Before i get started i want to thank Chad Dawson and Andre Ward for dispelling a lot of the common wisdom's about our sport and specifically the portrayal of Black Athletes. First of all what we have here are two first rate champions who challenged themselves and one another to establish pecking order at an age when many are still building resumes. In Wards case consider this, at the same age Floyd Mayweather was messing around with Carlos Baldomir. Together both men while featured on HBO's 24/7 accorded themselves as family men with "not supposed to be uncommon" maturity and values. It may not mean anything to the average Boxing fan of another culture but i am extremely sensitive to the "minstrilization" of our young men; and the idea that acting with respect for yourself or others is somehow "boring". I also didn't find the names of Chad Dawson's sons "peculiar" as i know that theres a long history of this in our community as a way of bestowing our young men with something that may manifest by forcing a hostile society to address them in regal terms. General Dawson isn't seeking to assimilate under terms of docility and victim hood, he is being put on track for social, economic and political power- and I'm pretty sure that is his fathers aim.
Now for the #1 P4P Fighter in the World
We all have our Criteria; but we (by that i mean just me) here at the Loaded Gloves believe past resume is being weighted too heavily while Ambition isn't weighted enough. Since 2010 Andre Wards career arch has become legendary, and yet he is blocked from number one status (ironically) by the stone tablets of Legends. What Floyd Mayweather did to Diego Corrales in 2001 was on VHS and a matter for the Hall of Fame to sort out; not observers who are watching the sport NOW. When he entered the Super Six in 2009 he was the sacrificial lamb thrown in for American viewers, but the Division was clearly in the hands of European heirs to Joe Calzaghe. He cleaned it out, then the man he beat for it all (Carl Froch) went and underlined Wards dominance by destroying Lucian Bute who tried to be cute by ducking the Oakland native. Chad Dawson's "callout" was no small matter; smaller men ignore the challenges of Bigger men EVERY DAY in Boxing with no reprisals from fans. Dawson, for all of his issues with consistency gave Bernard Hopkins the creeps and with good reason but the Master flat out ducked Ward under the guise of respect- because he knew better. While Ward was beating tough, physically primed Champions at 168 lbs. Chad Dawson (by no fault of his own) was mugging stubborn old men. Wards ambition is what separates him from Mayweather, Pacquiao and Martinez, something that Dawson learned Saturday Night. Ambition isn't just making money or collecting belts, ambition is about leaving no doubt 20 years from now what you accomplished. Ray Leonard had it circa 1980-81, its about carving your name in stone, when the focus on that is maniacal trust me the money will come. Andre Ward is not only my P4P #1 for what he's done since 2010 and last night, he's #1 because he has emissaries reaching out to Calzaghe ( to do unto him what he "did" to Roy) and he hints at wanting to become Heavyweight Champion. Men of great ambition speak about the next mountain, they don't ignore great challenges (like size) they seek it out.
And speaking of Size
This isn't 36 yr. old Roy Jones coming down from a "yoked" 200 lbs. back to a depleted 175 lbs. Chad Dawson KNEW he'd make the weight easily, had plenty of time, and thought he'd come in with an advantage. However all he brought to the fight was a tape measure, and Ward brought his fist, one guy looks down the other guy hits him in the face. Dawson is a talented guy but he may go back to the Light Heavyweight Division with full knowledge that he's a renter- because Andre Ward owns that division too. everything he did to Dawson was from the Book of Hopkins, Leonard and Floyd Mayweather. Feinting and forcing Dawson to show his hand (Hopkins), out jabbing the taller man (Floyd)- all while having the balls to let that hook go with authority like Sugar Ray Leonard. Makes you think differently about this weekends bout and any Call outs that may stem from a Martinez victory. The Bottom line is size is only a hindrance to the mediocre, and Andre Ward is far from that, as too is Mayweather if he's more ambitious than enterprising. Chad Dawson used the word "finished" when telling the referee he'd had enough and prophetically he may be speaking for future Ward opponants. Chad Dawson in his post fight interview "looked" like a defeated man, he was struggling with the quandary of giving props and keeping his head up. But his eyes had the look of a man who was saying " I cant beat that guy, he's smaller but i cant beat him" and I've seen it before....hmmmm where did i see that look?. Back in the day when Latrell Sprewell was in Minnesota trying to feed his family i went to a Timberwolves game, the wine and cheese section-cus i got it like that. Sitting that close you hear it all, the trash talk the profanity and most of all the respect. Every time Sprewell ended up guarding Allan Iverson ( on a switch) he had that forlorn "look" that i saw Chad Dawson wearing Saturday Night. It was a look of reverence and a little fear for a man he had all of the so called advantages over, a man (Sprewell and Dawson) had to reconcile was more special than themselves no matter what they do. Andre Ward is Special, the best fighter in the World, AKA the " Capo di Tutti Capi" but you can call bruh THE NOTORIOUS S.O.G.
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