By Dan Ambrose: Dan Rafael is reporting that WBC light heavyweight champion Bernard Hopkins (52-5-2, 32 KO’s) will be fighting a rematch against #1 World Boxing Council ranked contender Chad Dawson (30-1, 17 KO’s) on April 28th in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

The fight will be televised on regular HBO this time, as opposed the disastrous pay per view route that the two fighters made the mistake of fighting last October. Hopkins, 47, has had mixed feelings about taking the rematch, mostly because of how little interest there was in their previous fight.

He’s been saying he wants to take the fight but he also is interested on going after bigger paying bouts like for instance against IBF super middleweight champion Lucian Bute.

The fact that Hopkins is apparently going to be fighting Dawson against suggest that Bute might not have been available for him to fight in the first half of 2012, and Hopkins needs to stay busy above all if he’s to make the most of the little that he has left in his career.

Hopkins and Dawson’s fight last October ended with Hopkins being dropped by Dawson after Hopkins fell over the back of Dawson when Hopkins missed a punch. Dawson then picked him up and dropped him on the canvas and this resulted in Hopkins claiming that he had in injured his left shoulder.

The fight was halted, Dawson was given a 2nd round TKO win, which was later overturned upon appeal to the WBC and California State Athletic Commission with the result changed to a no contest. Hopkins likely would have moved on at that point if not for Dawson appealing to the WBC to get an immediate rematch, which was granted. Hopkins was still undecided about whether he would give Dawson the rematch for weeks after and a lot of people doubted that Hopkins would take the rematch due to the danger involved for him and the lack of money.

Hopkins didn’t look good in the two rounds of action against Dawson, and looked like he was facing someone faster and stronger than him. It’s going to be hard for Hopkins to come up with a good plan to beat Dawson because the younger 30-year-old Dawson has so many weapons and so many ways to beat Hopkins. He’s younger, faster, stronger and arguably a better technician than Hopkins. What Hopkins has going for him is experience and a better inside game. However, Dawson isn’t a bad inside fighter but he’s not going to let Hopkins fight that kind of fight against him.