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By Lyle Fitzsimmons - OK… now I get it.
While chatting last week with Tavoris Cloud, I took much of his “Chad Dawson doesn’t want to fight me” rambling as routine verbal chest-thumping from one fighter toward another.
You know the drill.
“He’s afraid of me.” “He knows I’ll beat him.” “He’s running scared.”
It’s a rant that anyone who interviews boxers for a living has heard a thousand times, and one that anyone who reads boxing stories as a hobby has read a thousand more.
After Friday night, though, I’m thinking a little differently.
Maybe, just maybe… ol’ Tavoris has a point.
Upon watching a one-sided 12-round mugging of brave veteran Clinton Woods, I’m not so sure Dawson’s decision to steer clear of Cloud was based solely on business acumen.
No question, the IBO champion will cash a check with a few more zeroes against Glen Johnson this fall than he would have had he decided to keep the IBF belt and face Cloud as his mandatory.
The Johnson rematch, after all, is one fans have been calling for since the “Road Warrior” gave “Bad Chad” all he wanted in a spirited 12-rounder in Tampa in April 2008.
Johnson is a two-decade fan favorite who’s been in with the best of three weight classes, beaten several and has been entertaining more often than not in doing so.
Meanwhile Cloud, prior to Friday night’s featured slot on basic cable, was a comparatively inactive prospect that few non-hardcore fans had even heard of, let alone seen. [details]
While chatting last week with Tavoris Cloud, I took much of his “Chad Dawson doesn’t want to fight me” rambling as routine verbal chest-thumping from one fighter toward another.
You know the drill.
“He’s afraid of me.” “He knows I’ll beat him.” “He’s running scared.”
It’s a rant that anyone who interviews boxers for a living has heard a thousand times, and one that anyone who reads boxing stories as a hobby has read a thousand more.
After Friday night, though, I’m thinking a little differently.
Maybe, just maybe… ol’ Tavoris has a point.
Upon watching a one-sided 12-round mugging of brave veteran Clinton Woods, I’m not so sure Dawson’s decision to steer clear of Cloud was based solely on business acumen.
No question, the IBO champion will cash a check with a few more zeroes against Glen Johnson this fall than he would have had he decided to keep the IBF belt and face Cloud as his mandatory.
The Johnson rematch, after all, is one fans have been calling for since the “Road Warrior” gave “Bad Chad” all he wanted in a spirited 12-rounder in Tampa in April 2008.
Johnson is a two-decade fan favorite who’s been in with the best of three weight classes, beaten several and has been entertaining more often than not in doing so.
Meanwhile Cloud, prior to Friday night’s featured slot on basic cable, was a comparatively inactive prospect that few non-hardcore fans had even heard of, let alone seen. [details]
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