HBO on Dawson: Vacating for two meaningless fights

[MC Paul Barman]

That comment pissed me off.
They were referring to Dawson's potential fights with both Diaconu and Cloud.
Both Diaconu (for the WBC) and Cloud (for the IBF) won their respective eliminators for a chance to fight Dawson for those belts.

And HBO is saying that he did the fans a favor by not taking those fights and fighting Glen Johnson and Tarver twice? Considering that Diaconu beat Hoye in 07 and then instead of fighting Dawson he fights Chris Henry on 04/19/08 for the interim WBC while Dawson fights Glen Johnson on 4/12/08.


Cloud beating Julio Cesar Gonzalez in an IBF eliminator for a chance to fight Dawson.... but having to fight Clinton Woods instead for the belt vacated by Dawson.

And then...

Diaconu beating Rico Hoye in a WBC eliminator for a chance to fight Dawson.... only to not get a chance at Dawson... so then Diaconu fighting Chris Henry (interim WBC) and then Pascal for the WBC that Dawson vacated.

To say that Dawson did the fans a favor in not taking on the younger Cloud and Diaconu is obnoxious.

 

[TheRatman]

Yeah I didn't like the either, he didn't take those fights cause there was more money in traver and Johnson, not cause cloud or diacunu weren't shit.

Anybody know what's up with Mack, when he be back.

 

[MC Paul Barman]

I don't think even Mack knows.
Not that I doubt the guy, but he's told me about fights with Karo Murat (that never happened) and other guys as well.
He has said that Chris Henry is always trying to get a rematch with him.

He got back in the gym and started training on Aug 1st for a fight that's supposedly 2 months out.... but no mention of a name. And if there was a name to mention, from past experience I'd say "doubt it".

 

[Bonos]

At the time, both the Johnson and Tarver first match were more significant then fighting Diaconu and Cloud.

Dawson-Diaconu was suppose to happen in the fall of 2007, but Diaconu pulled out with an injury.

Dawson's biggest problem is that he is inactive.

 

[BrownStainCainV]

At the time, both the Johnson and Tarver first match were more significant then fighting Diaconu and Cloud.

Dawson-Diaconu was suppose to happen in the fall of 2007, but Diaconu pulled out with an injury.

Dawson's biggest problem is that he is inactive.

For casual fans who don't know anything perhaps. Anyone being honest knew Tarver was shot and there was no doubt about it after the 1st fight. I rate the Johnson win (1st was controversial) higher than Tarver obviously. It was a cash grab against 2 past it fighters.

 

[MC Paul Barman]

Bonos,
I see what you're saying...
But I have to agree with BrownSCV on this.

It's not like Cloud and Diaconu were just pointless mandatories. Both of those guys were building alot of excitement in their style of fighting.
I don't know many that were too happy about the Dawson - Johnson fight (1). Brown is spot on when saying it was a cash grab. It's just that Dawson struggled much more than anyone (or most) were expecting him to.

I don't think many were excited for the Tarver fight.... because people still had that bad taste in their mouth from watching him just get out classed by B-Hop. At that time, people still didn't really know how to assess B-Hops full worth (at that age).

Diaconu or Cloud were fights that fans would have been very interested in.

 

[Bonos]

Cloud was an unknown before his win against Gonzalez, which came after Dawson had already fought Johnson the first time and Dawson-Tarver I took place only two months after. Dawson was also scheduled to face Diaconu in 2007 but the fight was canceled because Diaconu got injured, and a year later he looked like crap against Henry.

I do agree that these fights should have happened, because all these top LHW's should be more active then 1-2 fights a year. But Dawson vs Johnson and Tarver (excluding #2) were legit fights at the time and important for the division.

 

[Bonos]

I don't know many that were too happy about the Dawson - Johnson fight (1). Brown is spot on when saying it was a cash grab. It's just that Dawson struggled much more than anyone (or most) were expecting him to.

I don't think many were excited for the Tarver fight.... because people still had that bad taste in their mouth from watching him just get out classed by B-Hop. At that time, people still didn't really know how to assess B-Hops full worth (at that age).

Diaconu or Cloud were fights that fans would have been very interested in.

Diaconu and Cloud did very little prior to the Johnson #1 fight. Johnson-Dawson I was one of the better match ups of early 2008. Johnson was old but still a legit top 5 LHW, and that version of Johnson beats both Cloud & Diaconu...the current washed up version beats the Romanian now and he almost beat Cloud last weekend.