What I Feared; What I Knew

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Ward's going to fight out of range. He's going to look to take away your majors assets, whatever they may be. He's going to work against your chest, make his jab count more than your jab, check left you until you can't see out your right eye, and ultimately, take your spirit.

Andre Ward has very fast hands, excellent movement, superb management of space and stunning timing. Even I'm a little off-balance when he lands his shots, for god-sake.

Andre Ward is world-class without ever looking sublime in the ring. He doesn't put on lyrical, flowing performances. He's rugged, intimidating and physical. His excellent work happens so fast that it often takes a replay or some HBO lump to point it out. I mean he can be that good on the inside, that blistering. He can also be that good and blistering when coming in from range. But again it's tough to spot such natural ability when it comes so well-disguised. Like a London banker asking the people to invest, thief's have many guises. Andre's a master thief when it comes to taking another man's will whilst expressing his unique talents.

Its what his opponents don't do against him that is as telling as what he does do, and not only is this enough to get the win, it is a W that comes with more and more dominance with each fight that he takes.

Andre Ward is a frightening talent because Andre Ward doesn't believe his opponent can stop him doing what he needs to do. What he needs to do. Maybe it is his belief that is his greatest gift?

The headbutts frustrate but hopefully they will become less of an issue as he continues his rise. Nobody's perfect, right?

Chad Dawson is what frustrates me about boxers. He is talented, he is skilled. Dawson can throw in bunches or beat you with a jab. He has the speed to hurt and the size to dominate.

Chad Dawson has very low self-belief, and a mindset that lacks ring-smarts and the ability to stay focused for 12 full rounds. I like Chad Dawson, i wanted him to do well against Andre, but Chad was only bad like sugar cane.

The boy played sweet when he needed to get rough.

Instead of being street-dirty he came sugar-coated.

He dominates the older light-heavies because the older light-heavies cannot be active for twelve rounds. They tire, like Dawson. They are inactive as a result, like Dawson. They are ten years plus older, than Chad Dawson.

Scully stood in his man's corner last night, pleading his man to try and win. Think about that. Think about the rounds, and how Scully came up with a new, more desperate game plan, each time his inactive fighter lumbered back after three frustrating minutes. I don't blame the trainer, as he was just trying to get into his fighter's head, a head so consumed with self-doubt that he was unable to fight loose or 'roll the shoulders', as the frustrated Scully pointed out.

The two knockdowns that came early were partly down to Ward's varied punches and offensive game plan when in the center of the ring. However, they were also partly down to Chad Dawson's unwillingness to throw a punch and ducking head tactics on the inside. I witnessed at least three round where Dawson landed 0 punches. ZERO punches people. For a man as gifted as Chad Dawson.

Is his love for boxing there? Was it ever there? Will he be able to come back against anyone young and hungry? Anyone young, hungry and able to operate over 12 rounds at world-level. No, IMO.

Chad Dawson spent so long chasing old icons that he forgot what it felt like to fight a new one. Pascal was hungry but gassed, Chad did nothing until it was too late. B-Hop is nearing fifty and fought for 1 minute 30 of each round, max. What did Chad do? Just enough to win a UD.

This man should retire. Not because he isn't talented, or able to dominate at light-heavy for as long as it takes for Ward, Bute or Kessler to call him out for his title. Chad Dawson should retire because when i watch him fight i often wonder when it's going to be over.

And i like Chad Dawson.

What next for Andre Ward?

Bigger purses, fights and promotions. I'd like to see him move up a weight division if he can find a viable opponent. If not then Bute would be an intriguing fight, as would the ever elusive Andre Dirrell. But we'll see. I expect at least six months of hype to take place before Andre Ward is back in action. Still, I suspect it will be against another world-level operator. In skill-set, at least.

Yours,

emore

Charr now wants a rematch. Oh dear... He must have been hit harder than we thought.

Apparently Vitali was playing into his hands