Since Chad Dawson defeated Bernard Hopkins via majority decision in April 2012, it has been a roller coaster for the former champion.
First of all, many folks in the boxing community did not give Dawson full credit for his victory, as Hopkins appeared that he had not fully recovered from shoulder surgery to repair the AC joint, as the WBC ruled that Dawson had intentionally fouled Hopkins, causing him to slam the canvas. As a result, the fight was ruled a no-contest and a rematch was scheduled.
Following the victory, Dawson made a colossal mistake, a mistake that also bit Miguel Cotto dearly against Manny Pacquiao in November 2009. Five months later, Dawson dropped down to super middleweight to challenge champion Andre Ward. Dawson was pummeled, knocked down three times, and stopped in the 10th.
Although Dawson (31-3, 17 KOs) went back up to light heavyweight to defend his title against Adonis Stevenson, he fared worse, eating one left hook just 76 seconds into the bout, a painful ending reminiscent to Ricky Hatton’s KO defeat at the hands of Manny Pacquiao.
Many thought Dawson would never return to the ring. But, Dawson is back to face George Blades (23-5, 16 KOs) in a 10-round undercard bout headlined by Robert Guerrero’s return against Yoshihiro Kamegai.
Chad Dawson might be in a lose-lose situation. What if he beats George Blades? What would that do for his career? Would boxing fans and promoters take Dawson seriously?
George Blades has never beaten a top opponent. He had one title shot in 2007, however, he was knocked out by Zsolt Erdei in the 11th round. On the other hand, both have fought Jean Pascal, with both coming up on the short end of the stick. Blades was stopped in the fifth, while Dawson appeared to be on his way to stopping Pascal down the stretch, despite taking a lot of damage earlier in the fight, however, the two clashed heads, causing an awful cut over Dawson’s right eye, giving Pascal a technical decision victory.
With that being said, I think Dawson needs a quick KO to stay relevant in the sport. If he fails to do so, it may mean Dawson will have to fight unknowns for a little while longer. Of course, this all depends if Dawson still wants to fight. “I’m getting ready for the second chapter of my career,” Dawson said. “I’m back to ‘Bad’ Chad.” After Saturday night, we will see if Chad Dawson recovers to regain form.
