The final nail in the coffin of Chad Dawson’s career was laid last night at the hands of part-time fighter Tommy Karpency, who on three week’s notice out-boxed and out-landed the former light-heavyweight champion to take a split decision win at the Foxwoods Casino Resort.
Dawson, who said before the bout he was looking to get rounds in, got that and much more. The southpaw Karpency found success timing Dawson with overhand lefts from long-range and short right hooks when the battle went inside. Karpency was able to hurt Dawson several times with the aforementioned left hand, forcing clinching and at times blatant retreat.
Matters became worse for Dawson when a shoulder injury prevented him from significant use of his power hand, the left, from the third round on. However, Dawson showed poise in keeping Karpency at bay with a consistent right jab over the final three rounds.
Still, the judges preferred Karpency’s edge in power punches and his consistent level of aggression, if not workrate, over the final rounds. Karpency, who going into this fight worked as a full-time nurse in a psych ward, was given the split decision nod via scores of 94-96, and 96-94 twice.
“I hurt my shoulder in the third round,” Dawson said. “I landed more jabs than he landed punches. That’s bullshit. They must want me out of the game. That’s crazy. I fought with since the third round. Come on, man.”
Dawson held a 59-35 edge in jabs connected. Karpency took the power punches landed stat 61-40. Karpency also outlanded Dawson in the fight 372-316
“I just came here to win, I had nothing to lose,” said Karpency after the biggest win of his career. “I know I did enough to win and thankfully the judges got it right. I know it was close but I won hands down. I came here on short notice and I had to pace myself and make my punches count. I buzzed him a few times but couldn’t get him down. He was running. He thought he had the fight won.
“I believe that I belong in the Top 10 in the light heavyweight division. I want to fight the best. I just beat a two-time former champ and I’m ready to fight the best.”
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That’s it for the comeback of Chad Dawson. Karpency was not even a Top 20 contender coming in. Dawson turned what was supposed to be a tune-up fight into a life and death struggle where at times he couldn’t withstand Karpency’s power or even outbox him.
With Dawson, his issues have always been mental and physical. Even in his prime he’d go through spells of not throwing combinations and appearing listless. Now that his physical condition is slipping, we have a fighter that’s ripe for the taking.
From what we saw last night, taking more time off won’t fix this. Should Dawson call it a career, or can you see “Bad Chad” turning around the slide in quality we’ve seen over the last four years?
Regarding Karpency, Al Haymon might have found Adonis Stevenson his next opponent for early 2015.
Beats, Boxing and Mayhem 