Fight Preview: Chad Dawson Vs. Glen Johnson

Expect pugilistic combustion! Undefeated "Bad" Chad Dawson (25-0 17KOs) will defend his WBC light heavyweight version of the title against Glen "The Road Warrior" Johnson (47-11-2 32KOs).

On April 12, 2008 from the St. Pete Times Forum we get to see an excellent matchup between two extraordinary fighters. Chad Dawson, an undefeated and hungry young champion is looking to prove his spot at 175lbs by knocking off the former universally recognized light heavyweight world champion, Glen Johnson. Both Johnson & Dawson are coming off of an impressive string of victories and looking to bounce around with some of the division's top names. For young Chad, this is the opportunity of a lifetime: a chance to beat a top name and step further into the limelight for bigger challenges down the road. For Johnson, what could be better than defeating a young hungry lion and show the world that although at 39, he can fight like 29.

One of the most intriguing elements of this fight is the stylistic differences between the two. Chad Dawson is taller (6-2 ½ to 6'3), longer arms, quick, pinpoint accuracy and fights out of the classic boxer southpaw stance. Glen Johnson is an inside fighter who chops his opponents down systematically out of the conventional style. The million-dollar question, is Dawson's work rate enough to keep the busy and determined Glen Johnson off of his back? He'll need a lot more than speed and power to keep a guy like Johnson off - a guy who has argubably one of the best chins in the sport today.
There's quite a few lucrative options for either guy at 175lbs. Interestingly enough, the early portion of 2008 seems to hold some valuable merit between the super-middleweight & light-heavyweight divisions, perhaps some of these questions can be answered. With Jones-Trinidad already in the books and Roy Jones Jr as its victor, it further fuels the fire for the division!

Dawson's skills are well balanced and he won't be easy to beat, for anybody. At 39 years and counting Glen Johnson is as tough as they come. How much does Glen have left? Last we checked he's still knocking out his opponents left and right. He's in the perfect position to relaunch himself as one of the top dogs out there. History has proven to us, age ain't nothing but a number, can the same be done on fight night? This is an excellent matchup because it offers an opportunity for one fighter to become and the other to resurface.