by James Slater – Though reigning IBF light-heavyweight champion Chad Dawson and his trainer, Eddie Mustafa Muhammad see nothing but another easy and clear win over Antonio Tarver when the two meet in their May 9th rematch, Dawson insists he has not slacked off in training in any way.
All but shutting-out “The Magic Man” when they first met back in November of last year, “Bad” Chad took the 39-year-old’s IBF belt. The two southpaws, due to Tarver’s holding of a rematch clause, do it again in less than a month’s time, when in truth most fans would rather see 26-year-old Dawson in with a different foe.
The man the 27-0(17) Dawson ideally wants to fight after he has done away with Tarver again – as he is 100-percent sure he will do – is the great Bernard Hopkins. However, Dawson feels “The Executioner” is not too interested in facing him..
Talking to The Las Vegas Sun, Dawson first spoke about his upcoming rematch with Tarver.
“I don’t think Tarver deserves the rematch,” Dawson said. “Hopefully he can come in and make it a more interesting fight [than the last fight]. But I think if he opens up in this one, if he tries to throw more combinations, that’s going to work to my advantage because of my hand speed.”
Trainer Muhammad says he expects another easy win for his fighter.
“Chad’s ready,” Muhammad told The Las Vegas Sun. “I’m not even worried about what Tarver brings to the table. Last time was an easy fight, this is going to be an easy fight. When we fought him last time Antonio was 39-years-old – he’s 40 now. Tarver is a world champion and he’s never lost a rematch. But there’s always a first time.”
It really is hard to see how the 27-5(19) Tarver can do anything different in the return contest. Younger, faster and hungrier, Dawson simply appears to hold all the aces.
Still, Dawson is adamant he has trained just as hard for this fight as he has for any other.
“I’ve trained my butt off for this fight,” Dawson said. “I don’t get how anyone could think I wouldn’t be motivated, thinking I’m just going to go in there and say, ‘Aw, I beat him last time so I’ll beat him in this fight.’ That’s not the case. I want to go in and look faster, stronger.”
Dawson wants to become known as one of the best, or THE best fighter, pound-for-pound in the world. He feels a win over the legendary Hopkins would get him to where he wants to be.
“There’s nobody else [for me to fight but Hopkins],” Dawson said. “But I think if he wanted to fight me it would have happened by now. I don’t know if he’s waiting to see what happens in the rematch, maybe he’s sitting back hoping that Tarver gets a lucky shot in so he can avoid me like that.
“My dream is to make it on the pound-for-pound lists, and the next thing standing in my way is Bernard Hopkins.”
The remarkable Hopkins can never, ever be counted out of any fight, but taking on the dominant Dawson just might be too much of a challenge even for him. As for Dawson-Tarver II – “Bad” Chad is almost certain to repeat last November’s points victory.