Boxing: Good Things Come to Those Who Wait...Hopkins vs. Dawson Is On!

Patience is virtue.

It seems just like yesterday that Chad Dawson (30-1-0) was eagerly working on making a fight with Bernard Hopkins (52-5-2) come to fruition.  Promoters flipped cards for months, trying to work out a way for the two fighters to meet in the ring.

Bernard was constantly dismissing their possible fight as a waste of his time, claiming that instead he will just beat the man who beat the man. In other words, Hopkins wanted Jean Pascal (26-2-1) who beat Dawson in August of 2010 via a technical decision.

Dawson was furious. He was throwing blame and speculations every which way, calling Hopkins a coward and pointing to the fact that Hopkins knew that Pascal was less of a challenge and a safer way to go.

Now, according to Gary Shaw, both men will have what they wanted. Hopkins got to show the world that he is still a force to be reckoned with, schooling the much younger Pascal in their rematch. After launching his name to new heights, Hopkins is a hot ticket for any challenger, and that lucky guy is now officially Chad Dawson, according to FightHype.com.

Dawson is a lucky man because he now gets to have a shot at a resurrected and more respected Bernard Hopkins. Their fight at this point in time is infinitely bigger than it would have been when they first began contemplating the idea.

I see this as great news, because I was one of those people who agreed with Dawson in the first place. I believe that Dawson is a bigger challenge for Hopkins and will generate a more exciting fight for the fans. By saying that, I am in no way implying that I see Dawson as a favorite, nevertheless Hopkins will have to work much harder to get out of the ring a winner on the night of their bout.