Chad Dawson vs Antonio Tarver
Fight Results from The Palms Resort and Casino in Las Vegas
Oct 11, 2008
With scores of 117-110 twice along with a 118-110 mark Chad Dawson effectively silenced Antonio Tarver's punches, even if he couldn't silence his mouth during the pre-fight hype. The Suite 101 scorecard read 116-111. The victory gives Dawson the IBF light heavyweight title.
Dawson gave up the WBC belt he took from Tomasz Adamek in February 2007 in order to take the Tarver fight ,and from the opening bell the sagacity of Dawson's decision couldn't be questioned. Dawson's hand speed made Tarver look positively slow as he riddled his body and snapped that 39-year-old head back with double and triple jabs.
The occasional lead left hook from the much younger Dawson, 26, landed and left before Tarver could counter. The only times Tarver seemed effective, and the only rounds the author could give to him, were those that Dawson seemed to take off.
During rounds three, six, and eleven, Dawson contented himself with keeping his gloves high and allowing Tarver to swing at will. A Tarver uppercut in round two and an occasional straight left from the veteran were the only cause for drama in the Dawson corner.
Tarver gutted out round twelve while Dawson, for the first time in the fight, seemed genuinely fatigued. The knockout Tarver needed didn't come, although Dawson managed to land a right hand to Tarver's temple, sending him off balance enough that his glove touched the canvas, resulting in a technical knockdown.
On the strength of this performance, Dawson is likely to be considered the light heavyweight division's reigning monarch. Joe Calzaghe and Bernard Hopkins are the most recognized names at the top of the division, but victories over Glen Johnson and Tarver cement Dawson's position as the man to beat.
Dawson is the only top ten lightweight under the age of 30. His hand speed is of the dazzling variety that is the common denominator among superstar fighters. Though he lacks name recognition among casual boxing fans, youth, and time, are on his side. As long as he remains active he will be a household name by age 30. Oh yeah, and he's going to get rich.
Should Tarver Retire?
For Tarver, the inevitable questions about whether he should retire are about to bombard him. His face wasn't marked up, and he claimed that he blocked most of Dawson's shots with his gloves, but the truth is that he took more punches than he has in any other fight in his career. At times Tarver's punches appeared slow, but it could be that it only seemed so in contrast to Dawson's superior speed.
Tarver turns 40 next month, and while there are more fights out there for him, maybe it's time to let youth take it's rightful place on the top of the light heavyweight heap. Tarver, Johnson, Calzaghe, Hopkins and Roy Jones Jr. could step aside gracefully, or they could get knocked off mercilessly.
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