Dawson wants to face Andre Ward next, could move down to 168

By Boxing News - 04/29/2012 - Comments

Image: Dawson wants to face Andre Ward next, could move down to 168By Jim Dower: With few opportunity for big fights at light heavyweight, newly crowned WBC light heavyweight champion Chad Dawson (31-1, 17 KO’s) may move down in weight to 168lbs in order to try and land a fight against WBA super middleweight champion Andre Ward.

That’s what the 29-year-old Dawson wants right now after defeating 47-year-old Bernard Hopkins tonight at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

After the fight, Dawson said “I would love to fight Andre Ward. I’m ready to make another statement.”

Sadly, Hopkins was the biggest mountain there was for Dawson to climb at 175lbs, and it simply too easy for him tonight. The hardest thing Dawson had to contend with was Hopkins’ head-butts and just trying to catch up to him to land, because was constantly on the move. If Dawson decides to stick it out at 175, it’s downhill from here, because the only interesting opponents at this weight are as follows: Jean Pascal, who Dawson already lost to and will likely be facing him next unless Dawson chooses to vacate his WBC title, Nathan Cleverly, Tavoris Cloud and Beibut Shumenov.

None of those opponents would make for a big fight for Dawson, and the chances of Dawson against a fight against Cleverly are likely not too good. He and his promoter wanted Hopkins and will likely show no interest in Dawson now that he’s the winner. None of these are popular with the U.S boxing public, and it’s hardly a challenge for Dawson.

If Dawson moves down in weight to 168, he can pursue a fight against Ward. Besides him, there are other top fighters like Carl Froch, Andre Dirrell, Anthony Dirrell, Robert Stieglitz, James DeGale, George Groves and Edwin Rodriquez. As long as Dawson can make the fight without draining himself, he’d be more than a handful for anyone in the division, including Ward.



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