Carrying the Dawson name in the heart of New Haven, Conn., can be a burden unto itself, but super middleweight boxer Rick Dawson has finally found a happy medium between the pressure of living up to high expectations and the motivation to carve out his own identity.
The older brother of former light heavyweight world champion “Bad” Chad Dawson, Rick Dawson (4-0, 1 KO) will fight for the first time in six months Saturday, Nov. 5, 2011 when he faces Queens native Borngod Washington (2-9) on the undercard of “November Reign,” presented by Jimmy Burchfield’s Classic Entertainment & Sports in association with Global Boxing. The event will take place at 7:30 p.m. at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.
“I’m ready!” said the elder Dawson, who hasn’t fought since beating Odias Dumezil in May. “I definitely didn’t want that layoff, but my body feels refreshed.”
So, too, does his mind, which often races a thousand miles a minute when Dawson’s inside the ring. As the older brother of a world champion, there’s pressure for Dawson to carry on the tradition of excellence, and sometimes that pressure forces him into bad habits he’s tried desperately to avoid.
“Wherever I go, people expect a lot from me because [Chad Dawson] is my brother,” Dawson said. “That sometimes plays into my thinking in the ring. You’re out there trying to look a certain way. Sometimes you find yourself not even thinking about the fight. You’re thinking about the crowd.
“People want to compare me to my brother, but I just have to focus on me, Rick Dawson, as a boxer. I have to carve my own path because he’s not in the ring with me when I’m fighting and I’m not in the ring when he’s fighting.”
The six-month layoff between fights might’ve helped Dawson reach that delicate balance. Working with head trainer Brian Clark, Dawson has focused primarily on increasing his endurance.
“It’s a lot of sprinting,” Dawson said. “We work for four minutes, take a one-minute break, then go for another four minutes, and so on and so forth. We do that for an hour. It’s hard at first, but you eventually get used to it. It involves a lot of sprinting, and it helps your stamina. That’s what we’re working toward.
“It’s a lot of different things I haven’t done before, so my body feels different.”
From a mental standpoint, the key for Dawson is to “let his hands go” and be more active from start to finish. With a limited amateur background, he admits he’s still learning on the job.
“Sometimes, the mental aspect plays into it,” Dawson said. “Sometimes, I am thinking a lot in the ring and overthinking things instead of just reacting. That’s what I’ve been working on with Brian.
“We’re almost there. It’s a process. I’m not where I want to be yet, but I’ll be there soon. Trust me.”
While he still hopes to form his own identity among boxing fans in New Haven, Dawson admits there are perks to being the brother of a championship fighter, especially since Chad Dawson’s success provides the motivation the elder Dawson needs to keep chasing his own championship dreams.
“Maybe I can get there one day, too,” Dawson said. “To see him come home with the success he’s had, that’s what I would like to emulate. He’s my little brother, but that’s where I want to be.
“I’ve got a pretty big following around here – a lot of fans,” Dawson continued. “I appreciate all of their support. It’s hard to make this a career without fan support. I’ve got a lot of people behind me, so now I’ve got to do my part.”
The main event will feature the highly-anticipated 12-round WBC International heavyweight title bout between undefeated champion Mariusz Wach (25-0, 13 KOs) of North Bergen, N.J., and former world champion Oliver McCall (56-11, 37 KOs).
“November Reign” will also feature a 10-round North American Boxing Federation (NABF) and North American Boxing Organization (NABO) middleweight title bout between current NABO champion Patrick Majewski (17-0, 11 KOs) of Atlantic City, N.J., and challenger Jose Miguel Torres (22-5, 19 KOs) of Miami, Fla. Majewski won the NABO title with a unanimous-decision victory over Marcus Upshaw in June. Originally from Magangue, Colombia, the 32-year-old Torres has won two of his last three fights.
