It was business as usual for young Chad Dawson, who seem disinterested at times. He easily outboxed Johnson, using his superior speed and footwork to rack up points without putting himself in too much danger.
Chad Dawson has fought two rematches in a row, against over the hill fighters -- Antonio Tarver being the first of the old men, Glenn Johnson the most recent.
Dawson has a natural athletic gift and is a great fighter, with even greater potential, but leaves something to be desired. Last night he "did enough." Lately, it seems as though Chad Dawson only "does enough" to win.
Chad Dawson has some things working for him: He's young, in his prime, a southpaw, natural speed, able to put together combinations, great footwork and decent defense.
Dawson also has a few things going against him -- things that he needs to work on if he wants to make fans forget about Joe Calzaghe: He seems to have stamina issues for one; he lets off the gas and frequently takes breathers in the middle portion of a fight. He also has a lack of power. And Dawson's mentality seems to be lacking a killer instinct -- like I said before, "doing just enough to win."
Chad Dawson really shouldn't be labeled a prospect, but strangely, that's what he is. He's still growing as a fighter. He still has a lot of tricks to learn. Dawson has potential -- you can see flashes of brilliance when he fights -- but his true potential might not be fully realized by boxing fans until he fights someone in their prime, or a Bernard Hopkins (Yes, I know, Bernard Hopkins isn't technically in his prime, but he's an uncommon exception to the rule).
If Joe Calzaghe were still around - and based on Dawson's last two performances - I don't see anything from Dawson that makes me think that he could beat Joe.
Be that as it may, Chad Dawson needs to fight Cloud, Hopkins, or move up to the Cruiser weight division and take on the likes of Adamek and/or Cunningham (Dawson came into the ring last night weighing 191 pounds!).
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