Light-heavyweight champ Dawson settles on rematch with former champ Johnson

Dawson sets rematch with Johnson

NEW YORK — It’s not uncommon for tough fighters to be ducked and dodged, but it’s happened so frequently to Chad Dawson that he’s starting to run out of rematches, too.

The exciting two-time light heavyweight champion has agreed to a rematch with Glen Johnson this fall, promoter Gary Shaw said Friday. The date and site have not been announced, but it will most likely be in early November of December.

“My ideal place would be Madison Square Garden,” Shaw told The Associated Press. “I think Chad needs that kind of exposure, and if we can make tickets very inexpensive, we could expose him to a lot of people.”

Other potential sites include Las Vegas and Connecticut, where Dawson now lives.

Dawson (28-0, 17 KOs) beat Johnson last year in possibly his toughest fight, when the 40-year-old former champion lost a close and disputable unanimous decision.

The 26-year-old Dawson went on to beat Antonio Tarver in a dominating performance for the IBF belt in October, then agreed to a rematch stipulated in their contract. The encore was very much like the opening act, and Dawson again dominated Tarver for 12 rounds.

Dawson wound up vacating his title after the IBF refused to grant an exception to an immediate defense against mandatory challenger Tavoris Cloud, a bout that would have generated far less money and no TV interest than one against Johnson (49-12-2, 33 KOs).

HBO plans to televise Dawson-Johnson on its World Championship Boxing.

Dawson still holds the minor IBO belt, but with perhaps the exception of Bernard Hopkins, is considered by far the most dominant fighter in the 175-pound class.

“I believe Chad Dawson is the best fighter in the world,” Shaw said. “This is a fight the writers wanted to see again more than anything else.”

Shaw is confident that Dawson will take care of Johnson, a former “Fighter of the Year” who’s beaten Tarver and Roy Jones Jr., but isn’t sure what will come next. Dawson could try to entice someone from 168 pounds to come up in weight, or he could unify all the titles in his division: the WBA held by Hugo Hernan Garay, the WBC held by Adrian Diaconu, the WBO held by Zsolt Erdei, and regain the vacant IBF belt.

One thing that won’t happen is a bout with Hopkins, Shaw said.

“It’s not feasible. Bernard Hopkins is not going to fight Chad Dawson, he’ll always find an excuse not to fight him,” Shaw said. “It’s apparent at this stage of his career, and he’s had an illustrious career, that it’s time for Bernard to retire.”