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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.
How good is Bakhodir Jalolov? Some would argue that in terms of pure talent, the six-foot-seven southpaw from Uzbekistan who has knocked out all 14 of his opponents since turning pro, is better than any heavyweight you can name. Others say that this can’t possibly be true or his braintrust wouldn’t keep feeding him junk food. Jalolov has been brought along as gingerly as Christopher Lovejoy who was exposed as a fraud after running up a skein of 19 straight fast knockouts,
One thing that’s indisputable is that Jalolov was one of the best amateurs to come down the pike in recent memory. A three-time Olympian and two-time gold medalist, Jalolov won 58 of his last 59 amateur bouts. The exception was a match in which he did not compete which translated into a win by walkover for his opponent, countryman Lazizbek Mullojonov.
The circumstances are vague. Was Jalolov a no-show because of an injury or illness or a technicality? Amateur boxing, save in a few places or in an Olympic year, is the quintessential niche sport. The mainstream media does not cover it.
What we do know, thanks to boxrec, is that Jalolov caught up with Mullojonov in May of last year in the Russian Far East city of Khabarovsk and won a split decision. And Mollojonov was no slouch. He too won a gold medal at the Paris Games, winning the heavyweight division to give the powerful Uzbekistan contingent the championship in the two heaviest weight classes.
Jalolov, whose late father was a champion free-style wrestler, has answered the bell as a pro for only 35 rounds. The Belgian-Congolese campaigner Jack Mulowayi came closest to taking the big Uzbek the distance, lasting into the eighth round of an 8-round fight. But when Jalolov closed the show, he did it with a highlight reel knockout, knocking Mulowayi into dreamland with a vicious left hook.
The KO was reminiscent of Jalolov’s most talked-about win as an amateur, his first-round blast-out of Richard Torrez Jr at a tournament in Ekaterinburg, Russia, in 2019. Torrez, knocked out cold with a left hook, left the ring on a stretcher and was removed to a hospital for evaluation.
This was the first AIBA-sanctioned international tournament in which pros were allowed to compete and WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman was incensed, calling the match-up “criminal” in a tweet that was widely circulated. (Jalolov then had six pro fights under his belt.) They would meet again in the finals of the Tokyo Olympiad with the Uzbek winning a unanimous decision.
Perhaps there will be a third meeting down the road. When Jared Anderson was roughed-up and stopped by Martin Bakole, Torrez Jr (currently 12-0, 11 KOs) vaulted ahead of him on the list of the top home-grown American heavyweights. But Torrez Jr, a short-armed heavyweight who overcomes his physical limitations with a windmill offense, would be a heavy underdog should they ever meet again.
Bakhodir Jalolov’s last bout before heading off to Paris was against the obscure South African Chris Thompson. His match on Thursday at the Montreal Casino in Montreal pits him against an obscure 33-year-old Frenchman, David Spilmont.
Spilmont’s last two opponents were the same guy, an undersized Lithuanian slug who has lost 36 of his 41 documented fights. It seems almost inevitable that Spilmont will suffer the same fate as Thompson who was KOed in the first round.
There’s talk that Jalolov doesn’t really care how far he advances at the professional level; that he has his sights set on the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles where he would have an opportunity to become only the fourth boxer to win three Olympic gold medals, joining the immortal Teofilo Stevenson, Hungarian legend Laszlo Papp, and Cuban standout Felix Savon. Were he to accomplish the hat trick, they would build monuments to him in Uzbekistan. But, if that is his mindset, he’s skating on thin ice. There’s no guarantee that boxing will be on the docket at the Los Angeles Games and, if so, the powers-that-be may choose to roll back the calendar to the days when the competition was off-limits to anyone with professional experience.
While it’s true that Jalolov needs to work off some rust, a pox on promoter Camille Estephan and his enabler, the Quebec Boxing Commission, for not dredging up a more credible opponent than the grossly overmatched David Spilmont.
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Jalolov vs. Spilmont is ostensibly the co-feature. The main event is a 10-round junior welterweight clash between Movladdin “Arthur” Biyarslanov (17-0, 14 KOs) and Spilmont stablemate Mohamed Mimoune (24-6, 5 KOs). Undefeated light heavyweights Albert Ramirez and Mehmet Unal will appear in separate bouts on the undercard. The Feb. 6 event, currently consisting of seven bouts, will air in the U.S. on ESPN+ starting at 6:30 p.m. ET / 3:30 p.m. PT.
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Claressa Shields blasted her way to the undisputed heavyweight championship and nearly knocked out challenger Danielle Perkins in the final seconds, but settled for a win by unanimous decision on Sunday.
Yes, she can punch.
“I just feel overwhelmed and so happy.” Shields said.
Shields (16-0, 3 KOs) proved that even the super athletic Perkins (5-1, 2 KOs), a true heavyweight, could not stop her from becoming an undisputed world champion in a third weight division at Dort Arena in Flint, Michigan, her home town.
In the opening round it was easy to see the size difference. Shields calmly measured Perkins long right jabs then countered with rocket rights through the guard. The speed was evident in Shield’s punches. Perkins used jabs to work her way in but was caught with counters.
“That girl was strong as hell,” said Shields describing Perkins.
Perkins, a southpaw, was somewhat confident that she was the stronger puncher and the stronger fighter overall. But when Shields connected with 10 rocket overhand rights in the third round the power moved Perkins several feet backward.
Suddenly, Perkins realized that indeed Shields has power.
Perkins became more cautious with her approaches. Though the true heavyweight was not frozen in fear, she was wary about getting caught flush with Shields rights. But bullet jabs and lightning combinations still rained on Perkins.
Finding a way to nullify Shields speed was crucial for Perkins.
The former basketball player Perkins continually proved her athleticism with agile moves here and there, but Shields just was superior in every way.
When Perkins became focused too much on the right, a Shields left hook caught the New York native flush. Suddenly there was another Shields weapon to worry about.
Many critics of Shields had focused on her lack of knockouts. But in her previous fight against another heavyweight, the two-time Olympic gold medalist surprised Vanessa Lepage-Joanisse with knockout power. It’s the same power Shields showed Perkins as if firing a fast ball by powering her right with leverage by using her left leg to produce momentum and an explosive punch.
In the 10th and final round Shields and Perkins exchanged blows. Perkins was looking to connect with one of her power shots when suddenly Shields countered with a perfectly timed right to the chin and down went Perkins with about 10 seconds remaining. She beat the count to finish the round.
“I showed I was the bigger puncher and better boxer,” said Shields. “I knew I could do it because I’m really strong at heavyweight.”
All three judges favored Shields 100-89, 99-90 and 97-92.
It was another convincing performance by Shields. So what is next for the best female fighter pound for pound?
“I want to fight Franchon Crews, Hanna Gabriels,” said Shields also naming a few others. “Flint, (Michigan) I love you all so much.”
Other Bouts
A heavyweight clash saw why there is a rule against holding. Brandon Moore (17-1) and Skylar Lacy (8-1-2) punched and held throughout their eight rounds. Referee Steve Willis finally disqualified Lacy when he tackled Moore and took him through the ropes and on to table below.
No, holding and clinching is not part of the fight game. Now you know why.
Moore was ruled the winner by disqualification due to unsportsmanlike conduct by Lacy at 1:35 of the eighth. No need to describe the fight.
A battle between undefeated welterweights saw Joseph Hicks (12-0, 8 KOs) stop Keon Papillon (10-1-1, 7 KOs) at 1:35 of the seventh round. Hicks stunned Papillon at the end of the sixth, then unloaded in the seventh round to force a stoppage.
Joshua Pagan (12-0) out-battled Ronal Ron (16-8) over eight rounds to win the lightweight match by unanimous decision.
Samantha Worthington (11-0) defeated Vaida Masiokaite (10-27-6) by decision after eight rounds in a super lightweight bout.
Featherweight Caroline Veyre (9-1) out-boxed the shorter Carmen Vargas (5-3-1) to win by decision after six rounds.
Super bantamweight Asheleyann Lozada (1-0) won her pro debut by unanimous decision over Denise Moran (3-1) in a four-round fight.
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David Benavidez showed fans why they call him “El Monstro” as he plowed through Cuba’s heavy-punching David Morrell to retain a number one ranking in the light heavyweight division by unanimous decision on Saturday.
Not even a flash knockdown for Morrell could make a difference.
Phoenix native Benavidez (30-0, 24 KOs) gave Morrell (11-1, 9 KOs) his first loss as a professional in front of more than 15,000 fans at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. No one needed to hear the judge’s decision.
“I prepared for everything. I know he’s a great fighter,” said Benavidez. “I thought he was going to hit harder, but he didn’t.”
Before the fight, Morrell was almost an even bet according to oddsmakers, but that was not the case once the fight commenced.
Immediately Benavidez pounded the body and exposed the weaknesses of Morrell’s peek-a-boo defense by using his own left glove to push down the Cuban’s guard. Then immediately firing a crushing right to the jaw.
For the first four rounds Benavidez pounded away on the left and right side of Morrell’s body. And when the openings came the uppercuts caught Morrell’s chin. But he absorbed the blows.
Morrell didn’t waver in trying to find a solution. Though Benavidez connected often to the body and head, the Cuban fighter who moved up from super middleweight displayed a very solid chin.
In the fourth round during a furious exchange Morrell beat Benavidez to the punch that stunned him momentarily. But the blow seemed to spark outrage and a storm of blows followed from Benavidez.
It must have seemed like a nightmare for Morrell.
At times the Cuban fighter would connect perfectly with a right hook and pause. Then Benavidez would return fire with massive blows.
The look on Morrell’s face bore traces of disappointment.
As the rounds continued Benavidez became emboldened by his success. Soon the Mexican Monster began launching lead right uppercuts through Morrell’s guard especially in the sixth round.
“He was easier to hit than I expected,” Benavidez said.
During the breaks Morrell’s corner asked him to pressure Benavidez. It was a fruitless suggestion. How do you corner a Monster?
Benavidez continued to stalk Morrell who never stopped swinging but could not seem to hurt the Monster. In the 11th round Morrell managed to catch Benavidez perfectly with a right hook and down went Benavidez. He immediately got up and the two fighters unloaded on each other. Morrell fired one punch after the bell and was deducted a point by referee Thomas Taylor. That negated the extra point gained from the knockdown.
“I wasn’t really hurt,” said Benavidez. “That bullshit knockdown caught me off-balance.”
The final round saw both resume their efforts to knock the other out. Both showed great chins and the ability to trade. Benavidez was simply better. Even Morrell didn’t wait for the decision to be read as he raised the arm of the Monster at the final bell. All three judges scored in favor of Benavidez 115-111 twice and 118-108.
“He knows this is Monstro’s world. Big shout out for Morrell, he’s a tough fighter,” Benavidez said.
Other Bouts
In a fight dedicated to honor the late Israel Vazquez, the ultimate Aztec warrior, super lightweights Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz (27-3-1) and Angel Fierro (23-3-2) battled like demons for 10 nonstop rounds. Cruz was ruled the winner by unanimous decision.
With little resemblance of defense, Cruz and Fierro whacked each other relentlessly with shots that might have stopped a moving car. Cruz was tagged by a right cross on the top of the head that staggered him momentarily. Fierro was driven back four feet by an overhand right to the chin early in the fight.
Both fighters took cruel and unusual punishment and never wavered more than a few seconds. It was brutal war and fans were the winners after 10 rounds of violent and savage action.
All three judges saw Cruz the winner 96-94, 97-93, 98-92.
“I’m so happy I gave the fans a great fight,” Cruz said.
Fulton Wins
Stephen Fulton (23-1, 8 KOs) defeated Brandon Figueroa (23-2-1, 19 KOs) again and took the WBC featherweight title by unanimous decision after 12 rounds. He had previously defeated Figueroa in 2021 for the WBC and WBO super bantamweight titles.
Most of the action took place in nose-to-nose fashion where Fulton landed the cleaner shots especially with uppercuts. Figueroa had his moments but was unable to hurt the challenger who lost to Naoya Inoue by knockout 17 months ago.
Fulton landed clean shots but as his record shows he lacks the power with only eight knockouts on his record. But Figueroa was unable to hurt or knock down Fulton. After 12 rounds all three judges saw Fulton win by scores of 116-112 twice and 117-111,
“It feels good. I’m champion again,” said Fulton.
Ramos Wins
Jesus Ramos (22-1, 18 KOs) won by technical knockout over former world champion Jeison Rosario (24-5-2) in the eighth round of a middleweight fight. Both fighters attacked the body but by the sixth round Ramos was the busier fighter and began to dominate the fight. At 2:18 of the eighth round referee Robert Hoyle stopped the fight.
“I like to throw a lot of body punches. It’s kind of my style,” said Ramos.
Photos credit: Al Applerose
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Benavidez Defeats Morrell; Cruz, Fulton, and Ramos also Victorious at Las Vegas
Eric Priest Wins Handily on Thursday’s Golden Boy card at the Commerce Casino
Undercard Results from Las Vegas where Mirco Cuello Saved his Best for Last
Bakhodir Jalolov Returns on Thursday in Another Disgraceful Mismatch
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Claressa Shields Powers to Undisputed Heavyweight Championship
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Avila Perspective, Chap. 311: Jim Lampley Adds Class to the Benavidez-Morrell Rumble
Hall of Fame Boxing Writer Michael Katz (1939-2025) Could Wield His Pen like a Stiletto
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