Boxing Preview: Sergiy Dzinziruk vs. Daniel Dawson

Tonight at the Chumash Casino in Santa Ynez, CA, Sergiy Dzinziruk and Daniel Dawson clash for the WBO light middleweight title.

Former European champ Dzinziruk, 36-0 (22), won the WBO strap in 2005 by shocking Daniel Santos and has since retained the belt on five occasions.

All of Dzinziruk’s title challengers have been respectable but none have been top of the line opponents and late replacement Dawson, 34-1 (24), certainly continues that trend.

The Australian native has won domestic and regional title bouts at both middleweight and light middle but the high point of his career to date was a failed bid for the vacant IBO middle crown in which he was handily outboxed by countryman Daniel Geale.

Both boxers have been out of the ring for more than a year and a slow beginning to tonight’s contest is to be expected as the combatants shake off the accumulated ring rust.

Southpaw Dzinziruk, the taller fighter, will undoubtedly look to replicate Geale’s achievement and pick Dawson apart from the outside but the challenger can punch and should the champion tire in the later rounds and get dragged into the trenches, there could be a surprising result.

That is nothing better than an outside chance however as Dawson is well in over his head in this bout and will need to wage the fight of his career if he is to unseat the champion.