By Chris LaBate
According to light heavyweight Chad Dawson, the training location was not a deciding factor in leaving trainer Emanuel Steward after one fight of working together earlier this year. Steward told BoxingScene.com that Dawson refused to train at Steward's Kronk Gym in Detroit, and wanted to train closer to home in Connecticut. Dawson faces WBC champion Bernard Hopkins on October 15th at Staples Center in Los Angeles.
"I felt that in order to win this fight, I had to be the old me. When I was with Scully, I was knocking guys out. To go back to being the older me, knocking guys out, I had to go back to my roots, to go back to Scully. I feel more comfortable with Scully. [Leaving Steward] never had anything to do with me being closer to my family," Dawson said.
Dawson's promoter, Gary Shaw, said - "Whoever spread that around [regarding Dawson wanting to train closer to home] it's not true. Chad has spent the last few weeks in the Poconos and he never traveled home. Emanuel Steward didn't want to go to the Poconos and Chad didn't want to go to Detroit."