By Mark Vester

With very few opponents biting, IBF light heavyweight champion Chad Dawson is going to fight Antonio Tarver in a rematch on March 14 on HBO. The first fight was televised by Showtime on October 11 with Dawson putting on a dominating performance to win the title from Tarver. Soon after, Tarver made it known that he was going to exercise his rematch clause. Tarver has been called the master of the rematch, winning his rematch bouts with Eric Harding, Roy Jones Jr. and Glen Johnson. But this time Tarver is the old veteran coming in against the young lion who dominated him in the first meeting.

Promoter Gary Shaw told boxing scribe Dan Rafael that Foxwoods in Connecticut and The Palms resort in Las Vegas, are the two venues in the running to host. Shaw said Dason made the final call and vowed to knock Tarver out.

"In discussing the options with Chad, we wanted to get this out of the way so if an opportunity came up to fight Bernard Hopkins or Joe Calzaghe, or somebody like that, we wouldn't have this fight with Tarver staring us in the face. So Chad said, 'You know what? Let me fight Tarver and get it over with. Let me knock him out this time and then I will have those options in front of me.' Chad wants to do this, so he is very up for the rematch, and I'm sure Antonio is happy we are living by our contract," Shaw said. 

A lot of people might be wondering why Dawson is appearing on HBO instead of Showtime, where many fans had seen him in the past. Shaw told Rafael that HBO outbid Showtime and offered Dawson a two-fight deal that was worth more money.

"[Showtime] had an opportunity to, let's say, re-sign Chad," Shaw said. "HBO has a big interest in Chad and when all the negotiations were over, it was best for Chad at this point to go to HBO. [Showtime boxing chief] Ken Hershman is ticked off at me and I know that. But at the end of the day I have to do what is best for my fighter."

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