Andre Ward Beats Up and Stops Chad Dawson in 10
By Jason Pribilla (Sept 9, 2012) Doghouse Boxing
-
Andre Ward (26-0, 14 KO) entered the ring for the first time after
coasting through the Super Six Tournament to take on light heavyweight
champion, Chad Dawson (31-2, 17 KO). Dawson, coming off a career best
win against Bernard Hopkins decided to come down in weight to take on
the king of the division where he was an undefeated titlist.. Fight
fans expecting to see a boxing match at the highest level, instead were
treated to a one sided beat down.
After two competitive heats that saw Dawson starting to land a short
right hand, quickly became another clinic by Andre Ward. Ward is simply
getting better, and there is no telling how high his star will ascend.
Beginning in the third round Ward began to throw his left hook over
Dawson’s right, and the puzzle was solved. A short left dropped Dawson
to a knee, and Dawson’s body language showed that this was much more
than a case of being knocked off balance.
Ward attacked in round 4 and when he landed the same left hook he had
Dawson on the brink of being stopped. Dawson tried bending at the
waist to avoid the damage, but Ward was locked in and suddenly could not
miss. Dawson survived, but the route was on.
Ward said afterward, “Against the better competition, I rise to the
competition.” “It may look easy in there, but it’s not. Chad Dawson is
a Monster in there.”
Dawson may be a monster, but Ward is the new reason why prize fighters will sleep with a light on.
Ward continued to dominate on the scorecards and with CompuBox.
Through 8 rounds he had landed 100 power shots to Dawson’s 20. He had
also disarmed Dawson of his best weapon by only being hit with an
average of a jab per round. The only question that remained was whether
or not Dawson would make it to the final round. Another question Ward
answered with an exclamation point at 2:45 of the tenth round.
“Finishing guys off is the last piece of the puzzle,” Ward explained. “We’re on our way to doing that.”
Ward as a finisher is a scary thought, and will be something that the
next fighter thinks about before calling out the “Son of God”.
The good news for Dawson is that he remains the light heavyweight
champion. As painful and difficult as it may be to put this disaster
behind him, he has a great resume and a title to defend. He may have
also gained fans by not making excuses after the fight.
"
He’s a great champion. He’s the best,” Dawson confessed. “I wanted to fight the best. He’s the best.”
Dawson continued, “I thought I felt good at 168, but I couldn’t get
off. I’m going back to 175 and will continue my reign there.”
Dawson will have options at light heavyweight. He could attempt to
erase a loss to Jean Pascal, or unify titles with Tavoris Cloud. He’ll
be the favorite against anyone he faces at that weight class, unless
Ward follows him up the scale.
Ward spoke of a potential move, “It’s kind of strange not knowing
what’s next. A move to light heavyweight at some point is not out of
the question.”
Whatever Ward does next, chances are it will be met with enthusiasm
from a growing fan base. He is a ticket seller in Oakland, CA; and this
performance showed that he is becoming even more television friendly. A
hand injury kept him out of the ring for the first eight months of
2012. To date, it is the only thing that has been able to slow down his
rise.
This Article provided by SecondsOut.com.
Jason Pribila is a full voting member of the Boxing Writers
Association of America. He could be reached for questions and comments
at pribs2000@yahoo.com and followed on twitter @PribsBoxing. .
Visit the IMPROVED Doghouse Boxing Forums (Login with your Facebook or Twitter account - Now Mobile, Ipad, Blackberry, Android & YouTube Friendly) DogPound
NEW: Follow Doghouse Boxing on FaceBook! For more Boxing News 24/7 and so much more... visit our homepage now!
|
|
|
|
|
© Copyright / All Rights reserved: Doghouse Boxing Inc. 1998-2012
|
|
|