Hopkins vs. Dawson Prediction: Dislocated Shoulder Won't Save Hopkins in Rematch

Bernard Hopkins won't be able to keep his WBC light-heavyweight title due to a shoulder dislocation and disqualification this time around.

Nope, this time he's going to have to beat Chad Dawson between the ropes. Unlike the last time these two fought, there won't be a stop to this fight in the second round, when Dawson either performed a takedown or a bit of a nudge, depending on who you ask.

Rumors swirled that perhaps Hopkins faked an injury to end the fight. That's Dawson's theory at least, and as he told Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated, he doesn't believe Hopkins can beat him:

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"I guess it's all about his legacy," Dawson said. "If I was him, I wouldn't want to go out on a bad note like that. I wouldn't want to have anybody saying that you're ducking this guy. I'm not going to say he's scared because I don't believe any fighter is scared. If any man gets in the ring with another man, they're not a scared person. But if you look at the last fight, he said he dislocated his shoulder but we didn't see any weakness in his shoulder. We didn't see any doctor's notes or anything like that."

Part of Dawson's frustration is that he believes that before Hopkins bowed out he was on his way to an easy win. What Dawson lacks in pure entertainment value he makes up for in skill. Dawson expertly uses his long, 6'1" frame, relentlessly tagging opponents with the jab and backing them up with the right hand. He owns wins—convincing wins—over Tomasz Adamek, Antonio Tarver and Glen Johnson, and is certain that if Hopkins had stayed in the fight his name would have been tacked onto the list.

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Even at the age of 47, Hopkins is a formidable opponent, one not to be taken lightly. But Dawson is an excellent fighter in his own right, and beating Hopkins could be a changing-of-the-guard moment, and perhaps inspire Hopkins to retire.

Because honestly, at some point Hopkins needs to stop boxing. I honestly fear that his brain is simply going to shut off one day after such a lengthy career based upon punching and getting punched in the head.

I can't imagine how many concussions he's sustained in his career, but it is a scary thought.

My money is on the 30-1 Dawson in this fight. Which is risky money against the wily veteran who has only lost five fights in his career.

But all good things must come to an end. For Hopkins, I think the end should be Dawson. 

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