Andre Ward vs. Chad Dawson is finally right around the corner, and as such, it’s time for us to gather our official picks and predictions on the bout. If you’re looking for some diversity with your picks, you may not be in the right spot, as according to the Ward vs. Dawson predictions we’ve gathered here from the guys at ProBoxing-Fans.com, there’s a clear winner and outcome in our future. Take a look to see who we think will win, and why.
Scott Levinson: Dawson has a lot of talent and cannot be taken lightly in this fight. If he comes in at his career-best and fights hard, this will be a tough night for Ward. It’s just that everything is working against Dawson in this fight. He has to drop weight to make 168, fight in Ward’s hometown, and face a guy in Ward who just has an innate ability to shut opponents down. Throw in Ward’s superior professionalism and it’s a tough fight for Dawson. I see Ward being resourceful and deliberate, slowly putting rounds in the bag and increasing his dominance as the fight wears on, en route to a unanimous decision win. Prediction: Ward by decision
Check out Scott’s full preview & prediction
Jake Emen: What I always cite as the facet of Ward’s game which I love the most is his ability to take what his opponent does best, and shut it down. Ward is just so damn versatile in there, and has so many ways to go about his business while still being effective. He’s just a guy I do not pick against. Dawson represents a real risk, but Ward is a superior fighter and tactician. Prediction: Ward by decision
Matt Andrzejewski: I like Andre Ward to win a lopsided unanimous decision over Chad Dawson. The blueprint to beating Dawson was established by Jean Pascal. Pascal frustrated Dawson with his movement and found it easy to land the right hand. Ward is a much more skilled fighter than Pascal, and he throws an excellent straight right hand which I expect will land frequently on Dawson. I also expect him to show movement and create angles to land his combination punches. In the end, Ward’s speed and skill are too much for Dawson to overcome en route to an easy decision victory for Ward. Prediction: Ward by decision
Edward Fu: I believe that Andre Ward’s consistency in this fight will lead him to an easy victory over Chad Dawson. Ward’s punches are too quick and accurate, which will pose a big problem for Dawson. Additionally, Ward will be fighting at his natural weight, handing Dawson another disadvantage. If there’s a knock at Ward, it’s that he doesn’t have great power in his punches. Therefore, I predict this fight going the full 12 rounds as Ward cruises to victory in his hometown. Prediction: Ward by decision
Daniel Treasure: Dawson vs. Ward is a prestigious match up and I anticipate it to live up to the expectation. Chad Dawson will be hungry for victory and I expect him to be the aggressor in this one. I think Dawson will start strong but Andre Ward will outwit his opponent with a unanimous decision after 12 rounds. Unbeaten Ward might have a little too much for his rival in this bout. Prediction: Ward by decision
Blair Newman: The issue for me is Dawson’s mentality. He often appears ponderous while taking a few rounds to figure his opponent out; this is something he simply cannot do against Ward. Ward has the more effective jab and the better footwork; he glides in and out of range with ease, meaning his opponent finds him either too close or too far away to land clean punches. Dawson sometimes shows signs of frustration on the inside, while Ward often manhandles his opponents in this area. It’s also hard to see how Dawson can take another 7 lbs off his frame and carry the same pop in his punches. All in all, I can only see a clear decision victory for Ward. Prediction: Ward by decision
Ward vs. Dawson Predictions – Final Tally
- Andre Ward: 6 – all by decision
- Chad Dawson: 0
Dawson is a legitimate top-15 pound for pound fighter, with a load of experience against top level opponents, and is regarded as the number 1 guy at light heavyweight. However, in our opinion, Ward is just that much better, and our unanimous decision is apparently a unanimous decision for Andre “SOG” Ward.
