This Time Around, Dawson Leaves No Room for Controversy

By Michael Gluckstadt

Bernard Hopkins, Chad Dawson - Photo Credit: Will HartBernard Hopkins danced, he mugged and he pushed, but he didn't connect. All the head games in the world can't land punches, and tonight, the 47-year-old Hopkins didn't. His opponent, Chad Dawson, shrugged off Hopkins' antics—which included a full-on tackle in the 11th—and outhustled the fighter 18 years his senior for a majority decision victory and the WBC and Ring  Magazine light heavyweight titles.

Before a crowd of 7,705 mostly Hopkins-supporting fans at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, Dawson got the better of most exchanges and landed the cleaner shots. According to CompuBox numbers he connected on 35 percent of his punches, and 48 percent of his power punches, while Hopkins landed just 25 and 30 percent, respectively.

Leading up to the fight, Hopkins had been reticent about the rematch with Dawson—though Dawson had no problem talking about the controversial no-contest at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, which ended with Dawson slamming Hopkins into the mat and separating his shoulder in only the second round. Through the first four rounds in this fight, both fighters were feeling each other out, throwing fewer than 10 punches per round.

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Fighters and Fans Weigh In on Hopkins vs. Dawson II

By Michael Gluckstadt

Bernard Hopkins, Chad Dawson - Photo Credit: Will Hart 

Bernard Hopkins doesn't have anything left to say. But he still has to say it. He kicked off a tense media session with boxing reporters earlier with the weary preamble of a man who's done it all before. "We should all understand this," Hopkins said. "Nothing else needs to be asked about Bernard Hopkins, so don't do press conferences when you know the book on this guy. We can't predict what's going to happen until it happens. So what are you going to ask a guy after two decades and four years?"

Hopkins took the same workmanlike attitude with him to the scales, where he weighed in at 173.5 lbs, glared for a bit, and left the stage. This was just after his opponent Chad Dawson came in at 174.5. Dawson has been decidedly more vocal in the lead up to the fight, a rematch of a controversial no-contest that had originally been ruled a KO for Dawson. Since that night, Dawson has maintained that he had no choice but to slam Hopkins down to the canvas, if only to keep the fighter 18 years his senior from pushing down on his back and wearing him down.  This time, Dawson wants to leave no doubt. "We have a good plan," he said earlier this week. "I am not thinking about a close decision. I don't see it happening that way at all."

Dawson and the oddsmakers see things one way, but Hopkins and the fans see it another. "I wish I were more of an underdog, so that my guys could make some money," he deadpanned. On our HBO Boxing Facebook poll, Dawson earned 65 percent of the 1730 votes cast. On Twitter and HBO.com, the results were slightly more even.

 Here's some more of what you had to say:

• Hopkins will enjoy this rematch as much as he enjoyed his rematch with Pascal. Hopkins by Decision, with enough energy to do push ups between rounds. V. Varricchio (HBO.com)
• easy  boring win for dawson, last fight for bernard.  i would hope it aint so but really i rather see him lose this way n quit than get beat up – Shaka Z. (HBO.com)
• Going the full length, split decision B.Hop! - @PrimeJock_LLC (Twitter)
• Dawson wins by close decision when BHop comes on late but fails to close. #HopkinsDawson2 - @AtomFry (Twitter)
• although the first fight was hideous, i am looking forward to this fight.. i believe that dawson looked like he was going to destroy B-hop in the first fight. dawson came prepared and this time he has more to prove.. dawson will be the first guy to knock out B-hop..  B-hop makes history again, but this time in the loosing end. – Manos D Fuego (HBO.com)
• I see @THEREALBHOP having his moment, with @OfficialBadChad's youth prevailing in a decision. #boxing - @12RounderBoxing (Twitter)

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Hopkins Is No Stranger to Rematches

By Kieran Mulvaney

Jean Pascal, Bernard Hopkins - Photo Credit: Ed Mulholland

When Bernard Hopkins faces Chad Dawson on HBO World Championship Boxing on Saturday, it will be the seventh occasion on which he has fought the same opponent a second time. Of the previous six, one came soon after an initial encounter that Hopkins had comfortably won; one came many years after a bout he had clearly lost; one was an immediate rematch of a fight that cost him the middleweight title; two followed draws; and one, like Saturday’s fight with Dawson, succeeded a bad-tempered grudge match that ended in a bizarre no-contest.

Hopkins is renowned as a cerebral and adaptable boxer, and ring smarts and adaptability have played a key role in The Executioner’s remarkable rematch record of 5 wins and 1 defeat. He’ll aim to improve that against Dawson.

Here’s how events unfolded in his previous second chances:

Roy Jones, Jr. (L12, May 22 1993; W12 April 3 2010)

The first encounter was the inaugural title tilt for both future Hall-of-Famers; despite the excellence of their subsequent careers, the middleweight bout was unremarkable. Their second battle, which didn’t take place until Hopkins was 45 and Jones was effectively shot, was unwatchable, but it enabled Hopkins to secure his long-desired revenge.

Segundo Mercado (D12 December 17 1994; TKO7 April 29 1995)

In his next attempt to win the middleweight crown, Hopkins struggled to adapt to the altitude in Mercado’s native Ecuador and was floored twice before escaping with a draw. In the rematch, closer to home turf in Maryland, Hopkins left no doubt, and stopped Mercado to begin his lengthy championship reign. 

Robert Allen (NC  August 28 1998; TKO7 February 6 1999)

Hopkins’ seventh title defense was an ugly affair; in a bizarre finish, referee Mills Lane pulled the two men apart from a clinch with such force that Hopkins fell through the ropes and onto the floor, twisting his ankle and forcing a no-contest decision. In the aftermath, Allen taunted Hopkins, claiming he had quit; a focused and enraged Hopkins dominated his opponent in the rematch. (The two men fought a third time in 2004, with Hopkins winning convincingly on points.) 

Antwun Echols (W12 December 12 1999; TKO10 December 1 2000)

Hopkins won the first meeting comfortably enough, but Echols’ power rocked the champ once or twice along the way. The rematch was a foul-fest that was highlighted, if that’s the word, by Echols essentially body-slamming Hopkins to the canvas and injuring the Philadelphian’s shoulder in round 6, an act that resulted in the challenger being penalized two points; after a timeout, Hopkins elected to continue, ultimately stopping Echols with a barrage against the ropes in the 10^th.

Jermain Taylor (L12 July 16 2005; L12 December 3 2005)

After a record 20 successful defenses of his middleweight title, Hopkins started slowly against the younger Taylor, who built up a big early points lead. Hopkins dominated down the stretch, but Taylor held on to secure a close and controversial split decision. The rematch unfolded much the same way: this time Hopkins stepped up the pressure slightly earlier, but an eleventh-round rally was enough for Taylor to secure another very narrow points win – the only rematch to date from which Hopkins has not emerged victorious. 

Jean Pascal (D12 December 18 2010; W12 May 21 2011)

As with Taylor, Hopkins fell behind early against light-heavyweight titlist Pascal, his cause not aided by two knockdowns, including one that the veteran insisted resulted from a punch behind the head. Once again, Hopkins was rampant down the stretch, but the early points hole was so deep that he could only secure a majority draw. Pascal started the rematch brightly enough, but this time Hopkins took charge earlier, ultimately dominating Pascal physically and psychologically and becoming the oldest boxer to win a major world title. 

Hopkins Has Beaten the No-Contest Rap Before

By Kieran Mulvaney

Chad Dawson, Bernard Hopkins - Photo Credit: Will Hart 

If it all seemed strangely familiar … well, it was.

Scene 1: October 16, 2011, Los Angeles

Bernard Hopkins leaned on the back of opponent Chad Dawson, who was ducking down to avoid a Hopkins punch; Dawson, depending on your perspective, either shrugged Hopkins off him or positively body-slammed him to the canvas. Hopkins injured his shoulder and grimaced in pain, and the referee called a halt to the bout. The California State Athletic Commission ultimately declared the result to be a no-contest.

Despite initially being dubbed the victor, Dawson reacted with contempt and fury at the turn of events, and accused Hopkins of seeking the easy way out.

“I was looking forward to a good fight,” he said. “I trained eight weeks for this ... Yes, he was faking [the injury]. This is a fight I wanted for three years, and Bernard obviously didn't want the fight."

“That was a blatant foul,” countered Hopkins. “That was not a boxing-like move,” added his promoter, Richard Schaefer of Golden Boy Promotions.

Scene 2: August 28, 1998, Las Vegas

Hopkins was making the eighth defense of his middleweight title, against Robert Allen. The early going was closely-contested, and referee Mills Lane had his work cut out breaking up a series of clinches. In the fourth round, the two men tied each other up and Allen effectively seized Hopkins in a headlock from which he was reluctant to release him, despite Lane’s best efforts.  Finally, Lane wrenched the two men apart, and Hopkins staggered backward, fell against the ropes and then through them onto the floor below. He injured his ankle, Lane called a halt to the bout and the Nevada State Athletic Commission declared the result to be a no-contest.

Allen insisted that Hopkins was faking. "He bailed out,” said the challenger. “He could have continued to fight. I think he just fell through the ropes and took a dive."

Hopkins laid the blame squarely on his opponent’s tactics. “It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that he's a dirty fighter … He should have been disqualified.”

Seven months later, Hopkins and Allen fought a rematch in Washington, D.C. Hopkins, infuriated by Allen’s jibes and accusations of diving, left nothing to chance. He dropped Allen in the second and sixth rounds and stopped him in the seventh. Five years later, he faced him again, knocked him down again, and beat him again.

“I had to come back and redeem myself,” Hopkins said later of his rematch victory.

Hopkins and Dawson meet for a second time on April 28, in Atlantic City. Hopkins will be aiming to enact his revenge and answer the doubters as emphatically as he did against Robert Allen. Dawson will be aiming to stop him.

Hopkins and Dawson Look to Set the Record Straight

By Eric Raskin

Chad Dawson, Bernard Hopkins - Photo Credit: Will Hart

The clichéd refrain heading into any rematch is “repeat or revenge?” but that question can’t be applied to Bernard Hopkins-Chad Dawson II. “Repeat” is a nightmare scenario for both fighters and for the sport of boxing. “Revenge” is not a possibility because nobody lost last time.

The objectives in this rematch are simple: Hopkins wants to prove he’s still great at the unfathomable fighting age of 47; Dawson wants to become the recognized champion of the light heavyweight division after a couple of controversial near-misses; and the fans want something that in no way resembles Hopkins-Dawson I.

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