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Cloutier’s Canada Corner
Chad Dawson: "I Am Part Of The
Boxing
'Major Leagues', But Stevenson Is Not"
By Daniel Cloutier
MONTRÉAL - Chad Dawson is persuaded that his experience,
maturity and skills will put Adonis Stevenson in serious
trouble Saturday evening in the ring of the Bell Centre.
Dawson (31-2-0), a southpaw from Connecticut who will defend
his WBC light heavyweight championship of the world
Saturday, met the media Wednesday morning at the restaurant
“La Station des Sports” in Montréal downtown, at the final
press conference of the event. Dawson was surrounded by his
trainer, the former world champion Eddie Mustafa Muhammad,
and his promoter, Gary Shaw.
“The atmosphere in the city is absolutely crazy with majors
events this week-end: the Canadian Formula One Grand Prix
and this great boxing show,” said Gary Shaw. My prediction
is that Chad will be the hero of the week-end.”
Dawson looked nervous last September in Oakland, few hours
before his defeat by TKO against Andre Ward (26-0-0), but he
seems extremely confident this time. “In Oakland last
September, I was not feeling normal at all,” said Dawson. “I
was feeling weak few days before the show. As you know, I
have been obliged to reduce my weight to 168 pounds to fight
Ward, because the fight was involving his WBC and WBA super
middleweight belts. When the fight started, I was not
energetic and my punches got a clear lack of power. You will
see in action the real Chad Dawson Saturday evening. I got a
perfect training camp, and I feel strong and energetic. When
I am feeling so good physically and mentally, I know I will
win. Stevenson is a dangerous puncher, but you need more
than this to win against the best fighters in the world. I
know I am part of the boxing ‘major leagues’, but it is
clearly not the case for Stevenson. I have the experience,
the maturity and the skills to give to Stevenson a boxing
lesson.”
Dawson has participated to 10 major world championship bouts
(8-2). Saturday, Stevenson will live his first experience in
a world title match up. Stevenson (20-1-0), who won his last
10 bouts by KO, is ranked fourth contender by the WBC in the
light heavyweight division (175 pounds). In January, the
southpaw from Montréal was supposed to fight for the
eventual IBF super middleweight vacant title, but not one of
the first 15 contenders approached by the IBF championship
committee has accepted to fight him. Then, Stevenson moved
up in the light heavyweight division to challenge Dawson.
“I wanted to fight all the big names of my division (super
middleweight),” said Stevenson,” but Carl Froch has decided
to allow a rematch to Mikkel Kessler instead defend his IBF
title against me. After that, I was ready to fight for the
vacant title (Froch got the order to give up his IBF belt
right after his rematch with Kessler), but no contender
seemed interested to face me. Then, I mentioned to my
promoter, Yvon Michel, to try to oppose me to Dawson. I was
ready to move up in the light heavyweight category to face
Dawson, the biggest name of the division. It will be a great
challenge Saturday evening. I cannot wait to be in the ring.
I am absolutely sure that all the boxing fans on the planet
will know my name after the bout. Dawson believes I am a
nobody, but trust me, he will be obliged to respect me
during… and after the bout.”
HBO will televise three bouts Saturday. Just before the
fight Dawson-Stevenson, the former WBA and IBF featherweight
champion of the world, the Cuban Yuriorkis Gamboa (22-0-0),
will face the lightweight Darley Perez (28-0-0), a Colombian
ranked second contender by the WBA and third by the IBF. “I
know Perez, I know the crowd will see a memorable bout
Saturday,” said Gamboa. “Believe me, I am ready for a war.”
Perez promised to his fans to cause the surprise of the
year. “Apparently, Gamboa is favorite by 16 to one in the
Las Vegas Sports books,” said Perez. Perfect. My intention
is to provoke the surprise of the year on the international
level. I know that Gamboa has a great talent, but I know
what I can achieve in the ring. I want to fight the cream of
the lightweight division, and Gamboa is now part of it.”
Yvon Michel, the promoter of this Boxing Grand Prix,
confirmed that the fight between the light heavyweights
Eleider Alvarez (12-0-0) and Allan Green (32-4-0) has been
cancelled to allow HBO to televise the fight between the
super featherweights Jose Pedraza (12-0-0), from Porto Rico,
and Sergio Villanueva (25-2-2), from Mexico.
Alvarez, a Montrealer who is the NABA and NABO North
American champion, should face Green in August or September.
Green was the biggest name opposed to Alvarez so far. A
veteran from Tulsa, Oklahoma, Green has been involved in
Showtime Super Six tournament in 2010.
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