By Ian S. Palmer
Andre Ward vs Chad Dawson Preview Sept. 8th
Andre Ward will be putting his WBC Super Middleweight and WBA Super World Super Middleweight titles on the line on Sat. Sept. 8th when he faces current WBC Light Heavyweight titleholder Chad Dawson at Oakland, California’s Oracle Arena. The odds looked stack in the undefeated Ward’s favour since he’s fighting in his hometown and Dawson is dropping down a division.
Ward is unbeaten at 25-0 with 13 KOs while Dawson is 31-1 with 17 KOs. Ward made a name for himself by winning the Super Six tournament last year over some pretty good fighters such as Carl Froch, Arthur Abraham, Sakio Bika, Allan Green and Mikkel Kessler. The 28-year-old Ward turned pro back in 2004 and won the WBA Super title from Kessler by an 11th-round technical decision at the end of 2009. He added the WBC belt when he beat Froch by a unanimous decision last December in the final of the Super Six event.
The 30-year-old Dawson is a southpaw who hails from Hartsville, South Carolina. He’s been a pro since 2001 and has lost just one bout, which was to Jean Pascal by a technical decision in the 11th round after the fight was halted due to Dawson’s cuts. He’s obviously going to have to lose weight to meet Ward in the super middleweight division. He’s 6-foot-1 with a 76.5 inch reach while Ward stands at 6-feet with a 71 inch reach.
Both boxers have faced some of the top boxing talent in the world throughout their careers, so its’ doubtful that anybody’ going to be suffering from a case of the nerves before the bell rings. Ward’s actually used to fighting light heavyweights; at least he was in the past as he fought in that division as an amateur. Dawson could lose a bit of strength by coming down to super middleweight, but it could help increase his punching power.
Dawson is generally regarded as the more exciting fighter as he likes to throw punches in bunches. He’s got a decent knockout record, but isn’t known as a one-punch KO artist and Ward definitely isn’t either. Dawson’s southpaw style could give Ward some problems while Dawson will need to watch out for the champion’s right hand. Dawson will have to stay active and pressure Ward right from the opening bell. He’s got quite a reach advantage and will need to use it to keep Ward at bay.
It’s unlikely that this fight will end by a knockout so every round is going to be extremely important as every point could be crucial. This is one of the closest matchups of the year so far, but if Dawson stays active, uses his jab, and keeps Ward at a distance he could win a close, controversial decision.
Antonio DeMarco vs John Molina Preview Sept. 8th
The Oracle Arena in Oakland, California will be the site of the Antonio DeMarco vs John Molina bout on Sat. Sept. 8th with DeMarco’s WBC Lightweight Championship on the line. This has all the ingredients of an excellent high-energy bout as both fighters like to throw their hands and stay as active as possible every round. DeMarco, who hails from Tijuana, Mexico, goes into the bout with a 27-2-1 record with 20 KOs. Molina of Covina, California also has a fine resume with 24 wins against just 1 loss and 19 KOs.
As you can see, both of them have quite a lot of power and this could lead to some fireworks in the ring. DeMarco impressed boxing fans around the world when he stopped Jorge Linares in the 11th round back in November 2011. DeMarco was trailing on the judges’ scorecards even though DeMarco was landing some damaging shots to the head of Linares. DeMarco then picked up the pace even more in the championship rounds and showed a fine killer instinct by stopping Linares when he had him in trouble.
DeMarco’s defended his title once and will have his hands full trying to hang on to it for a second time as Molina has just as much power as DeMarco and perhaps even a little more. The 26-year-old champion is a southpaw who stands 5-foot-10 and has a 71 inch reach. He turned professional in 2004 and has faced some top-class fighters along the way. He lost a six-round majority decision back in 2006 to Anthony Vasquez and was stopped after the ninth round by Edwin Valero in 2010 in a WBC title fight. His last bout was a fifth-round KO over Miguel Roman on St. Patrick’s Day.
The 29-year-old challenger Molina turned pro in 2006 and has fought some decent fighters since then, but not anybody in the elite class. His only loss was a unanimous decision over 10 rounds to Martin Honorio in 2009. DeMarco has definitely faced the better opposition, but it might not mean a thing if Molina lands a clean shot flush on his jaw. Molina’s last fight was an eight-round unanimous decision in June against Alejandro Rodriguez, but he was out of action for a year before that bout.
Molina’s a good fighter and a worthy challenger with an exciting style. He’s a hard hitter and could be ready for prime time. His style should cause some problems for the champion and this bout could be action packed if they both go for it. Both guys have pretty decent chins and this could be an important factor since they can each pack a punch. However, look for DeMarco to keep his title by a late stoppage or a decision.
