So I might be a little drunk by the time Tarver rolls around. I’m a real pro.

Granted it’s an hour plus out for the main event in Vegas but that place is empty.

Intros in the ring are up.

Well, he made it. Vitali Klitschko is really fighting again.

Klitschko pawing to start, then throws a heavy right over Peter’s left. Klitschko is popping Peter with a big right, and Peter is struggling to make his way inside. Another right hand. Peter’s getting pounded on. It’s not amazing looking, but it is what it is. Peter is off balance frequently, drilled with a left hook. Klitschko is dominating the first two minutes.

Another left hook lands. Peter needs to re-think his strategy and maybe just bomb away. He can’t get inside because his jab sucks too much. Maybe that’s a rudimentary thought, but hey.

Nice comeback round for Vitali Klitschko. Welcome back, dude.

Klitschko 10-9

Samuel needs to cover up his head more because Vitaly ain’t going anywhere but up top.

Hard for any heavyweight to do but all I can say is to go Quintanta on Vitali a la Paul Williams

Vitali starting with lazy hooks and a quick jab. Right uppercut lands. He’s staying at range very well. Klitschko with a combo. He looks good, but Peter also looks really outclassed, honestly. Double jab by Vitali. Left hooks. As Al Bernstein is saying, “He’s getting hit by EVERYTHING from Klitschko.”

Hard right from Klitschko. Peter’s lack of head movement is going to get him a dirt nap. Peter is being taken to boxing school by a real pro. Peter with a right. This ain’t pretty, but it is a Vitali domination for two rounds.

Klitschko 10-9
Klitschko 20-18

She looks like she’s in dire need of some xanax

I have no fucking idea at all what Samuel Peters’ game plan is.

Vitali could do this easy for all 12

Klitschko is just pop-pop-popping away. Vitali is actually holding his face and measuring him a la some Rocky shit. I watched Rocky this morning. No reason. Great movie. Legitimately great movie.

Bowling shoe ugly, this fight.

Peter throws a little, misses, and gets caught a couple times with scoring shots. The most interesting thing going on is this could still end on any one shot at any time from either guy. Or Vitali could pull up lame at any moment.

Klitschko 10-9
Klitschko 30-27

Klitschko lands another sharp right about halfway into the round. First part of the round is another bunch of Klitschko combos and Peter having no answer. Period. He has no answers, no gameplan, and I can’t figure out what he’s trying to do.

Klitschko 10-9
Klitschko 40-36

I just can’t figure Peter out tonight. At all. Vitali is winning with ease. Huge right clips Peter, then Vitali follows with some nice combination punching. He’s staying away, using distance, using his reach advantage, and straight owning Samuel Peter. This isn’t even a contest so far.

There’s a bull rush at the end of the round for Peter, but not enough.

Klitschko 10-9
Klitschko 50-45

Vitali continues to dominate from distance. He’s not really hurting Peter so much, but he’s busting him up a little just because he’s hitting him so much.

This is entirely not the fight I expected or was hoping for. It’s simple boxing execution. Peter has none.

Klitschko 10-9
Klitschko 60-54

This really looks like it’ll go the distance. It looks like I’ll be way wrong about that.

BIG right from Vitali about two minutes into the round. There’s not much to describe that I haven’t described so far. Peter is throwing back a little, but not landing a lot. Peter’s eye doesn’t look too great.

Don King is having a good time on his cell phone.

Klitschko 10-9
Klitschko 70-63

Klitschko with another right that stuns Peter a bit. Uppercut sneaks in underneath Peter’s right hand. Klitschko with a big combo, nothing lands flush. Peter is trying to get a little more aggressive the last few rounds. It’s not really WORKING, but it is making things a little more interesting.

Peter popped again with three shots. Sam Peter is being made to look like a C fighter against a, what, B fighter? At best? It is not so much that Klitschko looks amazing as it is that Peter has been out of his depth against a tall fighter that knows how to keep range.

Klitschko 10-9
Klitschko 80-72

Shakes his head, says, “Stop it.”

That’s that. What a chump performance from Peter tonight. He was not in Vitali’s league.

Vitali Klitschko RTD-8

You had me really worried

Easy money

{GASP}

80-72, 80-72, 79-73

really? who cares?

love that clip where he asks Jones if he has any excuses…hate him otherwise…

Damn

Ten bell for Oscar Suarez. Very classy.

Best in the business.

Dawson moving around the ring, keeping Tarver guessing, keeping Tarver on his toes. Dawson is trying to come inside with quick combos. Trying to double and triple up on the jab. Three-punch combo from Dawson. He’s trying to use his speed to his advantage, which is an obvious idea.

About a minute left. Tarver may well just be feeling Dawson out. Tarver is the guy coming forward, as Bernstein notes, but nothing coming from him. Two jabs and a left from Tarver, all blocked. Right hook from Dawson is blocked. Feel-out round from both guys, with Dawson testing Tarver’s reflexes and Tarver trying to gauge Chad’s speed, I thought.

Dawson 10-9

Bad Chad dominating so far

Tarver is still the guy moving forward, which I greatly respect. Dawson comes in with some nice shots. Dawson with HEAVY shots, but Tarver is not eating those flush, because he’s too good defensively. It’s flashy and makes the crowd ooh and aah, but Tarver gets his respect from me for what he’s good at, and that’s one of them.

Still, all that throwing with nothing back from Tarver doesn’t go in his favor. I kind of like what both guys are doing as far as it being the early stages. But I think what we’re seeing will favor Dawson long-term. He’s showing an ability to throw quick and hard, and Tarver is showing an ability to, like, think about it. A defensive lapse will come.

Dawson 10-9
Dawson 20-18

Tarver opens the round chasing again. This is actually looking like a faster-paced, crisper version of the first fight. Tarver is always coming in and trying here and there, but he’s getting caught and getting caught BIG there with some stiff shots. Dawson just hit Tarver in the ass. Awesome.

Nice uppercut from Tarver. Dawson felt that one. Another hard jab finds its way through Tarver’s gloves, though. NICE combo from Antonio Tarver. That woke Chad up for sure, if that uppercut didn’t. I think Tarver knows for sure that he’s in for a tough test and he’s ready to scrap.

Now Tarver has Dawson covering up, but Chad comes back again. It’s Chad trying to counter punch, with Tarver leading the dance. Still, Chad takes another round, though this one was close. Dawson, despite nice work from Tarver, landed better shots.

Dawson 10-9
Dawson 30-27

Tarver with a big left, Dawson ducks out of it enough, but he didn’t look happy that it happened. Jab from Dawson — he’s popping that through the gloves very nicely. Dawson breaks the guard down again with an authoritative combo.

Trade in the center, and Dawson’s hand speed wins out as he forces Tarver to cover and nothing more. Dawson with a 1-2, Tarver slips most of the impact. Dawson backs Tarver down again, and catches him with another nice combo. Tarver’s getting outclassed by speed when Dawson throws combinations. It’s looking like a foregone conclusion, even though Tarver looks as good as you can expect.

Dawson 10-9
Dawson 40-36

I don’t know if it’s the difference of age but Bad Chad just has way too much spring and power in this fight for Tarver to deal with

Just a bit more

Dawson staggers Tarver with a left, and now he’s getting some steam. Lefts and rights landing. Tarver has few answers right now. He’s not backing down, though, give him credit for that.

Dawson with about five unanswered shots. Then he makes Tarver miss badly on two shots. Dawson is all over him at this point, and Tarver has nothing to combat Dawson’s flurries. Nothing at all. Another nice combo from Dawson.

Dawson misses on a home run right hook. Dawson with another flurry at the bell. He looks sharp. Tarver looks 39.

Dawson 10-9
Dawson 50-45

Tarver is working his ass off to stay in this fight. He’s just old. Here’s a nice combo from Tarver, not landing square but throwing and trying. I like that. I respect what Tarver can do. I’ve said that a couple times, but I feel like I hate on Antonio enough that I should make it clear. I don’t think he SUCKS. Overrated, yes.

Tarver lunges with two shots, misses badly on both. I think he’s aware he needs something very special to beat this young buck. Body shot from Tarver, and Dawson openly talks shit right at him. And he keeps doing it. He’s showing Tarver up, even in a losing round.

Tarver 10-9
Dawson 59-55

Floyd Jr. is in attendance and yelling at the ring.

Dawson coming out firing again this round, and he’s got Tarver on the ropes now, literally and figuratively. When Dawson lets his hands go, all Tarver can do is try to cover up. Dawson is doing more leading this round, and Tarver is befuddled. He’s all over Tarver. I think he took the last round to make Tarver tire himself as much as he could force.

Dawson on the offensive again, with Tarver back on the ropes. Tarver misses wild, twice. Big round for Dawson.

Dawson 10-9
Dawson 69-64

I noticed Pretty Boy Floyd Joy Money Mayweather Sinclair Jr as well

Dawson used some nice body work the last round, which I failed to mention, really. That’s going to further wear on the old man.

Tarver comes out throwing, and Dawson rocks back with quicker, sharper shots. Tarver just cannot do anything when Dawson decides to go offensive. He is clearly out-everythinged against Chad Dawson tonight. i wonder what Antonio’s excuse will be? Did he get drugged again?

Dawson unloading to the body against the ropes, then finishes upstairs. Clipping left from Tarver. That’s about it.

Dawson 10-9
Dawson 79-73

Tarver again comes out trying to establish momentum, which I expect Dawson will cut off quickly. Tarver’s going to press this as much as he can. This is another round where Dawson’s laying back a little, but there’s another beautiful combination capped with a straight left. This round is stealable with 20 seconds left.

Four shots from Chad Dawson. That’ll take it.

Dawson 10-9
Dawson 89-82

Excuse me as I kiss the sky

P4P King of the boxing world?

I love me some Chad but he can’t be serious

Part of me wonders if the crowd will boo if a Dawson decision is announced. The way Dawson’s throwing it might not get there. Dawson with some wicked body shots, and there he is with a triple jab and some power shots after.

If you don’t have a newfound respect for the style and toughness and ability of Glen Johnson now, too, I don’t know what to tell you.

But again, God bless Tarver, who’s trying to fight and isn’t punking out. He’s not clinching, he’s not hiding. He’s there. He’s working. Dawson is just better.

Body shot, uppercut, jab, and a flurry to end the round for Dawson. He’s been dominant.

Dawson 10-9
Dawson 99-91

Or does all of Antonio’s punches seem so tippy tap?

It’s dawning on me that we might be seeing Antonio Tarver’s final fight.

Tarver with a couple shots, Dawson with a bunch. That’s been the difference in a nutshell. It’s deeper than that, but bare bones, that’s been it.

Dawson has again laid low this round. I think he knows he’s got this thingin the bag.

Tarver takes a lot of the round but doesn’t do much impressive, and here’s Dawson finishing the round with a bang. Is that enough to take it? It’s debatable. I say yes. He landed better stuff.

Dawson 10-9
Dawson 109-100

Tarver has the final round here to make some magic. Ain’t gonna happen.

Tarver falls and complains about falling. But he went down. He’s up and OK.

Dawson looks like he wants to flat-out finish this thing. Tarver is doing all he possibly can, but he’s getting caught with the better punches. Tarver’s just letting it fly. Good for him.

I have to say, I love that Tarver is just throwing bombs and trying to complete the hail mary. That’s respectable. And Dawson fires back.

A one-sided, interesting fight. Tarver raises his hands, and I have no idea why.

Dawson 10-8
Dawson 119-108

Bad Chad Dawson

118-109
117-110
117-110

CHAD DAWSON VIA UNANIMOUS DECISION
NEW IBF (AND IBO) LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT TITLIST

Go figure.