Bernard Hopkins vs. Chad Dawson: 7 Bold Predictions for Executioner's Next Fight

The Bernard Hopkins vs. Chad Dawson light heavyweight title bout is a mere few days away, and the boxing community is waiting to see of the ageless wonder Hopkins can add another win to his record.

Dawson (32-1-0-1, 17 KOs) is a former WBC and IBO light heavyweight champ himself, and will look to beat Hopkins (52-5-2-1, 34 KOs) and take his WBC, WBC Diamond and The Ring title belts.

The fight is a must watch and here are seven bold predictions for the Hopkins, Dawson fight this weekend.

Dawson Will Throw over 1,000 Punches in the Fight

As Chad Dawson has stated, he wants to throw around 1,000-1,200 punches in his fight against Bernard Hopkins, and I believe he will accomplish his goal, as long as the fight ends up going the distance.

With Dawson throwing over 1,000 punches, I feel he throw Hopkins fighting style to punch-and-grab off, giving him a bad match up and make this a winnable fight for Dawson.

In the end Dawson's big goal in the fight will be the best thing for him, as being as active as Dawson says he'll be will give him the upper hand against B-Hop, who prefers a slower, more grind-it-out style of fight.

Hopkins Will Not Control the Tempo of the Fight

Bernard Hopkins will not control the tempo for the majority of the fight, something he has to do in order to better his chances of winning the bout.

Some fighters can fight well enough to win a fight even though they are not fighting at the pace they're comfortable at; Hopkins is not this kind of fighter.

Hopkins losing control of the tempo for more than half the fight means his chances of winning will be cut dramatically, and he will have a very slim chance of winning by a decision.

Hopkins Will Be Knocked Down

As Bernard Hopkins has grown older his chin has become increasingly weaker, as what happens to just about every fighter with time.

Hopkins was knocked down twice in his first fight with Jean Pascal, and the fight was ultimately called a draw in part to those knock downs.

During their second fight this past May, B-Hop was rocked a few times by Pascal; he looked to be on the verge of going down, but toughed it out and made it out of those rounds with out meeting the canvas.

Chad Dawson has enough power to knock Hopkins down and will at least one time, if not multiple times in the fight.

Hopkins Will Try to Use Dirty Tactics to Throw off Dawson

After becoming increasingly frustrated with Chad Dawson's quick-paced fighting style, Bernard Hopkins will resort to dirty tactics to try and throw Dawson off his game-plan and gain an edge in the fight.

Elbow and rabbit punches are the most likely culprits in B-Hop's dirty trick plan, and could end up costing Hopkins a point in the end—although I think he will use just enough dirty tricks to earn a warning or two, and will be smart enough to not have a point deducted.

Hopkins Will Come on Strong at the End of the Fight

Although a slow start for Bernard Hopkins is a big blow to his chances of winning, look for Hopkins to come on strong during the last few rounds to make the fight a close contest.

With the amount of punches Chad Dawson wants to throw it will keep Hopkins at bay for the majority of the fight; the last few rounds we'll see a tired Dawson, and Hopkins will take advantage of this to make the fight closer in the end.

Dawson Will Win the Fight

If Chad Dawson sticks to his game plan to be the more active fighter and throw the 1,000 or more punches he has vowed to throw, he will be too much for Bernard Hopkins to handle, and will win the fight and B-Hop's title belts in the process.

The last fighter to be as active and agile as Dawson against Hopkins was Joe Calzaghe back in 2008 and you guessed it, Calzaghe won the fight.

There Will Be a Hopkins-Dawson Rematch

I feel that the fight will be a close enough fight that a rematch will be a no-brainer for the two fighters.

With one fight left on his HBO contract after the Chad Dawson fight, a rematch against Dawson will be the best fight available for Bernard Hopkins.

With Hopkins being the biggest name in the light heavyweight division, a rematch with B-Hop would make sense for Dawson as well, and Dawson could be the one who puts Hopkins into retirement.