Chad Dawson relinquished his IBF Light Heavyweight title just three weeks after defeating Antonio Tarver. Rather than defend against mandatory opponent Tarvoris Cloud, Dawson chose to give up the title and skip a bout that few had an interest in seeing.
Now, Dawson has signed for the fight boxing fans have been clamoring for: a rematch against Glen Johnson in the fall. While no date or venue has been established as of yet, the important thing is that the deal has been made and fight fans will get a real treat when Dawson and Johnson finally square off again.
In April of 2008, Dawson and Johnson went toe-to-toe in a battle that could have gone either way but that the judges saw Dawson winning. Dawson used that victory to springboard into his first bout with Tarver, which he won convincingly to become one of the major players in not only his division but in the sport.
But the Johnson fight had left a bad taste in fans’ mouths, especially because it seemed Dawson had little interest in fighting a return bout to dispel doubts about who won, instead preferring to target Light Heavyweight Champion Joe Calzaghe. With Calzaghe now retired and Bernard Hopkins uninterested in a fight, Johnson is the best option available for Dawson. Thus, an important and likely entertaining fight has been made.
