by Geoffrey Ciani – This week’s 107th edition of On the Ropes Boxing Radio featured an exclusive interview with former light heavyweight champion Chad Dawson (29-1, 17 KOs) who has recently paired up with Hall of Fame trainer Emanuel Steward. Dawson suffered the first loss of his professional career last August at the hands of reigining WBC light heavyweight champion Jean Pascal. Dawson has a rematch clause with Pascal, but each fighter was allowed one interim fight before the rematch took place. Pascal battled Bernard Hopkins to a controversial draw in a fight many believe ‘The Executioner’ deserved to win. The WBC has subsequently ordered a rematch between Pascal and Hopkins. Dawson spoke on this matter, and also provided opinions and insight on other matters pertaining to his career, his new working relationship with Emanuel Steward, and more! Here is what Dawson had to say.
On getting a rematch against WBC light heavyweight champion Jean Pascal:
“I mean with the whole situation I’m just ready to fight. You know me and Pascal have the rematch clause. We both had the option to take a fight in between the rematch fight and he chose to take the fight with Bernard Hopkins, which I think pretty much everybody thought was a bad fight to take because we knew it was going to be a tough fight. He took the fight and things happened the way they happened. It was a close controversial fight, but I’m not really worried about that because I have to worry about myself which means that my rematch clause should be in effect. I’m confident that it will happen and hopefully it happens.”
His views on the fact that the WBC ordered a rematch between Jean Pascal and Bernard Hopkins:
“I don’t know. I mean our first fight was for the WBC title and I don’t know why the rematch wouldn’t be for the WBC title. I don’t even know why the WBC is backing this rematch between Bernard and Pascal. I don’t want to get into any of the politics. Like I said we have a rematch clause. I’m looking forward to the rematch with Pascal, I’m looking forward to regaining my title, and I’m looking forward to getting back on top. I’m looking forward to getting my face back out there. I’m looking forward to being back on top of the game again.”
On recently pairing up with Hall of Fame trainer Emanuel Steward:
“I’m very excited about having a chance to work with Emanuel Steward who is a great trainer. Everybody knows that. He’s worked with the best and I’m ready to get to work and I’m ready to show new things and do new things. Like I said, I’m looking forward to being back on top and working with Emanuel Steward is going to bring the best out of me.”
His views on how Emanuel Steward can help him be more successful in a rematch with Pascal:
“From watching the first fight with Pascal, and I watched it a lot, and I noticed things that I should have been doing that I wasn’t doing, which is I should have been more aggressive. I saw that in the Bernard Hopkins fight, Bernard was the aggressor. After maybe five rounds Pascal was in retreat mode. I should have been more aggressive and I think Emanuel Steward has what it takes to bring that out of me. I’m not saying that I don’t have it in me, but I’m just looking for that one fight that will bring it out to me. I thought the first Pascal fight would be that fight, but like I said things didn’t pan out. I didn’t fight to my potential and the rematch I think is going to be a totally different fight, a lopsided fight, which it should have been the first fight. Like I said, I’m looking forward to going out there and I know bringing Emanuel Steward in there with me is going to make me even better.”
His thoughts on Jean Pascal’s draw with Bernard Hopkins and whether he believes Pascal should still be the champion:
“I mean Pascal got the decision, he’s still the champion. My whole thing is Pascal and his team fulfilling their obligations with me with the rematch clause. I don’t really care who won the fight. Pascal got the decision; Bernard didn’t. So I mean I just want to get in the ring and I just want to get my title back.”
On whether fans should expect a more aggressive Chad Dawson who is more apt to go for the knockout now that he has paired up with Emanuel Steward:
“I mean yeah. The fact that I’m paired with Emanuel, I think that’s great. That brings a lot more to the table as far as what I can do in the ring and what I bring to the table, too, as far as me still. Emanuel Steward is a great trainer, but just from what I learned from my last fight with Pascal. Just watching the first nine rounds I learned a lot. I learned. Then watching the tenth and eleventh round, I learned that I could hurt fighters when I want to. When I really want to I can hurt fighters. I learned that if I needed a knockout, which Eddie told me in eleventh round I needed a knockout. I think it was the tenth or eleventh round that he told me I needed a knockout and I think I showed that if I needed a knockout I could have gotten a knockout. I was going for the knockout and I really believed the knockout was going to happen. Emanuel Steward I think really has what it takes to bring that out of me. I think Emanuel Steward wants knockouts. I don’t think he’s just taking me on just to take me on. I think he sees something in me and I see something in him, vice versa as for me taking him on as a trainer. I think that we make a great combination, and I think that he wants knockouts and I definitely want knockouts. I want fans to know that I love boxing. I’m not doing boxing because I got to feed my family. I’m doing it because I love the sport, and I know the fans want knockouts and that’s what I want to give them.”
On whether he believes his loss to Jean Pascal may have been a blessing in disguise that may have improved his focus:
“Yes, I definitely do. It’s funny you say that because me and Herman have been talking about that. Since the fight happened we have been saying the whole time that it has been a blessing in disguise, and then when we heard he took the fight with Bernard I mean everybody, I was very nervous when I was watching him fight. In my position I really needed for Pascal to win the fight and hold onto the title because I really wanted the rematch to happen and I want it to be big. I want everybody to see me beat Pascal in kind of the same fashion that he beat me. It was lopsided because I didn’t do what I was supposed to do, but I want to beat him in fashion. I want the knockout! I want to knock Pascal out and I want to show everybody that I am still one of the best fighters in the sport. In my last fight I didn’t show that. I didn’t show anywhere near my potential. In this fight I just want to show everybody that wasn’t me. But it definitely was a blessing in disguise. I definitely think it was.”
On whether he believes Bernard Hopkins has been reluctant to face him:
“I definitely think that. He was very reluctant to face me. I think that Bernard Hopkins saw the fight between me and Pascal and I definitely think he knew that wasn’t the Chad Dawson that he was used to seeing. I think everybody knew that. Pascal fought his fight. He did what he said he was going to do. He fought a great fight. He won the fight, but at the same time I didn’t do what I was supposed to do and I think Bernard Hopkins saw that and so did the whole world. I think Bernard Hopkins jumped on the opportunity to win another world title and to break a record, which I think was George Foreman’s record for oldest champion. But I think he just jumped on an opportunity to win another world title. He saw everything in Pascal that he thought he could beat him. He did that in the fight against Pascal, but it didn’t work because you know you’re not going to go over there and win a decision against Pascal, not in Canada.”
His views on which fighter from the Super Six tournament has the best chance of making noise at light heavyweight:
“I mean you got to say Ward. Andre Ward, I think is the most talented. He’s definitely the most talented. I don’t know what’s going on with Dirrell but we had some great sparring sessions and Dirrell is a hell of a fighter. Froch? I’m not too big on Froch. He’s got that awkward style. I mean I definitely think Dirrell and Andre Ward are the most talented from that whole group.”
On whether he would consider a third fight with Glen Johnson in the event he wins the Super Six:
“I mean if the fans want it, we would have to give it to the fans. I mean if they wanted to see that, I don’t have a problem doing that again. I definitely have nothing but respect for Glen Johnson. I love what he’s doing. I think he’s showing what a lot of young fighters don’t show which is courage and heart in a fight, and he’s doing that. So I have nothing but respect for Glen Johnson.”
On whether he believes he is unfairly being written off by fans following his loss to Jean Pascal:
“Oh yeah. Everybody wrote me off. When you look at it like that, it gives me more of a will to fight to show everybody you just can’t write people off like that. I don’t even look at the Pascal fight as a loss because it was ruled an accidental cut so we went to the scorecards and he got the decision. I really believe he wasn’t going to make it out of the eleventh or probably even the twelfth round. I definitely think he wasn’t going to leave the fight on his feet. I’m just looking forward to going out there and doing what I do best, and that’s being Chad Dawson.”
On whether he would be disappointed if he winds up getting the rematch for Pascal but it is not for the WBC title in the event Pascal is stripped of the belt for taking the rematch:
“Like I said, I’ve been saying this since I won my first world title—titles mean nothing in boxing right now. It’s all about the money and if anybody tells you otherwise I would say that they are lying. I mean titles mean nothing. Everybody has titles. It’s not about the titles. At the same time, I just want the rematch with Pascal. I think I have something to prove to the Canadian fans and to my people that I’m a better fighter than Pascal. Pascal doesn’t belong in the ring with me and I want to prove that in my next fight. The fact that the WBC is going out and saying they won’t sanction the fight, I don’t really care. What’s going to happen is going to happen. I got total confidence that my team will do what they have to do to make that fight happen.”
On whether he would be interested in facing Bernard Hopkins in the event he beats Jean Pascal in a rematch:
“I want to fight the best. I really want to get back on the pound-for-pound list. I really want to get back to the top of the light heavyweight division. I really want people when they same my name to not have anything negative to say because I really still am the best and I want people to know that.”
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For those interested in listening to the Chad Dawson interview in its entirety, it begins approximately twenty-three into the program.
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