Hopkins vs. Dawson: Bad Chad Picks Apart the Executioner, Wins Title

"Bad" Chad Dawson picked apart Bernard "The Executioner" Hopkins all throughout their bout in Atlantic City last night, winning the WBC and the light heavyweight title in the process.

In a fight marred by referee stoppages, Dawson proved his worth as an 11-4 pre-fight favorite, winning the fight by majority decision, 114-114, 111-117 and 111-117.

Dawson was better all fight long, despite not providing as much pre-fight entertainment as Hopkins. Hopkins walked out to the ring confident, with his trademarked ninja mask covering his face.

It was evident from the get-go that there was some bad blood between the two fighters. They hardly touched gloves before the fight began, even after the referee emphasized the words, "let's have a clean fight."

Hopkins did a lot of trying to get into Dawson's head, dancing around and throwing punches from the clinch position. A headbutt form Hopkins, ruled as accidental, opened up a pretty serious laceration above Dawson's left eye. Dawson's cut man needs to receive plenty of credit for keeping the gash from becoming too much.

Hopkins is a ridiculous physical specimen, defying the laws of nature at 47 years old, but Dawson made it seem as though time has caught up with the future Hall of Famer. Dawson was clearly the quicker fighter, and found a healthy balance between too little movement and too much.

It seemed as though Hopkins had the opportunity to gain some momentum in the fourth round, with a cut above Dawson's left eye, but the 47-year-old hung back.

Dawson started to pull away in the fifth round, unleashing a flurry of punches, controlling the ring and keeping Hopkins near the ropes. Hopkins hung back for too long and couldn't find the right opportunity to throw his right hand.

The only time Hopkins was able to land any effective punches was in the clinch position, and there were plenty of those occasions. He got a few cheap shots in, but the referee did a pretty good job at separating the two when needed.

The two fighters went tumbling toward the canvas towards the end of the 11th round, with Dawson falling on top of Hopkins. The two were subsequently returned to their corners to reset.

Dawson kept his composure and fought like a seasoned veteran. Even though he was unable to impose himself upon the almost-AARP member Hopkins, he unequivocally controlled the fight. Every time you thought Dawson was going to lose the lead, he notched a series of quick strikes.

Dawson's biggest asset was his left jab, which allowed him to prevent Hopkins from getting into the clinch position, something he wanted all fight long.

This loss may mean the end for Hopkins, as he's now lost his championship status and will be hard-pressed to be rewarded with a rematch.