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It was a similar story in
round two, as Dawson continued to outwork
Johnson winning the first two rounds. Dawson
stopped moving as much, but landed more
quick combinations on the inside countering
Johnson, who was aggressive but missing.
The third and fourth
rounds were closer. Dawson came out
continuing to move but Johnson appeared to
be closing the range and cutting off the
ring. Dawson worked well on the inside to
the body, but Johnson started to land with
his right hand more frequently on the
counter. At the end of the third, Johnson’s
pressure begins to trouble Dawson, who came
out in round four looking slightly shaky.
Johnson consequently appeared to edge the
third and fourth rounds, as Dawson looked
uncomfortable.
Dawson got back to his
jab in the fifth, landing it upstairs, but
Johnson pressed forward landing his own job,
and right hand. Johnson landed a big right
and double left hook, and had Dawson in
trouble towards the end of the round, who
was beginning to look tired. In the sixth
Dawson’s jab was becoming less effective, as
Johnson’s pressure appears relentless. Both
fighters trade shots on the inside, but this
time Johnson seemed to be doing the better
work, particularly to the body. Dawson
appeared to become negative on the retreat,
which prompted the crowd to jeer, but
started to land his jab again. However,
Johnson appeared to have outworked Johnson.
Dawson had a better round
seven, as his boxing skills seemed to be
more effective against a tired Johnson. He
landed his jab with more regularity, as a
big right hook landed by Dawson on the
ropes. Johnson was throwing few punches in
this round and looked frustrated. Dawson
troubled Johnson with body shots towards the
end of the round. A similar eighth round
ensued, and Dawson snapped the head back of
Johnson with hard jabs and an uppercut to
win him the round. Johnson plods forward
jabbing, but was not landing often enough.
That said, Johnson seemed
to get himself back into the fight in rounds
nine and ten, as he pressed forward behind
the jab and landed his right hand. Dawson’s
work rate was decreasing, and just opted to
cover up on the back-foot. Dawson had his
successes with the jab and left-hand but it
was Johnson outworking Dawson at this time,
landing his right hand with more
consistency, and again to the body. Johnson
continued his pressure in the tenth, and
hurt Johnson with some huge right hands.
Dawson held and tried to weather the storm.
Johnson’s pressure appeared to be taking its
toll as the fight moves into the
championship rounds.
The fight became more
competitive in the eleventh and twelfth
rounds. Dawson was still on the retreat but
was still firing his jab. Johnson continued
to try to pressure Dawson, and landed a huge
right hand, but Dawson worked with him on
the inside and had his own successes. Dawson
looked hurt towards the end of the round,
but continued to fire back with the
left-right combination as he made the round
close. The twelfth was equally as close, as
both fighters traded in the middle of the
ring on the inside.
With it overall being a
very close and subjective fight, it went to
the scorecards. All three judges - Nicolas
Hidalgo, Peter Trematerra and Jack Woodburn
- surprisingly scored it 116-112 for Dawson
who is awarded a unanimous decision verdict,
which prompted jeers from the crowd.
Personally, I scored the fight dead even at
114-114.
After the fight, Johnson
claimed victory; “I
worked hard to win the fight and I deserved
it”. Clearly disappointed, he expressed “I
cannot believe that at my age, at 39, they
would rip me off for a young guy”. Dawson
showed respect in saying "It definitely was
a tough fight in my career. I give Glen
Johnson credit”.
Dawson now looks set for
a winter showdown with Antonio Tarver, who
out-boxed Britain’s Clinton Woods over
twelve rounds to regain the IBF version of
the title on the same card. |
