Undefeated Andre Ward will put his WBC super middleweight and WBA super world middleweight titles on the line when he faces Chad Dawson on Sept. 8, at the Oracle Arena in Oakland, Calif. Both men are currently ranked number one (worldwide) in their respective weight-classes, and it should lead to a very competitive match.
Dawson and Ward met face-to-face for a press conference on July 9, and they both seemed excited about their upcoming matchup.
"The road I've taken to this point has not been easy," Ward told reporters. "Being back on HBO is a big thing, but fighting on HBO in my hometown is huge. To be great you have to fight the best. Chad has beaten the best so these are the type fights I want to take. I will put on a great show for all the fans that come out to the Oracle Arena."
Ward looked good in his last outing, earning a unanimous decision against Carl Froch. He's currently considered to be one of the pound-for-pound best boxers in the world, and he'll be the favorite going into the fight.
However, I think the odds for this fight might be a little misleading, considering the fact Dawson is the more experienced fighter, having faced several of the best boxers in the sport. He looked good in his last fight against Bernard Hopkins, securing the WBC light-heavyweight title. Dawson is also the bigger man, and I wouldn't be shocked if he pulls off the upset against Ward.
"This is a big fight for me," Dawson said. "I know there will be a huge crowd for Andre, but I'm not afraid. I'm happy to be the underdog in this fight. I haven't been the underdog in a long time and I'll do what I have to do to win this fight."
Given how hard it can be to get two of the best boxers around to face one another, Ward and Dawson deserve a lot of credit for agreeing to meet in September. It's one of the more even big-name bouts we've had in a while, and it should be a fight to remember.
David is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and boxing practitioner that has watched and studied MMA for the past 7 years. Follow him on twitter @davidkingwriter and check out his blog.
Sources:
Eastsideboxing.com, "Andre Ward - Chad Dawson Press Conference Quotes"
Fight and fighter information from BoxRec.com
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