Chad Dawson to knock Hopkins off the top of the mountain

By Boxing News - 09/05/2011 - Comments

Image: Chad Dawson to knock Hopkins off the top of the mountainBy Dan Ambrose: Every fighter gets old sooner or later if they stick around the sport long enough to show their age. WBC light heavyweight champion Bernard Hopkins 52-5-2, 32 KO’s) has been able to get the most out of his body with careful match-making against guys that can’t fight on the inside or can’t fight past four rounds in recent years.

Hopkins has done well since losing twice to Jermain Taylor in 2005. However, next month the 46-year-old Hopkins’ run of luck is about to expire against former two-time world champion Chad Dawson (30-1, 17 KO’s) on October 15th at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. Hopkins is facing a fighter with better hand speed, power, size, arm length, youth and boxing ability in the 29-year-old Dawson.

Hopkins is out of his class in every facet of the game except for experience and inside fighting ability. The experience won’t matter, though, because Hopkins will be giving up too much in the other areas, and the inside fighting advantage won’t help Hopkins either. Dawson is too smart to get caught up in a futile inside wrestling match the kind that Hopkins likes.

Dawson will have the presence of mind to get away from Hopkins when he comes lunging forward for his clinch & wrestle routine. The fighters that Hopkins lose attempt to wrestle with him and find themselves getting beat. Dawson will use his speed, and reach advantage to make Hopkins look all of 46 next month. It’s going to be a mismatch. But it’s a good thing as well, because all fighters need that one guy to put them in their place, and for Hopkins it’s going to be Dawson that gives him a big hint that maybe it’s time that he hang up the old gloves and look for better things to do with his life.



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