Hopkins vs. Dawson: 'Bad Chad' Will Leave No Doubt in Dominating Victory

Chad Dawson thought he knocked out Bernard Hopkins when they faced off back in October, but his victory was overturned and changed to a no contest. There won't be any doubt this time around when he scores a clean win over the 47-year-old veteran.

Lost in all the controversy after the first fight was a strong performance by "Bad Chad." He gained the upper hand right away and was in firm control when he sent Hopkins down from a clinch, a move that would ultimately cause the TKO decision to get changed.

That came in the second round, and it appeared Dawson would have easily won the light heavyweight championships had the fight continued. That said, the ruling was made and now he must fight a rematch in order to earn the WBC and The Ring titles.

Hopkins has had a storied career that includes victories over Oscar De La Hoya and Antonio Tarver, but he's a long way past his prime. He doesn't possess the same quickness or striking power that once made him a force.

It's something that will make overcoming the younger, more agile Dawson an extremely difficult task. Give credit to "The Executioner" for staying in terrific shape at such an advanced age—especially for a boxer—but all those knocks have taken a toll.

The key for Dawson will be entering Saturday's bout with the same level of aggressiveness and intensity as he did six months ago. He has all the tools to make quick work of the champion as long as he doesn't let the previous result affect his approach.

Even though the South Carolina native has a gaudy 30-1 record during his career, he lacks the type of marquee wins it takes to become a star. Defeating Hopkins–without a two-month review process–should finally earn him more respect.

Look for Dawson to come out with a chip on his shoulder. He doesn't want any extra headlines or controversy beyond the ones that say he's the new champion, which should give him more than enough motivation to have another solid outing.

Anything less than a knockout from Dawson would be a surprise and, more importantly, a major disappointment for the southpaw.