Round By Round: Antonio Tarver vs. Chad Dawson

The Palms in Las Vegas is the site for the light heavyweight championship bout between Antonio Tarver and Chad Dawson. It's an intriguing match-up between an aging champion and a young lion made even more compelling because the two fighters have shown that they definitely don't care for each other.

The Showtime announce team feels Dawson needs to work the body to win, using his speed and movement to his advantage. Tarver's key will be to control the tempo, luring his younger opponent into traps.

Dawson comes to the ring first to T.I.'s "Live Your Life," sporting a robe with "Bad Chad" on the back. Tarver, the betting underdog despite holding the IBF title, comes out second as the announcers discuss the rumor that he had difficulty making weight for the fight.

The tale of the tape shows Tarver with a slight height advantage but Dawson holding an edge in reach. There is a moment of silence and the bell rings for the passing of Oscar Suarez.

Jimmy Lennon Jr. handles the introductions. Dawson is from New Haven, CT, and he owns a 26-0 record (1 NC) with 17 KO's. Tarver hails from Tampa and enters with a 27-4 record.

Round 1

Tarver tries to work the jab as Dawson throws right hooks to the body. More right hands force AT to back off. Jabs fly both ways from the southpaws. Double jab and a left to the body by Tarver. Flashy body combo by Dawson. Both fighters seem pretty cautious as the round goes on. Another Dawson combo is mostly picked off by Tarver. Left to the body by Tarver and he shoves Dawson back. Right hook by Dawson coming in.

Franchise: 10-9 Dawson
Spartan117: 10-9 Dawson
Uatu: 10-9 Dawson

Round 2

Tarver tries to throw a combo but Dawson lands a nice counter. Right hand by Dawson and a left just misses. Now he scores to the body jumping in. Uppercut by Dawson starts off a nice combo. Dawson's hand speed is on full display as he scores with both hands. His jabs are getting through and he's avoiding most of the return fire. Tarver still coming forward but it hasn't worked in his favor so far.

Franchise: 10-9 Dawson
Spartan117: 10-9 Dawson
Uatu: 10-9 Dawson

Round 3

Dawson backed to the ropes several times but he looks just as comfortable there. Mean right and left-hand counters snap Tarver's head back. Left hands finally get Dawson's attention but he goes right back to work. Tarver scores with a straight left and an uppercut. Both men swing away in the middle of the ring, and the champ just misses with a huge left at the bell.

Franchise: 10-9 Tarver
Spartan117: 10-9 Tarver
Uatu: 10-9 Dawson

Round 4

Dawson returns to his body attack as Tarver continues to press the issue. Quick counters by Dawson get Tarver to back off momentarily. The champ uses the jab, but Dawson is quicker to the trigger in this round. Left to the body by Tarver and they tie up. Repeated jabs by Dawson find the mark. Good left by Tarver but Dawson answers with two lefts of his own.

Franchise: 10-9 Dawson
Spartan117: 10-9 Dawson
Uatu: 10-9 Dawson

Round 5

Straight left stuns Tarver and knocks him back. Dawson jumping around and looking very confident. Tarver tries to go back to the jab but Dawson's counterpunching is too much for him. Left hand upstairs and a combo follows for Bad Chad. Tarver covering up to deal with all the leather flying his way. The announcers think AT might be better served by letting the fight come to him.


Franchise: 10-9 Dawson
Spartan117: 10-9 Dawson
Uatu: 10-9 Dawson

Round 6

Jab and straight left land for Tarver as Dawson's activity level goes down a notch. Nice left to the body by Tarver. Dawson backed into the ropes and eats a left hand. He looks like he's taking this round off, which may be a mistake as an uppercut and hook land. Dawson shakes his head like he can't be hurt, but he basically gave that round away.


Franchise: 10-9 Tarver
Spartan117: 10-9 Tarver
Uatu: 10-9 Tarver

Round 7

Tarver starts out to the body and backs Dawson to the ropes. Dawson goes back on the attack and flashes his hand speed. Tarver in trouble along the ropes, though he blocks many of the incoming punches. Left knocks Tarver back a step. Dawson ducks out of the way and fires a right to the head. Jabs set up an uppercut for Tarver. Dawson warned for a low shot as he goes back to the body. Tarver swings wildly and misses and no one lands anything in the final 10 seconds.

Franchise: 10-9 Dawson
Spartan117: 10-9 Dawson
Uatu: 10-9 Tarver

Round 8

This round starts out like the seventh with Tarver coming forward. Dawson turns it around briefly and picks off many of AT's shots with his gloves. It looks like Chad is taking a good portion of this round off again. Now he fires a combo set up by repeated jabs. Dawson springs to action and Tarver has to turtle in the corner to avoid all kinds of fire. Uppercut-straight left combo lands right before the bell for Dawson.


Franchise: 10-9 Dawson
Spartan117: 10-9 Dawson
Uatu: 10-9 Dawson

Round 9

Tarver looks discouraged and his punches just don't have much steam behind them. Dawson fires multiple jabs and just doesn't give Tarver much of an opening. He punches in behind his jab with nothing big scoring. They stand and trade in the middle with Dawson getting the better of it. Right hook counter answers Tarver's left hand. Combos by Chad answered by single punches by AT. Dawson rips a left to the body and goes upstairs with an uppercut.


Franchise: 10-9 Dawson
Spartan117: 10-9 Dawson
Uatu: 10-9 Dawson

Round 10

Floyd Mayweather gets interviewed and vows to stay retired. Tarver switches to a right-handed stance and immediately pays for it. He's still gamely coming forward but body shots by Dawson are taking their toll. Dawson is throwing seven and eight-punch combos that are something to see even when not everything lands. Dawson fires a counter left and circles off the ropes. Tarver throws a combo along the ropes without much power. Dawson nods as he's hit and fires off another long string of punches.


Franchise: 10-9 Dawson
Spartan117: 10-9 Tarver
Uatu: 10-9 Dawson

Round 11

Tarver's punch output is still high, but his foe's is higher and more accurate. Dawson digs with an uppercut and a left to the head. Tarver jabs his way in and misses with a big left. Dawson taking it easy again and Tarver is scoring. Now a quick right lands for Dawson and he fights off the ropes. Dawson tries to dig in and steal the round; it's probably going to be a close one.


Franchise: 10-9 Tarver
Spartan117: 10-9 Tarver
Uatu: 10-9 Tarver

Round 12

A right makes Dawson shake his head again, but he stands his ground and guns away. A mean counter right knocks Tarver back, and he touches his glove to the ground so it's officially a knockdown. Tarver hops right back up and deserves credit for battling to the end. Straight right gets through for Dawson; Tarver scores with an uppercut. There's no questioning Tarver's heart as he swings for the fences all the way until the final bell.


Franchise: 9-9
Spartan117: 9-9
Uatu: 10-8 Dawson

The judges score it 118-109, 117-110 and 117-110, all for the winner... and new IBF light heavyweight champion of the world... "Bad" Chad Dawson.

The announcers talk to Tarver first. He tips his hat to Dawson but feels like his defense was solid and he's not busted up. Tarver won't apologize for what he said before the fight but says he does respect Dawson.

Chad thanks his team and says that while Antonio had more than he expected, his hand speed and activity made the difference. Dawson is told that Floyd Jr. called him the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world, and he says it is a big compliment.