Quote Originally Posted by Preme View Post
I think both kessler and pavlik are fights that could/will happen and both would give him serious serious trouble. Real tough fights, he struggled with johnson who is nothing more than a journey man. I'll give him leway on the fact that maybe he let his game dip because he was fighting a journeyman.

He done superb against Tarver. nothing really wrong, but when you are fighting a guy who just stood there and covered up every fucking punch you throw it is EASY to look good! Yes you have to give a lot of credit to Dawson for forcing Tarver on the back foot and out working him. But after a few rounds it was clear that every single punch Chad threw Tarver was going to try and block it and nothing more. No counters, no trying to slip anythign and make him miss. Simple hands up take half the punches then move. Fucking useless.

With all this said and done tho, this wasn't as impressive or as good as the beat down Hopkins give Tarver either. I think people are forgeting that and are getting to carried away like usual when someone puts on a good show.
Johnson may be a journeyman, but to describe him as just a journeyman doesn't do him justice. He's probably the toughest journeyman there is. And to Dawson's favor, perhaps the only thing Tarver did was cover up because Dawson's punches put him in a shell. They had a gameplan for Antonio and it worked. Tarver already has stamina problems and when youhave a consistent body puncher going downstairs it makes a guy a little punch shy.