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WBC Light Heavyweight Champion Chad Dawson seems to be a rarity in the sport of boxing. Despite being a Champion at the young age of 25 with the physical gifts and raw talent that many only dream of having, Dawson is grounded in his approach to the sport. He has a realistic and optimistic view of what his future in the ring holds. Dawson’s humble nature is every bit as appealing as his style in the ring and you can tell that he is genuine with his words and his overall ambition in boxing. Dawson is currently preparing to meet the rugged Glen ‘The Road Warrior’ Johnson on April 12th at the St. Pete Times Forum underneath the Antonio Tarver-Clinton Woods bout. It’s a fight that some are claiming to be his most dangerous to date. Johnson is an old warhorse who still fights with amazing vigor and has been in with just about every name in the division. Dawson is in with a fighter who has the edge in experience, and with Johnson’s aggressive style it should bring out the best in the young champion. In speaking with Dawson you sense a fighter who is still in search of his ultimate resting place in the sport. He isn’t satisfied with just being a champion; he wants to build a legacy before his career is over. Speaking from his training grounds in Las Vegas, Dawson had much to say just days before one of the most dangerous fights in his career. This is what the South Carolina native had to say as he discussed his preparation for the Johnson bout, the feeling of winning his world title, his relationship with Eddie Mustafa Muhammad, and the important role that his family plays in his life as a fighter…  Looking to stand out…
“I have nothing but respect for Glen Johnson but I am the younger, faster guy and I’m going to show it in the ring. That night I am going to show everyone that I am the best Light Heavyweight in the world. This is my biggest fight to date and I’m taking Glen Johnson very seriously. We have four of the best Light Heavyweights on one card and I’m just looking to stand out. I can’t wait for this night to happen.” Determination and hard work… “I have the determination and I’ve put in the hard work to be where I am at today. Nothing was given to me and I’ve had to fight anyone who they have put in front of me. Sometimes I’ve had trouble getting the right opponents in the ring with me but I’ve done my job so far.” Early on… “I was born in South Carolina and I moved to Connecticut when I was about five years old. My father was a fighter on the local club shows and I took on to it at a young age. Ever since I put on a pair of boxing gloves I just knew that it was something that I wanted to do. I made my pro debut when I was eighteen years old and after hearing people tell me that I had a lot of talent I just took it and ran with it. I’ve always worked hard to get what I wanted and right now I’m here.” Well prepared… “It takes a lot to be successful in the sport of boxing. You need hard work, determination, and patience. You don’t get world title shots granted to you overnight. I’m a firm believer that fights are won inside of the ring. The hard work that you do preparing for the fight is what wins you the fight. If you aren’t well prepared everybody is going to see that. Ahead of schedule… “Right now I am well conditioned, I’m eating the right foods, and I’ve been working with strength and conditioning trainer as well. We’re ahead of schedule right now and we’re just grinding things down. I’m already close to weight and my body feels good. I’ve already put in seven weeks of training and I’m ready for this fight.” Mental approach… “I believe boxing is more mental than anything else. You can’t just be tough in the ring, you have to be smart. You have to know when to attack and when to focus on your defense. I bring everything to the table and people are going to see the difference between myself and Glen Johnson and also the difference between me and Antonio Tarver and Clinton Woods.” Defeating Tomasz Adamek to win the WBC belt… “My favorite memory so far has been winning the world title. Ever since I was a little kid I had been seeing the green and gold belt on T.V. and I always wanted it. When I won the title everything came true for me and that has been my greatest moment as a professional so far. I was focused for that fight and even though Adamek dropped me with a nice shot I didn’t even feel the punch because I was in such great shape. I just got back up and finished the job. I was hungry for that fight and I was in great shape.” More to accomplish… “I keep myself focused on my training. Some people win a world title and they thing that’s all there is to it but I’m a world Champion and I feel that I still have so much more to accomplish in this sport. I eventually want to become the Undisputed Light Heavyweight Champion of the world and even go back to 168 pounds to capture a title there. There is a lot left for me to accomplish in this game and I’m not even close to getting there yet.” Leaving for Las Vegas… “I think the biggest obstacle I’ve had to overcome is packing my bags and leaving my friends and family behind to train out in Las Vegas. Early in my career I was in trouble for things I shouldn’t have been so I knew I needed to make a move that would allow me to be focused on what I needed to take care of. I’ve been training in Vegas for a couple years and it has changed my career. I’m happily married with two kids but I’ve got to stay focused so that I can give back to them. Training out in Las Vegas is the best thing for me because when I’m out here I stay on top of my job. Vegas is definitely like a second home to me and it’s a totally different world out here. Back home I have a lot of people nagging me and people just don’t understand all of the hard work that goes into being a fighter.” Working with Eddie Mustafa Muhammad… “We have a great relationship. When I first started working with Floyd [Mayweather Sr.] for the Adamek fight I also got help from Eddie as well. I had it great because I was working with two top trainers. Eddie was the one who designed the game plan for the night I beat Adamek to win the title. I ended up working with Floyd for one more fight but after that we weren’t getting along as well so I approached Eddie about training me. I knew that I should have been working under Eddie from the beginning anyways, so it’s a great situation for me. We get along great and we’re having so much fun just training together and I’m learning so much. With Eddie I am learning a lot and I’m learning how to become a more professional fighter. I’m sitting down on my punches, I’m punching harder and I believe in the things that I am doing.” Someone to look up to… “I have two beautiful sons and a great wife and as long as they are happy, I am happy. When I’m in the ring I feel like I am fighting for them as well. My son is there with me for every fight and I’m just glad that he has somebody to look up to in his life. Even though I grew up in poverty, my mother and father raised me well and I want to give that back to my kids. I can never turn my back on my kids and through boxing I can give them someone to look up to.” 
The Chad Dawson-Glen Johnson bout takes place Saturday, April 12th at the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa, Florida. Showtime will televise the proceedings, with the telecast starting at 9 PM/ET. |
