By Dan Ambrose: Floyd Mayweather Sr, the former trainer for two-time former WBC light heavyweight champion Chad Dawson (30-1, 17 KO’s), believes that Dawson will beat WBC light heavyweight champion Bernard Hopkins (52-5-2, 32 KO’s) on April 28th in their fight at the Boardwalk Hall, in Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.

Mayweather Sr. told Eastsideboxing.com’s On the Ropes Boxing Radio “It all depends on what Chad Dawson comes in…if Chad’s mind is set right, and he’s in shape and in condition, and his mind is on what he’s supposed to do.”

Mayweather Sr. thinks Dawson has to be focused on his boxing and not his family. He sees Dawson’s wife as being a distraction for him. Mayweather Sr. also went on to say that Dawson got beat up by Andre Dirrell in sparring. Mayweather Sr. repeated that a couple of times.

Hopkins, 47, has to improve a lot over the two rounds of action he showed last time he and Dawson fought last October. Hopkins looked slow and wasn’t connecting with his shots. Dawson was stalking Hopkins all around the ring and pelting him with shots, while Hopkins was just looking to move and hold.

The rematch could be fought a long the same lines with Dawson looking to take the fight to the aging Hopkins and make him fight for three minutes of every round without his customary rest breaks. Jean Pascal let Hopkins have plenty of rest breaks in their two fights and this enabled Hopkins to recharge his batteries and fight well enough to earn a decision in the rematch and a 12 round draw in their first fight. Dawson has to make sure that Hopkins isn’t getting the rest breaks that he needs.

I suspect Dawson’s mind will be right for this fight and he won’t be distracted like Mayweather Sr. is worried about. What’s important for Dawson is for him to stay composed when Hopkins tries to deliberately frustrated him by using tactics such as clinching, wrestling and falling over Dawson’s back when he ducks low. Hopkins is good at making his opponents frustrated and once he’s got them not thinking clearly, he’s able to pick them apart and shut down their offense with his punch and grab technique. Hopkins is obviously too old to match Dawson punch for punch in a traditional fight. He needs to slow the bout down to where Dawson is throwing in the low 20s in punch attempts per round. Hopkins can muddy the water by keeping Dawson with low offensive stats.