Boxing?s rope opera continues in the aftermath of last night?s Bernard Hopkins-Chad Dawson WBC light-heavyweight title disaster, not to mention last month?s Floyd Mayweather-Victor Ortiz ?protect yourself at all times? fiasco.
Officially, Dawson took Hopkins?s title via a TKO in the second round ? the first time the 46-year-old Hopkins has ever been stopped. Sensational, huh? The young lion blows out the old head, huh? Father Time finally caught up with B-Hop, huh?
Not so fast. It wasn?t a punch that sent Hopkins to the canvas. It was a toss ? which would have been legal in the old bareknuckle days, but not under the Marquess of Queensberry Rules. Yet Referee Pat Russell ruled that Dawson?s throwdown was not a foul, and awarded the challenger a TKO win when Hopkins could not continue due to a shoulder injury suffered when he crashed to the canvas.
Legions of second-guessers disagree with Russell?s ruling. Whether Dawson?s action was deliberate or inadvertent, Hopkins?s bout-ending injury was not caused by a legal punch, or by the fighters? feet becoming awkwardly entangled. It was caused by a move that would be better suited to wrestling or mixed-martial arts than boxing.
Toward the end of an otherwise-uneventful second round, Hopkins threw a straight right at Dawson?s head. It missed. Hopkins?s momentum carried him forward, so that his torso was draped over Dawson?s back. Dawson was still crouching after evading Hopkins?s right. Hopkins did not have any kind of hold on Dawson.
Dawson then grabbed Hopkins?s upper thigh and straightened up. The leverage threw Hopkins off Dawson. Hopkins fell backward and landed on his left elbow. That impact caused B-Hop?s shoulder to dislocate.
It doesn?t look as though Dawson was deliberately attempting to jack Hopkins up. Dawson was trying ? literally ? to get Hopkins off his, Dawson?s, back. Hopkins, after all, had gone onto Chad?s back earlier in the round. Dawson was trying to protect himself, and Hopkins?s injury was the unfortunate result.
Still, Dawson should not have been credited with a TKO win. The bout should have been ruled a ?No Contest.? Whatever one may think of his abrasive personality, Hopkins does not deserve to have a stoppage loss hung on him in this grotesque manner. Referee Russell?s pronouncement needs to be overruled ASAP.
Whether or not the result is changed, the outcome virtually guarantees that Hopkins will fight again. He?s too proud to end his career on a sour note like last night?s. Dawson said he doesn?t see any necessity for a rematch with Hopkins. ?Bad Chad? would rather settle the score with Jean Pascal, the only man who?s beaten him in the pro ranks.
But first, Dawson needs to settle the score with Hopkins. An accidental victory like the one last night settles nothing.
On television, soap operas are being cancelled left and right. In boxing, the rope opera never ends.
Charles R. Saunders is the author of several books including Sweat and Soul: The Saga of Black Boxers in the Maritimes from the Halifax Forum to Caesars Palace, as well as the Imaro series of fantasy/adventure novels. Considered by many to be one of the leading authorities on boxing in Canada, he is the current Vice-President of Boxing for the Society of North American Sports Historians and Researchers. His latest novel, Damballa, which centers around a fictional heavyweight title bout, is available at www.gopulp.info
