Pete’s Ponderings: Light Heavyweight Dodge ball

This past Saturday Chad Dawson won a lopsided decision over former champ Antonio Tarver, proving once again that along with Bernard Hopkins; he is one of the two best light heavyweights in the world.

 

A fight between the two would help us clarify who is the true best 175 pounder in the world. Unfortunately, Hopkins has no interest in fighting Dawson.

 

In a recent online chat, ESPN.com’s Dan Rafael wrote, “It is definitely the fight HBO wants. In the press room last week one day, me, Hopkins, Larry Merchant, Kery Davis and Ross Greenburg were involved in a lengthy and sometimes loud discussion with BHop about his future fights. He said yet again he's not interested in Dawson.”

 

Instead Hopkins has been talking about fighting English super middleweight titleholder Carl Froch, who is coming off a come from behind TKO over Hopkins conqueror Jermain Taylor.

 

So if not Hopkins, who does Dawson fight? The obvious choice from a fan’s perspective would be former champ Glen Johnson, who lost a close decision to Dawson in a title fight last year. Many people feel very strongly that Johnson deserved the decision.

 

Unfortunately, Dawson seemingly has no interest in a Johnson rematch.

 

So who then?

 

Dawson wouldn’t mind a fight with Joe Calzaghe. However he’s retired.

 

Dropping down in weight to super middleweight is an option. He’s expressed interest in a 168 pound fight against middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik. However, Pavlik seems to be booked for the remainder of the year and it’s doubtful he’ll move up in weight again anytime soon after suffering his only career loss to Bernard Hopkins in a 170 pound catchweight bout.

 

Mikkel Kessler? Carl Froch? While the fights would certainly be interesting if they happened, I’m doubtful they will because there’s not a huge amount of cash involved in any of them.

 

Zsolt Erdei? Since winning his light heavyweight belt in 2004 he’s fought a string of people no one’s ever heard of. He doesn’t seem to have any interest in taking on a young truly elite light heavy like Dawson.

 

The conclusion I’ve come to is that someone has got to give. Hopkins should either fight Dawson or retire like he’s talked about the past few years, or Dawson should give Johnson his rematch. They’re the two best and biggest fights that can be made in the light heavyweight division right now.

 

More Ponderings:

* I favor Floyd Mayweather over Juan Manuel Marquez, but I’m shocked more people aren’t giving Marquez a chance at pulling off the upset.

 

Everyone is claiming it’ll be easy for Floyd because he’s naturally bigger. While it’s certainly an advantage, let’s not forget all the people who heavily favored Oscar De La Hoya over Manny Pacquiao because of the difference in size between the two fighters. Haven’t we learned?

 

* RingTV.com’s Michael Rosenthal reports that Freddie Roach may want Pacquiao to take an interim fight before a potential Mayweather showdown at the end of the year. Potential opponents include junior welterweight titleholder Tim Bradley and lightweight beltholder Edwin Valero.

 

Though I think Pacquiao would beat both rather convincingly, I wouldn’t mind seeing either fight. Bradley is the top contender for Pacquiao’s junior welterweight throne and a Valero fight would be fun while is lasted.

 

* Recommended reading: Irish Thunder: The Hard Life & Times of Micky Ward by Bob Halloran. Ward’s trilogy with Arturo Gatti is legendary, but this book looks at his whole fascinating life and career. Ward may have never been a world champion in boxing, but he was a champion to the working class people in his home state of Massachusetts’.