Bad Blood Between B-Hop and Bad Chad

Let’s make one thing abundantly clear. Bernard Hopkins and Chad Dawson clearly do not like each other at all. The enmity they feel for each other is real and palpable.  In fact, they loathe each other. They do not respect each other in or out of the ring. Generally, with most fighters, boxing is not personal, it is just business. You fight your opponent and then after you go out for some drinks with him. Such is not the case in this respect. They are professionals though and both fighters will valiantly attempt to channel their mutual hatred of each other into a victorious ring performance this Saturday, April 28^th, in Atlantic City, at Boardwalk Hall.

Their first fight was over so soon, it is almost impossible to draw any conclusions from that foul-shortened bout. Trends were starting to emerge but there was no way of predicting accurately the outcome over a 12 round distance.  The only thing that was clear from their abbreviated first encounter was that Dawson is the bigger and stronger man. Mind you, that was already known before their first match was underway.

Bernard Hopkins would like to redeem himself in the eyes of all those fans that thought he took the easy way out in his original foul-shortened fight with Chad Dawson. It is important to note that after their first bout ended in controversy, Dawson said he would never again enter a ring to face Hopkins. It is funny how time and more money changed Dawson’s intransigent attitude completely around.

A lot of people in the boxing community believe the WBC light-heavyweight world champion Hopkins may have finally bitten off more than he can chew in accepting this rematch with the extremely well-conditioned and highly motivated Dawson. Hopkins enters this fight as the underdog,. The question on everyone’s lips here is should B-Hop win, will the boxing world finally give him his due as one of the sport’s all-time greats? The truth is that Hopkins greatness has been recognized worldwide for a very long time now. It is only Hopkins who believes he has been shortchanged in terms of praise and recognition. Most boxing experts and analysts gave him his just due many years ago.  

If Dawson wins and knocks out this living legend, will he be given credit for beating an all-time great or will he be criticized for beating a 47 year-old man? It would seem vastly unfair to belittle Dawson for beating up a 47 year-old man since it is the 47 year-old Hopkins that demanded this fight in the first place.  Dawson would be deserved of criticism only if he had turned down the first fight with Hopkins as well as the rematch. However, he said yes both times, to his lasting credit.

The manner in which the first fight between Hopkins and Dawson ended, created a lot of hostility throughout the boxing world. There were a lot of fans that believed that Hopkins was faking his shoulder injury and in fact, was not actually hurt. Then there were other fans that firmly believed Dawson picked Hopkins up on purpose and flung him to the canvas in an attempt to deliberately injure him severely. The truth of the matter probably lies somewhere in the middle.

Hopkins threw a punch, which Dawson ducked under. B-Hop’s momentum carried him forward on to Dawson’s back. Dawson wrapped his right arm around Hopkin’s waist, stood up and then threw him with force to the canvas with both hands. Who was at fault? In a sense, both fighters and the referee were at fault. Referee Pat Russell should have been in there a lot faster to break them up. Russell waited too long to separate the fighters. In effect, Russell’s negligence was as responsible for the foul as were the fighters themselves. Pat Russell is too old, short and physically weak, to be able to adequately referee a fight between men of such strength and power. The fault there lies with the WBC for assigning him to referee the fight in the first place.

Hopkins aggravated the situation by making no attempt whatsoever to get off of Dawson’s back. Dawson lost his temper and his focus and concentration. He feels he was justified and really had no other choice but to relieve himself of B-Hop’s body by any means necessary. The real question is did Dawson choose the most apropos method to rid himself of B-Hop?  Maybe not but, given the situations and Russell’s absence from it, what other options did he have given the position he was in?  Both fighters and the referee earned the undying shame and chagrin of the live audience for their unprofessional actions. They are lucky that the fans have decided to give them one more chance.

Hopkins is an experienced technical boxer with tremendous ring smarts and generalship. At this stage in his career, Hopkins does not have the power to knock out a fighter as strong and fit as Dawson. Dawson also has a good chin and is known for being able to take a great shot. Hopkins likewise has never been knocked out or even close to it over the course of his storied career. Dawson is quick, punches with power and is very accurate with his shots.  They are both counter-punchers but Dawson will go on the attack in their rematch. His game plan is simple. He wants to wear down the older Hopkins, preferably with body shots.

Hopkins is a pinpoint counter puncher and very smart at figuring out his opponents game plans and then taking advantage of the flaws in their respective fight strategies. Hopkins has unerring timing and if Dawson leaves himself open for an instant or stops to admire a punch, he will end up paying for it big time. Also, if Dawson starts to depend on one particular punch quite often, Hopkins will begin to tie that shot and counter it effectively. Hopkins just does not allow any fighter to ever get comfortable with him in the ring. What that means is that Dawson will have to outthink Hopkins as well as outbox him in the ring.

Because of Hopkins advanced age, Dawson will try to extend the fight into the later rounds so as to tire out Hopkins by making him use his legs more than he would realistically like to. Dawson will try to bully Hopkins into the ropes and then go to work on his body and arms. Dawson will attempt to impose his will and superior size and strength on B-Hop and bust him up with every shot he throws.

Hopkins knows every trick in the sport, and, over the course of his lengthy career, has probably invented many tricks of his own. As mentioned above, Hopkins will try to outbox Dawson at every turn and use his huge edge in ring smarts and experience to turn Dawson often, thereby never allowing the younger man to get set long enough to throw his power shots.  This is why Hopkins does not want to be backed into a corner or on the ropes during the fight as it would prevent him from turning Dawson, thereby allowing the stronger challenger to properly establish his balance, allowing him to gain incredible leverage on his punches.

There is little doubt that Dawson has the power to stop Hopkins. It is unlikely though that Hopkins has enough power left in his arsenal to knock out Dawson. For this reason, Hopkins has to keep the fight constantly moving, never permitting Dawson enough time to set himself to throw any power shots. The question yet to be answered is does Hopkins still have enough energy and stamina left in the tank to keep his 47 year-old body on the move for 12 long rounds?

Several years back, during an interview with Hopkins, I asked him if he ever worried about getting knocked out. He said, “Hell yeah! Every fighter does. Any fighter, if hit on the button, will go, including me.”   This brings up a very interesting question regarding Dawson’s fight strategy. Will he throw caution and reason to the wind and simply try to blast Hopkins out of there via the knockout route? Dawson’s response to such questions is always short and sweet. “If the opportunity arises, I will try to stretch him.” Dawson cannot stand being interviewed as he is very shy and extremely uncomfortable in front of the press. He is a man of very few words and has always preferred to let his ring performances speak for themselves.

Do not let Dawson’s reticence about answering questions fool you. He would love nothing better than to be the fist fighter to drop Hopkins for a ten count. As he has aged, Hopkins defense has deteriorated.  He is much easier to touch now than he was even 5 years ago. He picks his opponents carefully. Then again, that is the name of the game in boxing. You want your fighter to take the least risk for the most money. The great fighters always take the toughest fights out there to prove their worth and ensure their legacy.

B-Hop’s legacy has been in place for some time now. He has had his share of tough fights during his career. Fighting Chad Dawson at this very late stage in his Hall of Fame career is admirable because Hopkins could have chosen to fight a much less talented and lethal fighter. Given Dawson’s youth, strength, power and speed, it is hard to fathom how Hopkins can find a way to emerge victorious once this battle concludes on Saturday night. There are many boxing scribes that believe this fight will end suddenly and brutally on April 28^th.  Bearing that in mind, this may very well be the last time we ever see Hopkins in a boxing ring, which in itself makes this fight an historic event.

Eleven years ago in 2001, when Hopkins was a mere baby of 36 years of age, he decided to take on sensational Puerto Rican knockout artist Felix “Tito” Trinidad. Trinidad was 40-0 with 32 knockouts at that point in his career. Trinidad was 28 years of age and had beaten a lot of good fighters. He was a huge favorite to kayo Hopkins in Madison Square Garden in New York. Almost no one gave Hopkins even a smidgen of a chance to defeat the might “Tito.” Trinidad entered the ring thinking it would a short night’s work.

Hopkins gave Trinidad the single worst beating of his entire career before mercifully knocking the previously undefeated and universally feared slugger from Puerto Rico in twelve long, arduous and painful rounds.  Hopkins could have knocked out Trinidad three or four rounds earlier but held back so he could continue to brutally punish his highly favored opponent in order to make his victory much more emphatic.

Dawson is only 29 years of age, which gives him an 18-year advantage in youth over Hopkins. Of course, anyone Hopkins fights would hold an advantage in age over him, except maybe Methuselah. Hopkins knows he no longer possesses sufficient power to knock out a young stud like Dawson. It seems that his only route to victory would be to score a decision over Dawson. That seems highly unlikely as Dawson is faster in foot and hand speed and is capable of fighting all out for the full 12 rounds.

Anyone who watched B-Hop fight recently knows full well that he likes to take time off during his fights. Most fighters let him get away with it. They allow him to clinch constantly, hold, hang on to the ropes, and do a myriad of other things to slow down the pace of a fight. If Dawson can prevent Hopkins from using those stalling tactics he loves to employ, then he would greatly increase his chances of winning the bout by a knockout.

Dawson employs a tactic that Marvelous Marvin Hagler used to employ in his fights. When Hopkins misses a punch and is off-balance, he will sometimes take a few extra-steps and calmly regain his balance before engaging his opponent once again. It is up to Dawson to not allow Hopkins to buy extra time in such a manner. Dawson needs to not show Hopkins any respect in the squared circle. When Hopkins is off-balance from a wild swing, Dawson should jump on him immediately and let his hands go.

Ultimately, This match is a contest between Hopkins experience and Dawson’s ability to impose his will. Look for Dawson to win by unanimous decision in twelve hard fought rounds. A Dawson win will send Hopkins into retirement, where he can rest for as long as his body desires.