By Lyle Fitzsimmons - Chad Dawson is throwing a house party next month in Hartford.
But to hear Glen Johnson tell it, his was the last name on the guest list.
“This is not the fight Dawson wanted,” the affable 40-year-old said. “He was pushed into it by HBO. They gave him two names – Bernard Hopkins and Glen Johnson – and we all know Bernard doesn’t want to fight anyone these days. So that left them with me.
“And after they realized I wasn’t going to make it difficult to get the thing done, they turned it around to sell it like it was the fight they wanted all along. They can say that, but I know how it works and I know the truth. He didn’t want me.”
Such is the tenor of conversation with Johnson whenever Dawson is the topic.
The two met for the first time 18 months ago in Tampa, where Dawson retained his WBC light heavyweight championship for the third time with a controversial unanimous decision that was greeted with jeers from the St. Pete Times Forum crowd. [details]
But to hear Glen Johnson tell it, his was the last name on the guest list.
“This is not the fight Dawson wanted,” the affable 40-year-old said. “He was pushed into it by HBO. They gave him two names – Bernard Hopkins and Glen Johnson – and we all know Bernard doesn’t want to fight anyone these days. So that left them with me.
“And after they realized I wasn’t going to make it difficult to get the thing done, they turned it around to sell it like it was the fight they wanted all along. They can say that, but I know how it works and I know the truth. He didn’t want me.”
Such is the tenor of conversation with Johnson whenever Dawson is the topic.
The two met for the first time 18 months ago in Tampa, where Dawson retained his WBC light heavyweight championship for the third time with a controversial unanimous decision that was greeted with jeers from the St. Pete Times Forum crowd. [details]
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