Past Weekend's Light Heavyweight Bouts & the Future?

Question

What are your thoughts on both the Dawson-Johnson fight and the Woods-Tarver fight? Was Johnson robbed or did Dawson rightfully win the bout? Did Tarver look any better against Woods then he did in previous matchups, in your opinion?

Also, I find it funny that Tarver seemingly ducked Dawson in previous months and then after their bouts, Tarver talks a lot of s**t about Dawson being a dead duck and wanting to fight him now. Who wins the matchup, if Chad Dawson and Antonio Tarver ever step in the ring together?

Answer 1

The Woods-Tarver fight was what I about expected. Sorry to his fans but I've never really liked watching Tarver. I had the fights recorded and I started watching the Woods-Tarver fight when I was falling asleep. He did look much better then previous fights though.

The Dawson-Johnson fight I thought was good and very close. I had it a draw. Johnson's constant pressure caused Dawson some trouble. But wouldn't argue with Dawson winning by 2 points max.

For me, Dawson would win against Tarver with his speed if he fought him the way he fought Johnson. Maybe even a knockout. And i'm not saying this just because I don't like to watch Tarver.

Answer 2

I think Dawson just didn't have a good night.  The fight was his but there could be a strong argument for Johnson.  Dawson could be a force in the future of the division but it's not much to hope for without Roy, who won't be around for much longer.  

WIth Calzaghe vs Hopkins comming up none of the fights are even worth mentioning.  Calzaghe is the future of the division for the next year or two if he wants it.   He will beat Hopkins who is very cagey but will realize that Joe is the wrong kind of guy to fight at this stage.   I take my hat off to Bernard for many reasons but he'd past his prime.  

As for Tarver, it doesn't matter if he fights Fred Flintstone I'll root for the "Bedrockian"  or anyone else over Tarver.  I JUST DONT LIKE HIM.   Only Zab Judah is a POORER excuse for a $#!T talker.  Even when Floyd talks, which I find distasteful, he isn't as much a pain to listen to as is Tarver because he can back it up, unlike Tarver.  

He got that win over a VERY DEFLATED Roy Jones.  It makes me sick that people just don't see the real reason Roy didn't do well in those fights.   IT IS NOT AGE as much as LOSING 20 POUNDS OF SOLID MUSCLE.  THAT IS WHAT DID ROY IN.   Age has now become a factor as well but we're talking more than 4 years ago.  

Tarver has not stopped talking trash since and he hasn't looked good in any fight since then either.  I root against him everytime.  He and Judah are among my least favorite fighters.  I don't like trash talkers, at least not on the level these guys do it,  but at least Floyd can back it up.  His "C-Plus Fighter" label on Gatti, though distastful, was a bit accurate and funny.  

Floyd's a trash talker too, like the two shallow pretenders I mentioned earlier (judah and tarver) but he's smart.  These two aren't.  Tarver struggles to try to sound a little above the illiterate level and Judah is just plain stupid.

Answer 3

Its a cold day in h3ll when I agree with Antonio Tarver...so everyone break out your coats.

I have to say, if anything validated Tarver's point, it WAS Saturday night. What I dont think anyone picked up on, was that if Chad Dawson was such a harbringer of doom, why was he struggling with an old man?? Glenn Johnson is not the tactian that Bernard Hopkins is at his age, he is just more of a straight forward kind of fighter...he doesnt stop coming. But he has been an active fighter for more than fifteen years, the wear and tear alone should have made Dawsons work easier for him.

Not only did Dawson struggle, he ALMOST, but for the grace of God, got knocked out.

I grant you, Tarver may not be the great shakes he makes himself out to be. Yes he was the first (and only one of two) to put Roy Jones on his back. But he is no more than an awkward fighter (ex crackhead) that capitalizes on his awkwardness.

But, Glen Johnson is notoriously feather fisted. If Antonio Tarver connected on Dawson with half of what Johnson did...Dawson would have been knocked out.

Dont be surprised if Tarver doesnt upset. Keep in mind...everyone thought speed would be the difference when Tarver fought Roy Jones....look how that turned out. Tarver really doesnt have a problem negating speed.

Answer 4

dawson - johnson fight was close.  I thought it should have been a draw, but I see worse decisions than that one quite regularly.  The fight was certainly closer than the scorecards.

woods - tarver was a bit painful to watch.  Tarver really should retire.  In the late rounds he was gasping and wheezing in his corner.  Tarver looked better this fight than the last couple fights, but that is because it has been painful to watch him since he got into the ring with Glen Johnson.

Chad Dawson would go seal-clubbing if he got into the ring with Tarver.  Dawson didn't look great over the weekend, but he would absolutely destroy Tarver.  At the end of the 3rd round Tarver would quit on his stool.

Answer 5

i am kind of old fashioned.i believe in order to  beat a champion you have to destroy him so i say no johnson did not win.yeah johnson did good but he didn't destroy him.he was trying to win a decision.very dumb.look at mccall vs peters.mccall had peters down 3 times.....winner samuel peters.champs almost always win the decision and about tarver,very overated.he beat an older and out of shape roy jones jr.only after roy beat him first.everyone he claims to have beaten beat him first jones jr,,johnson.he then loses to a  old former middleweight champ in hopkins.dont get me wrong hopkins was an amazing fighter back in the day  but hopkins is alot older.a guy like tarver should have beaten him.he is not as young as he use to be eather.he only called out dawson after dawson had a bad night.tarver is a punk.

Answer 6

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When it comes to Johnson vs dawson, Its was close I must

say and johnson did have dawson in trouble in the early rounds, but dawson was ahead on points, No doubt about that

Tarver Vs Woods.. Tarver looked better in this fight then he has in YEARS...... He was prepared I must say and deserved the win.



I do believe what Johnson said tho about how boxing is corrupt and how it is about who people know, promoters and money. And not skill. He is 100% RIGHT about that.                But he lost indeed

And finally about Tarver vs Dawson I believe this double header was just to set up for that fight, which has been 2 years in the making.

And Yes tarver did get out of line talking MAAAD Sh***T

when he's the one that has been ducking dawson..

Also Tarver is VERY BIPOLAR,

But as i said this Card was just to set up for that fight

I have to give it to Dawson, Most likley by UD

It will be a very entertaing fight, Looking foreward to it

Answer 7

i think all the winners deserved to win

Answer 8

Good questions my man, I'll answer them to the best ability step by step.

Thoughts on Dawson-Johnson: I thought it was a very close fight that could have gone either way or been ruled a draw.  I personally thought that Dawson won the fight, but not by 116-112, I had it a bit closer at 115-113.  I thought that Dawson's combination punching, effective movement, and better boxing outdid Johnson's agressiveness and harder punches.  I understand Glen Johnsnon's frustration though because close decisions are constantly going against him and he has been robbed on more than a few occasions.  I can't call it a robbery though because I thought Dawson won, and a robbery is used to refer to a fight that EVERYONE watching thought the other guy should have won (Casamayor-Santa Cruz, Forbes-D. Hopkins, etc.)

Thoughts on Woods-Tarver: I hate Antonio Tarver, but I must give credit where credit is due.  He did look a lot better in this fight than he had in previous matchups.  Woods just looked like he didn't really care and was content to just give Tarver his paper title; not taking  anything away from Tarver though because he did what he was supposed to do and he turned in a pretty good (albeit a bit boring) performance.

Regardless of Tarver's win against Woods, I still think that HE is the sitting duck for Chad Dawson and not the other way around.  Dawson beat a much more motivated and hungry fighter in Glen Johnson than Tarver did with Woods.  Dawson is still faster, stronger, hungrier, younger, and just plain better.  You're right- before this past saturday, he was avoiding Dawson like a disease, but as soon as he sees Chad struggle a little, he is all open for a fight.  Who hasn't struggled with Glen Johnson?, remember that Tarver actually lost to Glen and was afraid to give him a rubber match because he went through h**l in those two fights.  The only one who beat Johnson decisively was Bernard Hopkins back when he was at his peak as a middleweight.  I can't wait to see Dawson and Tarver fight because I am fairly certain that Dawson will thrash Tarver relatively easy.  Oh yeah, and check out this hypothetical video of what a prime Roy Jones would have done to Tarver- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_jbbnL1K...

Answer 9

Dawson was able to steal the rounds late with crisp punching/counter punching. I thought Johnson gave good account of himself and I can understand why some thought he won the fight. I had it scored 115/113 Dawson. The fight was close.

Tarver although he was backed up quite a few times in the fight still did enough to win the decision. Woods looked strangely disinterested in the ring that night.  

Woody you are correct Tarver has ducked Dawson. He was offered 2 mil to fight Dawson 6 or 7 months ago and turned it down. Dawson is a bright young talent in this division. In my opinion his rhythm and timing looked off Saturday night. BUT compared to Tarver he drew the tougher fighter that night.

If matched Dawson will win a decision over Tarver.

Answer 10

dawson definately won the fight, but not by the margins on the cards.  he did land cleaner and more effective shots, i had it 6 rounds to 4.

obviously tarver beat woods, and looked surprisingly good in doing so.  he definately focused more in training for the woods fight, moreso than in previous fights, and he looked solid on fight night.  he only has a few left in the tank, so hopefully he makes them good ones.  

if tarver-dawson happens, tarver will win regardless.  no one will give the road warrior a decision over tarver no matter how convincingly he beats him, and dawson cant knoct tarver out.  the only reason i say that is everyone wants another hopkins fight with tarver, and tarver is the only guy hopkins would fight after cal, win or lose.  if tarver loses to dawson, the the hopkins fight cant happen.  

now that chris byrd is moving down to 175 and RJJ is back in the mix, we could see some interesting light heavy fights in the next year.  

tarver-hopkins?

byrd-jones?

hopkins-jones?

byrd-hopkins? (i would love to see this one)

light heavy is a very intriguing division right now, even tho all the decent fighters are senior citizens.

Answer 11

I honestly Think Tarver Stops Dawson. Dawson really doesn't take a punch well and his defense is not developed enough to really bedevil Tarver.  Tarver is a sharper puncher with better all around skills. Johnson wasn't robbed but the margin he lost by was way to wide.