutes of scattered blows, Sutherland fought back valiantly and when cornered, Walsh tapped two jabs then unleashed a right hook through the Scottish fighter’s gloves that floored the Aberdeen fighter for the count at 2:45 of the first round.
“I’m feeling very good. Dean Sutherland is a very good opponent. I knew he was going to be dangerous. That was my best opponent,” said Walsh.
It was the fourth consecutive knockout win for Walsh who seems to improve with every single combat.
“I’m looking forward to the future. I’m getting stronger and stronger,” said Walsh who is trained by Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach. “Anyone that comes to me I will take him out.”
Other Bouts
Super featherweight Feargal McCrory (17-1, 9 KOs) survived a knockdown in the fourth to out-muscle Keenan Carbajal (25-5-1, 17 KOs) and batter down the Arizona fighter in the seventh and again in the eighth with volume punching.
Carbajal was deducted a point early for holding in round two, but regained that point when he floored the Irish southpaw during an exchange in the fourth.
Despite suffering a knockdown, McCrory continued stalking Carbajal and floored him in the seventh and eighth with battering blows. Referee Arthur Mercante Jr. stopped the fight without a count.
A rematch between two Irish super middleweights saw Emmet Brennan (6-0) remain undefeated by unanimous decision over Kevin Cronin (9-3-1).
Cronin started quickly with a pressure style and punches flowing against Brennan who resorted to covering and countering. Though it looked like Cronin was building up a lead with a busier style, the judges preferred Brennan’s judicious counters. No knockdowns were scored as all three judges saw Brennan the winner 98-92 after 10 rounds.
Dajuan Calloway (11-3, 9 KOs) emerged the winner by technical knockout over Thomas Carty (10-1) who was unable to continue after two rounds when his leg tangled and thereafter was unable to stand. Because he could not continue the fight was ruled a technical knockout win for Calloway in the heavyweight match.
Also
Cletus “Hebrew Hammer” Seldin (29-1, 23 Kos) defeated Yeis Solano (15-5) by majority decision after eight rounds in a super lightweight contest.
Donagh Keary (1-0) defeated Geral Alicea-Romero (0-1-1) by decision after four.
Light heavyweights Sean O’Bradaigh (0-0-1) and Jefferson Almeida (0-1-1) fought to a majority draw after four.
Photo credit: JP Yim
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Nick Ball Wears Down and Stops TJ Doheny Before the Home Folks in Liverpool

Fighting in his hometown, Liverpool’s five-foot-two fireplug Nick “The Wrecking” Ball stopped TJ Doheny after 10 progressively more one-sided rounds to retain his WBA belt in the second defense of the featherweight title he won with a hard-earned decision over Raymond Ford in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Referee Michael Alexander, with the assent of Doheny’s corner, waived it off following the bell ending Round 10, much to the chagrin of the brave but mildewed Doheny who burst into tears. But then, Doheny’s right eye was closed shut and he was plainly exhausted. This may be the end of the line for the 38-year-old campaigner from Perth, Australia via Portlaois, Ireland who was 26-5 heading in following his first loss inside the distance which came against pound-for-pound king Naoya Inoue.
There were no knockdowns, but Ball (22-0-1, 13 KOs) was docked a point in round nine for throwing Doheny to the canvas after having previously been warned for this infraction. Earlier, both he and Doheny were warned for an incident that could have ended the bout prematurely. At the end of the first round, Ball extricated himself from a headlock by kicking Doheny in the back of his knee. The challenger’s leg appeared to buckle as he returned to his stool.
Going forward, Ball has many options. The 28-year-old Liverpudlian purportedly relishes a unification fight with WBC belt-holder Stephen Fulton, but the decision ultimately rests with Ball’s promoter Frank Warren.
Other Bouts of Note
In a 12-round bantamweight contest that was close on the scorecards but yet a monotonous affair, Liverpool’s Andrew Cain won a split decision over former WBC flyweight title-holder Charlie Edwards. The scores were 116-112 and 115-114 favoring Cain with judge Steve Gray submitting a disreputable 115-113 tally for Edwards. At stake were a trio of regional titles.
The science of boxing, they say, is about hitting without getting hit. Charlie Edwards is adept at the latter but the hitting part is not in his DNA. He was on his bicycle from the get-go, a style that periodically brought forth a cascade of boos. Cain, who trains in the same gym with Nick Ball, was never able to corner him – Edwards was too elusive – but Cain, to his credit, never lost his composure.
In improving to 14-1 (12), Cain achieved a measure of revenge, in a sense. In his last documented amateur bout, in 2014, Cain was defeated by Charlie’s brother Sunny Edwards, also a former world title-holder at the professional level. Heading in, Charlie Edwards (20-2, 1 NC) was unbeaten in his last 13 which included a comfortable decision over Cristofer Rosales in his flyweight title fight. Charlie relinquished that belt when he could no longer make the weight.
Showboating Cuban lightweight Jadier Herrera, who fought 13 of his first 14 pro fights in his adopted home of Dubai, advanced to 17-0 (15 KOs) with a seventh-round stoppage of spunky but outclassed Mexican import Jose Macias (21-4-2). The official time was 2:31 of round seven.
An all-Liverpool affair between super flyweights Jack Turner (11-0, 10 KOs) and Ryan Farrag (23-6) was over in a jiff. The match, which went next-to-last in the bout order, ended at the 42-second mark of round two. A barrage of punches climaxed by a left hook sent Farrag down hard and the referee waived it off.
The noted spoiler Ionut Baluta, whose former victims include Andrew Cain, forged another upset with a 10-round split decision over local fan favorite Brad Strand. The judges favored Baluta 98-91 and 96-94, out-voting the Italian judge whose 97-93 tally for Strand was deemed the most accurate by the TV pundits.
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