Half-Bad Chad Rematch with Tarver Ducks Real Champ Glen Johnson

Boycott HBO’s Tarver – Dawson II

I have to weigh in on this one. Last night I watched a ShoTime replay of Glen Johnson’s matchup with “Bad” Chad Dawson in April of 2008. The victory went to Dawson but so did the beating he got at the hands of a 39 year old fighter who appeared to be at the top of his game. Dawson’s a good fighter alright, but he was severely hammered by the veteran Johnson, who has to be America’s most ripped off fighter of all time. Win or lose, I’ve never seen Johnson fail to press his case and deliver brilliant boxing performances most of the time. Even at his worst, Glen Johnson is a highly efficient boxer-puncher capable on any given night of beating anyone in the division. Unfortunately, he hasn’t been able to beat the wily coyotes who promote the fights and the judges who are swayed by the spotlight, the hype, and the television twilight of professional boxing.

Dawson is about a foot taller than Johnson and scored points in the early rounds, but not decisively. Johnson knows how to move forward, has an ample defense, and is willing to absorb blows to close the distance between himself and the opponent. His punches are slick, straight, accurate, and well-timed. Dawson ate enough leather that he could have made a sofa out of it. Rocked several times, Dawson refused to go down. Dawson’s a good fighter, and trainer Eddie Mustafa Muhammad wanted him to box and box and box, but Johnson had the key even as Dawson tried to lock the door. The Road Warrior Glen Johnson bored in punching to the body, doubling left hooks, uppercuts in close, and clean straight rights. Johnson’s punches were so well-timed and accurate that Dawson’s face took on a dispirited look around the middle of the fight, a look that lasted to the end when he was interviewed.
Dawson’s a nice fighter alright, but he was reduced to the role of a U.N diplomat when he tried to explain that he “dominated” Johnson. Almost nobody was fooled, yet HBO just announced a Tarver-Dawson II, which is tantamount to an insult to your boxing IQ. Tarver looked feeble against a lead-footed and plodding Clinton Woods in the inappropriately named Main Event. HBO’s attempt at humor with a rematch of Dawson-Tarver should be replaced with a match between Road Warrior Johnson and Half-Bad Chad.