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If any of you are from the UK you may have seen the preview of this fight in the most recent addition of the U.K.'s weekly "Boxing News" (last Friday)...well, here is the whole interview that the article was borne from, the unedited complete interview...what's everybody think of this fight??????????
TRIS: How good a match is Dawson-Pascal?
ICE: I believe this is the meeting of the two best light heavyweights in the world right now. I think the fight is sort of flying under the radar right now but it's the fight between the two most talented guys in the division at this time. That's how I see it anyway. They're are both fast, have some flash to them and are both competitive type of guys.
TRIS: Why has Dawson found it so hard to progress and breakthrough despite beating Johnson and Tarver twice each?
ICE: I believe it's just a situation where he is just too good for his own good at this time. This guy has the agility and the skills to win fights the best way there is, by boxing and not taking abuse in return, and that's what he does. Many boxing fans are actually "fight" fans and not really "boxing" fans and they want to see more blood and guts for their money. I understand that to a certain degree but like I always say with guys like Chad, how can you realistically expect a guy with that type of talent to turn around and handcuff himself just so that he can be more exciting to the average fan? It goes against everything a fighter is taught and everything a trainer teaches him.
TRIS: When did you first know Dawson was good?
ICE: Well, when he was a kid he always showed a ton of potential and promise. I think the first time he really raised my eyebrows was back when he had just turned 16 years old and he was put in his first open division fight against a very well established guy by the name of Delvin Rodriguez. You may know Delvin now as one of the top ranked welterweights in the world and a recent two-time IBF world title challenger. Back then in 1998 he was considered a huge step up for Chad but not only did he beat Delvin but he beat him very convincingly. He wasn't intimidated or gun shy and he just did his thing, the same way he did years later when he stepped up in class for the first time as a pro against Carl Daniels and then again when he went through Adamek and Tarver.
Also I sparred with Chad quite a bit over the years so I saw first hand his development and the transformation from junior boxer to open boxer and then from amateur to pro.
Then when I first started training him in 2005 there was a period there where I had him sparring a few particularly tough guys and he followed directions so well and executed new things so well in those sessions and I really realized then that his potential was so strong. He mastered some of these guys so convincingly just using specific moves and techniques and punches, it was like watching a painter create something on a blank sheet of paper.
TRIS: How good did you think he could be?
ICE: I honestly believe Chad is in a Roy Jones Junior type of mold in terms of style and talent and ability. If he stays focused and keeps working hard and keeps developing and getting stronger mentally and physically he is a guy who has very few limits.
TRIS: What makes him good?
ICE: I think his natural instincts are a huge benefit to him. I think his height and athleticism are obviously major factors in his success, too, but it also is his jab and his body shots and his penchant for sometimes suddenly exploding with five or six shots at a time that physically set him apart from his peers. There is also his mental toughness and attitude. He's a quiet kid by nature and not a braggart or a loudmouth so he kind of flies under the radar but you have to realize this is a guy who has stepped up on many occasions and passed with flying colors. He fought a tough and rough fight the first time with Glen Johnson and deserved the victory but then he turned around and showed his versatility in the rematch and removed all doubts, beating a warrior like Glen two times with two different styles and approaches.
TRIS: What do you think of his pairing with Eddie Mustafa Muhammad?
ICE: I know Eddie a little bit but have actually never been in a gym with him or seen him train so I can't really speak on how well they work together but Eddie was a top light heavyweight in his day and from my experience I think Chad responds well to someone who's been in the ring like he has before.
TRIS: How much of a threat does Pascal pose Chad?
ICE: I definitely see Jean as a legitimate threat in this fight. He showed me a lot in what he overcame to beat Diacanou in their rematch. I have also actually sparred Jean before and, of course, I've sparred Chad on numerous occasions and they are both very fast guys with deep competitive spirits. One of them will realize they are losing at some point in this fight and when that moment comes I fully expect whichever one it is to make a really serious attempt to claw himself out of the hole. Stylistically it may or may not be a scintillating action fight but stylistically it could be a very difficult fight for both guys. Preparation in the gym is going to mean everything in this one, I believe.
TRIS: When it’s all said and done, what will Dawson be able to achieve?
ICE: I peg Chad to win this fight and I expect him to continue on his way up the ladder for quite a while to come, as long as he stays focused on what he needs to be focused on.
TRIS: HBO have said they won’t show the Klitschkos unless they fight Haye or Adamek: is that a right or wrong move on their part?
ICE: Well, it's their money and I'm sure they put a lot of thought and research into this decision before they made it. Maybe it's their way of letting boxing know that they need to step up and stop the backroom fighting and just make the biggest and best fights every division has to offer. Or maybe their research tells them that the brothers don't draw big TV ratings when they're on. I don't really know what goes on in these situations but I do know that me personally, as a boxing fan, I haven't watched one of their fights in a while.
I'd watch if they fought Haye, though.
BoxingNews (U.K.) Interview with Iceman John Scully about Dawson-Pascal
By Tris Dixon
By Tris Dixon
TRIS: How good a match is Dawson-Pascal?
ICE: I believe this is the meeting of the two best light heavyweights in the world right now. I think the fight is sort of flying under the radar right now but it's the fight between the two most talented guys in the division at this time. That's how I see it anyway. They're are both fast, have some flash to them and are both competitive type of guys.
TRIS: Why has Dawson found it so hard to progress and breakthrough despite beating Johnson and Tarver twice each?
ICE: I believe it's just a situation where he is just too good for his own good at this time. This guy has the agility and the skills to win fights the best way there is, by boxing and not taking abuse in return, and that's what he does. Many boxing fans are actually "fight" fans and not really "boxing" fans and they want to see more blood and guts for their money. I understand that to a certain degree but like I always say with guys like Chad, how can you realistically expect a guy with that type of talent to turn around and handcuff himself just so that he can be more exciting to the average fan? It goes against everything a fighter is taught and everything a trainer teaches him.
TRIS: When did you first know Dawson was good?
ICE: Well, when he was a kid he always showed a ton of potential and promise. I think the first time he really raised my eyebrows was back when he had just turned 16 years old and he was put in his first open division fight against a very well established guy by the name of Delvin Rodriguez. You may know Delvin now as one of the top ranked welterweights in the world and a recent two-time IBF world title challenger. Back then in 1998 he was considered a huge step up for Chad but not only did he beat Delvin but he beat him very convincingly. He wasn't intimidated or gun shy and he just did his thing, the same way he did years later when he stepped up in class for the first time as a pro against Carl Daniels and then again when he went through Adamek and Tarver.
Also I sparred with Chad quite a bit over the years so I saw first hand his development and the transformation from junior boxer to open boxer and then from amateur to pro.
Then when I first started training him in 2005 there was a period there where I had him sparring a few particularly tough guys and he followed directions so well and executed new things so well in those sessions and I really realized then that his potential was so strong. He mastered some of these guys so convincingly just using specific moves and techniques and punches, it was like watching a painter create something on a blank sheet of paper.
TRIS: How good did you think he could be?
ICE: I honestly believe Chad is in a Roy Jones Junior type of mold in terms of style and talent and ability. If he stays focused and keeps working hard and keeps developing and getting stronger mentally and physically he is a guy who has very few limits.
TRIS: What makes him good?
ICE: I think his natural instincts are a huge benefit to him. I think his height and athleticism are obviously major factors in his success, too, but it also is his jab and his body shots and his penchant for sometimes suddenly exploding with five or six shots at a time that physically set him apart from his peers. There is also his mental toughness and attitude. He's a quiet kid by nature and not a braggart or a loudmouth so he kind of flies under the radar but you have to realize this is a guy who has stepped up on many occasions and passed with flying colors. He fought a tough and rough fight the first time with Glen Johnson and deserved the victory but then he turned around and showed his versatility in the rematch and removed all doubts, beating a warrior like Glen two times with two different styles and approaches.
TRIS: What do you think of his pairing with Eddie Mustafa Muhammad?
ICE: I know Eddie a little bit but have actually never been in a gym with him or seen him train so I can't really speak on how well they work together but Eddie was a top light heavyweight in his day and from my experience I think Chad responds well to someone who's been in the ring like he has before.
TRIS: How much of a threat does Pascal pose Chad?
ICE: I definitely see Jean as a legitimate threat in this fight. He showed me a lot in what he overcame to beat Diacanou in their rematch. I have also actually sparred Jean before and, of course, I've sparred Chad on numerous occasions and they are both very fast guys with deep competitive spirits. One of them will realize they are losing at some point in this fight and when that moment comes I fully expect whichever one it is to make a really serious attempt to claw himself out of the hole. Stylistically it may or may not be a scintillating action fight but stylistically it could be a very difficult fight for both guys. Preparation in the gym is going to mean everything in this one, I believe.
TRIS: When it’s all said and done, what will Dawson be able to achieve?
ICE: I peg Chad to win this fight and I expect him to continue on his way up the ladder for quite a while to come, as long as he stays focused on what he needs to be focused on.
TRIS: HBO have said they won’t show the Klitschkos unless they fight Haye or Adamek: is that a right or wrong move on their part?
ICE: Well, it's their money and I'm sure they put a lot of thought and research into this decision before they made it. Maybe it's their way of letting boxing know that they need to step up and stop the backroom fighting and just make the biggest and best fights every division has to offer. Or maybe their research tells them that the brothers don't draw big TV ratings when they're on. I don't really know what goes on in these situations but I do know that me personally, as a boxing fan, I haven't watched one of their fights in a while.
I'd watch if they fought Haye, though.
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