Criscio confirms Chad Dawson's financial woes, but refuses blame
A day after Jean Pascal blasted Chad Dawson’s undefeated career out of the water, Boxing Examiner’s Michael Marley wrote an article disclosing alleged financial burdens that Dawson may have been dealing with prior to the fight. As can be imagined, this was a huge story, and was picked up by analysts no less accredited in the boxing world than ESPN’s Dan Rafael. Whereas most suggested “Bad” Chad lost because of what he did in the ring, Marley implied he was defeated by pending circumstances outside of it. A day after the article, Mike Criscio, Dawson’s former trainer, wrote Marley a personal letter to “get the facts straight.”
Criscio said: “Mr. Marley: I wish you would have called me to get your story straight. I have known Chad since he was 8 years old. I am the person who has put up almost 250k in atty fees for Chad's legal woes.”
After managing Dawson for most of his amateur and professional career, Criscio had a falling out with the fighter in the months leading to the Pascal fight last weekend. While details of the dispute have not been disclosed, Marley suggested it was due to Criscio investing some of Dawson’s purses in his own promotional pursuits without informing his fighter.
“I have not taken a dime from him till he had is fight for the WBC title. For the first 5 years of me being Chad's manager I have given him everything he has ever wanted, to the tune of almost 600k,” Criscio confirmed.
He continued: “if you noticed Chad’s parents were also not at the fight, his Mom called me in tears, asking what went wrong with her son, who is telling him to do what he is doing? It is very very unfortunate thing what money does to people who never had it. It makes them very very ugly. My question to you is what is Chad going to do when boxing is over. You can not go to camp for four weeks in Vegas with your wife and kids in town.”
Criscio’s perspective on the matter makes for searing boxing talk. If Marley’s article was off on the factual meter, it wasn’t by much: the response by Criscio, who is obviously a reliable source, confirmed that Dawson has been involved in various financial and legal disputes. He likewise implies that the fight has “changed” now that he has come up against the financial prospects of the sport.
Criscio was not present at the Pascal fight in Montreal last weekend. HBO announcer Jim Lampley commented on the rift between the manager and fighter briefly.
Many speculate that Criscio will engage in a lawsuit with Dawson. Criscio clarified: “Do I want a lawsuit against Chad? Not really. It's not Chad, not really,” Criscio said, who owns a Connecticut pawnshop and check-cashing store. “It's the people who surround him, know nothings who are only out to use Chad.”
Criscio criticized Dawson’s new company and his methods in training for the Pascal fight. He mentioned that Dawson’s family was flown in for training camp for in Las Vegas and kept at a nearby hotel.
“He is just hanging out with the wrong crowd,” Criscio explained. “These people, they don't have jobs. One guy sells cars to Chad after every fight and Chad pays new car prices for used ones […] Chad’s got to wake up before it’s too late.”
Whatever the issues are, it’s up to Dawson to figure out what the future will hold. Obviously it’s not fun having your personal life hampered out in the media, but it’s part of being a boxing superstar.
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