Chad Dawson vs. Bernard Hopkins: Fighting Not to Lose vs. Fighting Not to Age

This weekend, Bernard Hopkins squares off against Chad Dawson.

The fight is on pay-per-view which stands to probably have terrible numbers for one reason alone. Both of the boxers in this fight are seen as boring by most boxing fans.

That is the only similarity they share, and even then, they are boring for different reasons.

For Hopkins it is because he knows how to maul, brawl and cheat a little. In fact, if it allows him to slow down the pace of the fight, he might resort to it. It is what has made him such a long-lasting part of boxing, a multi-world champion, and has given him a Hall of Fame career.

He learned it because he was handed nothing. He wasn't the blue-chip prospect out of the amateurs who everyone wanted to sign. He was an ex-convict who saw a way to make a better life for himself.

And he has kept fighting because he keeps winning, and because it keeps him relevant. Hopkins knows that if he loses even one fight then his marketability is crippled. That is why whether it looks pretty or not, he leaves everything in the ring.

On the other side of the coin is Chad Dawson.

Dawson was groomed as a prospect to become a champion and marketable commodity. He was put on Showtime against decent, but not dangerous competition before he even fought for a title, and before he proved that he was more than hype.

He was given a great contract with HBO, a rematch no one wanted to see against Antonio Tarver, and a paycheck that made fans scratch their heads. Especially since he didn't excite fans because every time he came out to fight, he seemed to listlessly move around the ring and never go for the attack.

And why should he? He gained everything without having to try so why should he start then?

Even when he lost his belt against Jean Pascal—who Hopkins would later beat—he seemed to have no sense of urgency. He then tried to get an immediate rematch and acted like he deserved it.

It was the most animated Dawson there has ever been.

Now, both of these men are squaring off against each other. The fight may not be the most explosive, but it will show us what happens when a man who fights to keep back the hands of time takes on the boxer who fights to not lose.

It may come down to who wants it more, in which case, we all just might see another execution.