IT can?t be right for a young, unbeaten boxer at the peak of his powers, even if he is an ?interim? champion, to be out of the ring for the best part of a year. Yet that is the prospect facing Chad Dawson. Uninjured, 27 years old and regarded as the No. 1 light-heavyweight in the world, Dawson isn?t due back in the ring until August 14. He was last seen in November 2009, defeating Glen Johnson for the second time. At this stage, with star potential in abundance, Dawson ought to be far more active.
His trainer, Eddie Mustafa Muhammad, agrees. ?It?s too long [to be out],? he said. ?Too long. But you?ve got to take what?s given to you.? At least when his next fight does come Dawson will be up against another top name and fighting for a major title. He will go to Quebec to fight for Jean Pascal?s WBC belt. The Canadian?s only loss was to Carl Froch at super-middle and he has since established himself at the higher weight. He showed incredible bravery in his last fight against Adrian Diaconu, fighting through the pain of a shoulder that dislocated three times to the win the decision.
But Dawson?s trainer is hardly intimidated. ?I?m not worried about Pascal,? he said. ?He?s a fighter who fought a guy, Diaconu, that pulled out of a fight with Chad Dawson three weeks before the fight. A lot of people don?t know that. He?s the one that pulled out. We?re not worried, all I need is eight weeks in camp with Chad and no problem. We hope that shoulder don?t dislocate when we fight him because we?re not going to put no mercy on him.?
But Eddie is frustrated by his charge?s lack of activity. He considers Dawson to be a highly avoided fighter. ?Ask Bernard Hopkins,? he said. ?He doesn?t want to get beat, bottom line. [Chad] is the best in the division so everybody?s shying away from him. He gets better and better every fight.?
Hopkins, a well preserved 45 years old, is occupied in the near future. On April 3 he will be in Las Vegas fighting the 41-year-old Roy Jones jnr, who was stopped in the first round of his last contest. That will be the renewal of an old acquaintance. The two have fought once before, in 1993, when Jones inflicted the second defeat of Hopkins? career. ?They?re good for each other,? Dawson?s trainer said, ?they?ve got a long feud. So let them end that, then come see us.?
Eddie does object to how under-appreciated his star appears to be, certainly in the media. ?They want people that stand in front of each other and slug it out,? he said. ?That?s not boxing. You adapt to each other?s abilities and that?s what we do.?
Hopkins remains the man Eddie would like Dawson to be fighting. But since 2008 the Connecticut southpaw has been battling boxers in the twilight of their careers. He fought Antonio Tarver and Glen Johnson twice each, both of whom are in their 40s. In Pascal at least he has an opponent who is young, strong and aggressive. He could provide the fight to give Dawson the attention he deserves.
