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WBC Light Heavyweight ruler Chad Dawson makes his way to Montreal’s Bell Centre for a third time as the Connecticut resident faces 35 year old Quebec man Adonis Stevenson tonight in a battle of southpaws set for 12 rounds.
Dawson has had a mixed bag of results at the Bell Center, losing to the WBC and IBO belts to Jean Pascal in 2010 before returning to outpoint former world title challenger Adrian Diaconu a year later.
The 30 year old lefty is also once again fighting on the home turf of his opponent, a regular thing with Dawson, who is coming off a stoppage loss in Oakland at the hands of Andre Ward for the WBA and WBC super middle crowns last September.
It will be interesting to see if Dawson has any lingering effects from that loss, as “Bad Chad” has chalked that one up to being weight drained after stepping down to super middle for the first time in seven years.
In the pre-fight build up, Dawson, 31-2 (17) has gone on record as saying that he feels his punch power will return back at his normal weight and that his skills are a step above that of Stevenson.
We’ll have to see if Dawson is correct about his skill assessment of Stevenson, 20-1 (17), but one thing that is certain, Dawson’s experience level dwarfs that of Stevenson, who has been carefully steered up the ladder to this title shot.
The Longueuil resident is coming off a rematch KO victory over veteran Darnell Boone, who shockingly stopped the Canadian in two rounds in 2010.
The highest level obouts that Stevenson has engaged in up to this point were all at super middleweight in 2012 and they include an 12th round stoppage IBF eliminator victory over Don George, a second round halting of Noe Gonzalez Alcoba for the WBC Silver crown and a first round KO of Jesus Gonzalez for the IBF Intercontinental belt.
In other words, he’ll not only be stepping up in weight to face Dawson but also heading up a few levels in the competition department.
Stevenson is definitely the underdog in this one, even if it is taking place on friendly territory, and he’ll have to put on his best performance to date if he is to have a prayer of walking out of the Bell Centre with the WBC belt around his waist.
A good deal shorter than Dawson, look for Stevenson to try to get inside and pull off the successful approach used by Jean Pascal against Dawson a few years ago; punch, punch, punch and then punch some more.
But, he’ll have to have a better fitness level than Pascal, who was exhausted and in the process of being taken apart by the time the fight was stopped on a technical decision in the eleventh round.
If Stevenson can prove that he can take Dawson’s power shots and back up the champion, making him fight in the trenches and on the ropes, he does have a shot to produce an upset, but the odds are long.
Dawson has mostly fought top men for the last nine years and should be able to handle whatever Stevenson throws his way tonight, but “Bad Chad” doesn’t always live up to his nickname and the New Haven lefty will have dredge up some of the venom he took into his pair of fights with Bernard Hopkins to ensure that he doesn’t leave things close enough for Stevenson to steal a hometown decision.
The undercard features one of the most exciting boxers in the sport, Yuriorkis Gamboa, who returns to action for only the second time since the summer of 2011.
Ex-Cuban amateur superstar Gamboa, 22-0 (16), is moving up to lightweight after just one contest at super feather and the 31 year old “Guantanamo Cyclone” is facing a fellow undefeated fighter in the shape of 29 year old Colombian Darleys Perez, 28-0 (19).
Perez is in a genuine uphill battle in this one as the San Pedro de Uraba man has been fighting far below world class level his entire career and could be in for a shock when he meets the Cuban Whirlwind.
Gamboa has engaged in and won five world title and two Interim world title bouts, putting him on a far higher level than Perez, who has previously engaged in engaged in two regional title bouts.
Somehow this bout is for the Interim WBA lightweight strap and it should be a bit of a walkover for Gamboa, but, Perez is undefeated and Gamboa will be facing a career lightweight for the first time.
Also, Gamboa has a habit of getting knocked down as his defense, which mostly consists of his offense, is full of holes and if Perez can time those flurries of the champion, it could be lights out this time.
Unlikely, but possible.
