Pascal’s power punching the difference in the fight vs. 4-1 favorite Dawson, who didn’t let his hands go enough, averaging just 40 punches thrown per round.

Total Punches Landed / Thrown

Jabs Landed / Thrown

Power Punches Landed / Thrown

Final PunchStat Report                                                          

  Punches  Landed / Thrown

Last night in Montreal, Chad Dawson found himself in the ring for the first time as a professional facing a man younger than he was. Sure, his one-year age "disadvantage" against Jean Pascal isn't a big deal in itself, and it's not like Dawson has made a career of feasting on the bones of withering old men, but in his last four bouts, he'd been not just younger, but much younger. In those fights, he twice faced both Antonio Tarver, who was very faded, and Glen Johnson, older than Tarver but with more in the tank. The first time they met, Dawson was tested by Johnson. The rematch was a different story.

Those fights, along with a win over Tomasz Adamek, the retirement of Joe Calzaghe, and the aging of Bernard Hopkins, vaulted Dawson to the universal top spot in the light heavyweight rankings. But last night, his undefeated record vanished and the cracks in his armor were exploited by a hungry, energetic Jean Pascal, who beat Dawson fairly convincingly in a very good fight that ended on an accidental headbutt just as the fight might have been turning in his favor.

And because he lost, we might now see what Chad Dawson can really be as a fighter. No doubt, his performance last night deserves some criticism, and I'm sure he'll agree. He credited Pascal with fighting a good fight. He said he wants an immediate rematch. If the headbutt hadn't happened, opening a blood-gushing cut on Dawson's eyelid that forced a stoppage in the 11th round, a surging, awoken beast version of Dawson might well have been able to stop Pascal himself, which would have been a great story, and tipped the fight into Fight of the Year contender status, perhaps.

The loss could work one of two ways, in theory. It could be the thing that eats at Chad and lessens him as a fighter, but that's not what I expect. He clearly felt he was trailing on the scorecards starting the 11th round, and went on a blistering attack, wobbling Pascal badly with a beautiful counter left hand that banged the Quebec transplant dead on the chin. That Pascal didn't go down from that shot says something about how tough Pascal is. That he was withstanding a big charge by Dawson was also admirable, and he was fighting back. But Dawson, for the first time all night, had fire in his belly and was going for the gusto. If he was going to lose, he was going to lose throwing everything he had at Pascal.

That tells me that Chad Dawson is going to come back from this loss with a renewed hunger. We've all seen fighters get dreadfully attached to the "0" on their record, to the point where they will avoid tough fights and almost clutch onto the number for dear life. Risks stop being taken by these fighters.

Now, Chad Dawson has no reason to not take the tough fights, and his desire to go right back at Pascal speaks volumes, too. Dawson has always seemed to be a laid-back guy. He's not a big talker, doesn't try to draw attention to himself. He's always been content to let his appreciable skill do the talking for him. He has a rival now, a man to chase down, a loss to avenge. I don't want to say he did it easily or didn't deserve his standing, but he sort of backed into the role of world's best light heavyweight. To get that status back, he'll have to go out and take it.

With the way he came out guns blazing in the 11th round, I expect Chad Dawson to come back strong, intending to prove that he really is the best 175-pound fighter in the game today. No fighter wants to lose, of course, but in the long run, this could make Dawson a better, more well-rounded fighter. When you fight top opponents, sometimes you lose. Chad Dawson is still in the race, though Pascal has taken the lead with a great performance that cements him as one of the best in the world, something you probably couldn't have convinced many fans would ever happen just a couple of years ago.

So while Jean Pascal deserves all congratulations and respect for the best fight of his still-rising career, don't count out Chad Dawson. Not all losses are created equal. This was certainly a loss he has reason to regret, but not one that should make him feel ashamed. It's a reminder that life on top in boxing can be fleeting. One day you're the king, the next day you're looking up at someone else. Dawson should be as hungry now as he was before he fought and beat Adamek in 2007. And if he corrects the mistakes he made last night, he's going to find himself back on top before long.

Chad Dawson lost his undefeated record tonight, victim of an upset from Jean Pascal on the road in Montreal. Pascal outpointed Dawson on a technical decision after 11 rounds, when an accidental headbutt ripped open Dawson's eyelid. Official scores were 106-103 (twice) and 108-101, all for Pascal, who fought the best fight of his career. Bad Left Hook had it 107-103 for Pascal.

Pascal (26-1, 16 KO) used some effective charges, huge bursts of energy, and was helped by a shaky early performance from Dawson (29-1, 17 KO), who seemed to come into the fight very tight. It was Pascal's constant energy that looked better and won rounds, against Dawson's tentative nature and lack of output.

But Dawson, who was hurt himself during the bout, had Pascal reeling before the heads came together. We'll always wonder if Dawson, who was finally unleashing punches in bunches, might not have stopped Pascal and given us a stunning finish that could've lifted this from being a very good to a great fight.

After the bout, Pascal said he'd fight whoever, including Lucian Bute, and Dawson said he has a rematch clause, and that he'll exercise it. I can't wait for the rematch if that's what's going to come. It's still, in my view, the two best light heavyweights in the world, and they both had their moments. Dawson admitted he was outfoxed, but felt he could have stopped Pascal. He may well be right. I'd actually expect a rematch to be a better fight, given how much they learned about each other tonight.

Pascal is now the Ring Magazine light heavyweight world champion, and also picked up Dawson's IBO trinket to add to his WBC belt with the win. Congratulations to Jean Pascal, who will now be universally regarded as the best light heavyweight in the world, and deservedly so.

It's a one-fight night tonight on HBO World Championship Boxing, but it's a significant bout. The vacant Ring Magazine light heavyweight world championship is on the line at the always-rabid Bell Centre in Montreal, as Jean Pascal takes on undefeated Chad Dawson. The show will start at 10:30pm EDT, and Bad Left Hook will be here with round-by-round updates and commentary. Join us to crown a new world champion, as we continue to ignore Zsolt Erdei's legitimate claim to being the real world champion at 175.

JEAN PASCAL		CHAD DAWSON "Bad"
	Main Event

Dawson ready to become force at light heavyweight (AP)
"This is my country, my town and my belt," said the Haiti-born Pascal, who now lives in Laval, Quebec. "I hope Chad Dawson is coming to fight like a champion, but if he thinks he is going to run like a chicken and leave with my title, he is making a big mistake."

Chad Dawson invades Montreal (ESPN)
Larry Merchant boldly predicts this fight won't be quite as exciting as the 1958 Montreal clash between Archie Moore and Yvon Durelle, which had seven knockdowns. Merchant will call the fight with Jim Lampley and Emanuel Steward.

Meet the new, improved Jean Pascal (The Montreal Gazette)
Lucian Bute's trainer Stephane Larouche offers this thought: "I think they're talking too much about what comes after tomorrow. They should be careful, Jean Pascal will offer a lot better competition than they may be expecting." John Scully also warns Dawson to not take Pascal lightly. Scully trained Dawson in the past and has sparred with Pascal. He does pick Dawson: "He's just a different species. His height, his range, and his boxing ability are a lot for anybody to overcome."

Chad Dawson fights Jean Pascal on Saturday for light heavyweight title (Sports Illustrated)
Chris Mannix theorizes that Chad Dawson isn't popular because he doesn't take risks. He also names Shane Mosley as a fighter with popularity equal to Pacquiao, Cotto and Bute, which is debatable at the least, and ignores that Floyd Mayweather Jr. exists and also doesn't often look for knockouts but is the biggest money player in boxing. Dawson: "I'm just not that type of fighter."

Chad Dawson fights Jean Pascal on Saturday for light heavyweight title (Sports Illustrated)
Chris Mannix theorizes that Chad Dawson isn't popular because he doesn't take risks. He also names Shane Mosley as a fighter with popularity equal to Pacquiao, Cotto and Bute, which is debatable at the least, and ignores that Floyd Mayweather Jr. exists and also doesn't often look for knockouts but is the biggest money player in boxing. Dawson: "I'm just not that type of fighter."

2 peak fighters + 1 big crowd = ? (CBC)
Chris Iorfida is picking Pascal because he's met more resistance from Silvio Branco and Adrian Diaconu than Dawson has against Antonio Tarver and Glen Johnson recently.

Chad Dawson-Jean Pascal Preview (The Cruelest Sport)
Carlos Acevedo feels that Dawson, who is fighting a younger man for the first time in his entire pro career, may have some trouble early on with Pascal's speed.

Korner man: Dawson enters hostile territory versus Pascal (Covers)
Evan Korn looks at the judges as well as the matchup, and like most is picking Dawson.

Q&A: Jean Pascal (fightnews.com)
Pascal says his shoulder is not an issue.

This Saturday night on HBO World Championship Boxing, Jean Pascal and Chad Dawson meet to determine the new Ring Magazine light heavyweight world champion. They are near-universally ranked as the top two light heavyweights in the sport today.

Light Heavyweights - 12 Rounds
Jean Pascal v. Chad Dawson

Though these two are in fact regarded as the top two at 175, Dawson (29-0, 17 KO) is the heavy favorite. Both have been out of the ring for a while, but for different reasons. The 28-year-old Dawson hasn't fought since last November, when he routed Glen Johnson in a performance so dull and safety-first that it got him booed in his home state of Connecticut by the end of the fight.

Pascal (25-1, 16 KO) last fought in December, beating Adrian Diaconu for a second time in 2009, and aggravating an old shoulder injury to the point that he required surgery. Dawson and Pascal were talking about a June fight, but Pascal's team decided to postpone it until August, so that he could be 100%, or as close to it as possible.

Pascal was already giving up a bit against Dawson. To break it down as simply as possible, Pascal is going to have to win this fight on grit and a bit of luck. Dawson is taller, has a big reach advantage, and knows how to use it. I don't think there is anyone who would consider Pascal a better pure boxer than Dawson, either. "Bad" Chad uses his natural skills as well as anyone in the sport this side of They Who Shall Not Be Named Right Now Because Enough Already. He's also been into the fire and tested in his first fight with Glen Johnson, and whether you think he deserved the W that night or not (I scored it a draw myself), he learned from that fight. He's also been rocked and floored by Tomasz Adamek, and survived that with a dominant win -- the last time anyone beat Adamek, now a top five heavyweight.

The Haitian-born Pascal has been in dogfights. In his last fight at 168, he battled tooth-and-nail with Carl Froch, losing a tight decision. Since then, he's gone 4-0 overall, and 3-0 at light heavyweight, with two wins over Diaconu in good fights and a win over Silvio Branco between.

But he has never faced someone with the pure skill and ability of Chad Dawson. Dawson, on the other hand, has been in with good pressure fighters, though neither Johnson nor Adamek have the athletic ability that Pascal possesses.

Dawson is promising a more action-friendly approach than he had last time out, but Rocky Juarez promises every time that he's going to start fighting before the final two rounds, too. In other words, I'll believe it when I see it. Dawson had such an easy night last time with the very safe approach that it's hard to imagine him trying to brawl with Pascal, who's probably better in that realm than Dawson. Chances are, Dawson uses his jab, uses his length, uses his feet, and stays out of the fire against Pascal. Pascal, if he's as physically fit as he needs to be, absolutely has to get Dawson to fight his fight. He cannot outbox Chad Dawson. He can't even keep up with him if he can't catch him. If Dawson has his way, this fight, as good and significant as it is on paper, won't be close. And I expect Dawson to have his way, but I'll admit I'm hoping for Pascal to make things exciting. Dawson UD-12

Angulo turns down fight with Sergio Martinez | Boxing Scene

Alfredo "El Perro" Angulo has reportedly turned down an offer of at least $750,000 to face Sergio Martinez for the world middleweight title.  ESPN is reporting that the offer may have been as high as $1 million.  This is getting a little absurd for an up-and-comer trying to make a name for himself.  First, Angulo vacated his interim title so he wouldn't have to face full titlist Sergei Dzinziruk, and now he's turning down career high paydays to face the true middleweight champion.  Angulo claims he just wanted to be treated fairly.  Both promoter Gary Shaw and manager Mike Criscio are on record saying that they think Angulo should have taken the offer.  This seems to reopen the door for a Williams-Martinez rematch.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. Disappoints | ESPN

It's incredible just how much the mainstream media has turned on Floyd Mayweather Jr.  This article is by Scoop Jackson, long one of Mayweather's biggest public supporters, very publicly jumping off the bandwagon for not making a fight with Manny Pacquiao.   The fight falling apart certainly isn't all Mayweather's fault, but you wouldn't know it if you were just following the coverage of the negotiations in ESPN, Sports Illustrated, Yahoo and other major media outlets.

A look back at Moreno-Cermeno I | The Boxing Bulletin

Andrew Fruman does the classic round by round treatment for the first fight between Anselmo Moreno and Nehomar Cermeno, in which Moreno got the extremely tight decision in a highly contested bout.  Not many people had the chance to see the first fight, since it wasn't available by live streaming (which the rematch is), so this is worth a read if you plan on checking out this weekend's rematch.

Dzinziruk-Berto-Caballero triple-header may be in the works | Fanhouse

HBO is exploring the possibility of putting on a triple-header of title fights in October.  None of the fights stand out on their own, but with three good fighters, it might be worth tuning in.  Sergei Dzinziruk would likely face Luis Collazo, as mentioned previously by Scott, in Collazo's first bout at 154.  Berto's possible opponents include Andriy Kotelnik, who many thought beat Devon Alexander last weekend, and Cornelius Bundrage, who won a title at 154 pounds with a victory over Cory Spinks last weekend.  Caballero's opponent hasn't been publicly discussed, although there are rumblings that his camp is in negotiations with Jason Litzau.  The proposed card would be at the Brooklyn Mets' minor league stadium in Coney Island.

Leapai stops Beck in the 6th | Fight News

As usual, Beck started decently enough but started to have trouble after a few rounds.  Leapai is a fun, aggressive fighter, and with his current streak of wins over faded former contenders, maybe he'll start to get a higher profile.  He fights Danny Williams in a month, and if he gets past Williams and Cris Arreola gets past Manuel Quezada tomorrow night, I'd love to see a fight between Leapai and Arreola, which could really bring some fireworks. 

Pascal has a unique opportunity | CBC

With Glen Johnson losing this past weekend, the fight between Chad Dawson and Jean Pascal might also be for the lineal light heavyweight championship, if you believe that Zsolt Erdei vacated when he moved up to cruiserweight, or if you believe that Erdei was never the champ to begin with.  If Pascal wins, he'll be the first Canadian to arguably win a lineal title on Canadian soil.  Gary Shaw goes on to mention that he'd like to turn Montreal into Dawson's new 'home town', and that the bout he's looking to set up between Dawson and Lucian Bute would be at a catchweight of 172 pounds, for the light heavyweight title only.  Bute will reportedly be sitting ringside, and probably will have great interest in facing the winner, whoever it may be. 

Cotto-Chavez at MSG, proposed for December 4 | Dan Rafael's Twitter

Let's hope Rafael keeps positng as many juicy tidbits as he has in his first few days with the account (which is confirmed by Rafael as real).  Probably the most significant tweet up to this point is that Bob Arum is putting the finishing touches on a December 4 pay-per-view bout between Miguel Cotto and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., to take place in Madison Square Garden.  He also mentioned that Peter Manfredo Jr. has been signed to a promotional contract with Lou DiBella.  Considering the lack of depth in the middleweight division at the moment, there are a ton of good fights that could be made with Manfredo. 

Hasim Rahman comes to Norfolk | WAVY.com

Rahman continues to take light touches while on his comeback trail.  He was badly beaten by Wladimir Klitschko in late 2008, and has been slowly stepping up his competition from scrub to gatekeeper since then.  He'll be taking on Damon Reed this weekend, who should get Rahman some rounds but little else.  Unfortunately, Rahman has been back in the 260 pound range lately, which sort of shows he's not taking this comeback all that seriously.  Maybe he should focus more on helping his son launch his amateur career. 

Dawson-Pascal ignites the search for more real champions | Ring Blog

I'll be doing a full piece on how the Ring ratings and titles work in the near future, but Eric Raskin just about did my job for me here. He runs through what would need to happen in each weight class without a Ring titlist for that vacant title to be filled. Most interesting is 140, where Devon Alexander dropped from #2 to #3 with his less than convincing win over Andriy Kotelnik, Raskin says that, if that fight is made, the magazine will reach out to the voting panel for their input. In certain circumstances, a #1 vs. #3 fight can be for the title, but it can mess things up a bit since then the Ring champ can be different from the lineal champ. Heck, right now there are 5 Ring champs, but they don't recognize one lineal champ, one Ring champ isn't a lineal champ, and one of the Ring champs didn't become Ring champ until almost a decade after he became lineal champ.

Antonio Margarito and the Handwrap Issue | Seconds Out

Thomas Hauser makes about as solid of a pro-Margarito argument as one can make. In a nutshell, if you believe the testimony at the hearings, Capetillo made an honest mistake that Margarito wouldn't have known about, and "elements of sulphur and calcium" could just be ingredients in salves and hand creams. It's basically a 'he said, she said' argument. If you believe Margarito and Capetillo, then Margarito's punishment was right on the money, or maybe even on the harsh side. If you don't, then you probably feel he should be banned for life. But Hauser makes a pretty good case as to why Margarito's story might be more believable than it looks at first glance.

Evander Holyfield-Sherman Williams Slated For Nov. 5 | Bad Left Hook

Let me just echo the sentiment that Evander Holyfield just shouldn't be fighting anymore.  He's 48 years old.  He clearly has neurological damage already.  Whether he's facing a sturdy journeyman or not, the NYSAC had the right idea a half decade ago when they denied him a license.  I can't tell another man how to live, but how's this - rather than threatening your own livelihood for our entertainment, try taking a small step back in your own livelihood.  Not everyone lives in a 100 room mansion.  You really don't need to either.

Donovan "Razor" Ruddock To Make Ring Return In October? | East Side Boxing

I guess you can add him to the list of comebacking '80's heavyweights who shouldn't be anywhere near the ring. The reason for the comeback isn't clear, although for a while Ruddock tried to remake himself as a George Foreman-style pitchman without too much success.

Former Showtime executive Jay Larkin, 59, dies of brain cancer | ESPN

Jay Larkin, once one of the most powerful people in the boxing industry as head of the franchise for Showtime, died Monday after a long battle with brain cancer. He was 59.

Meza-Clay vs. Litzau Aug 28 | Fight News

So it's not the biggest news in the world, but it's nice to see that Roy Jones is still promoting fight cards that he's not actually fighting on. Coming off his victory over Rocky Juarez, Jason Litzau tries to stay on the winning track against Monty Meza-Clay. Also on the card, fellow Square Ring veteran Derrick Gainer will take on Angel Hernandez.

Latimore Sends a Message: Wants Vanes To Step Up | BoxingScene.com

Deandre Latimore (21-3, 17 KO) is attempting to answer a challenge from Vanes Martirosyan (28-0, 17 KO), who is trying to call out the top dogs at 154 pounds. I actually like that as a fight for both of them, since Martirosyan has been underwhelming in wins this year over Kassim Ouma and Joe Greene. I would favor the more accomplished Martirosyan, but Latimore would be no pushover for him. I do not think Martirosyan is ready for Miguel Cotto or Paul Williams, which is the level of competition he's trying to get into the ring. [Note: write-up by Scott]

Brooklyn's Barclays Center deal has rankled some feathers | Sports Illustrated

Chris Mannix takes a look at the recently announced deal between Golden Boy and the Barclays Center, where Golden Boy will put on three fight cards a year in the new arena. One aspect of the deal that wasn't focused on is that, evidently, the deal is an exclusive with Golden Boy, and other boxing promoters won't be able to put on fight cards at the new arena. That has some promoters miffed, most notably Lou DiBella, who puts on quite a few shows in the New York City area, and presumably would have liked to have options between that venue and Madison Square Garden to get the place with the better rates.

There are a lot of potentially great fights going on this weekend, but unfortunately, most of them are scheduled to happen at about the same time.   

Thursday, August 12

Fox Sports 3 (Australia), 5:30 a.m. Eastern, Alex Leapai vs. Owen Beck.  Fresh off his questionable win over Travis Walker, Leapai is taking on former title challenger but recent patsy Owen "What the Heck" Beck.  His last couple fights, Beck was fairly out of shape, gassing out against Manuel Charr and then getting schooled by Tony Thompson.  Leapai is keeping a busy schedule, hoping to take on Danny Williams in a month as he continues to position himself for a shot at the Commonwealth heavyweight title.

Friday, August 13

ESPN2, 9:00 p.m. Eastern, Cris Arreola vs. Manuel Quezada, Josesito Lopez vs. Marvin Cordova Jr.  After losing two of his last three fights, Arreola is at somewhat of a crossroads.  It's plain for all to see that he has talent, but he just doesn't take training seriously enough, although that fact seems to be lost on Arreola himself.  This bout pits against each other the two best heavyweights of Mexican descent.  Quezada was ranked for a while after upsetting Travis Walker (before his recent string of losses), but he was upset by journeyman Jason Gavern his last time out.  Both fighters like to come forward and bang, so it could be a fun one.  It's the kind of fight Arreola should win even if he doesn't take things too seriously, but his shape for the fight could tell us a lot about whether he's getting serious about his career, or if he's still more focused on drinking beer and eating burritos than trying to actually become a world class fighter. Lopez and Cordova are both fringe contender types, and the winner of their fight might take a step forward into full contender status. 2008 Olympian Shawn Estrada is also slated to fight on the undercard, so don't be too shocked if you get to see him fight as well, or instead of the Lopez fight. 

Telemundo, 11:30 p.m. Eastern, Jesus Pabon vs. Ernesto Zepeda.  Pabon, once a popular Puerto Rican prospect, steps back into action after a year and a half off.  He's fighting for a minor trinket against rugged Mexican journeyman Zepeda in his first bout scheduled to go more than 6 rounds.

Telefutura, 11:30 p.m. Eastern, Eloy Perez vs. Derrick Campos.  17-0 Perez struggled a bit against a gatekeeper his last time out.  He's taking a step back against Campos, who is best known for giving Dmitry Salita a marginally tough time on the Calzaghe-Jones undercard, but who's lost to just about every decent fighter he's ever faced.

Saturday, August 14

TVMax (Panama), 9:00 p.m. Eastern, Anselmo Moreno vs. Nehomar Cermeno II, Gennady Golovkin vs. Milton Nunez, Luis Concepcion vs. Wilfrido Vazquez, Alberto Mosquera vs. Nilson Lara.  Moreno-Cermeno is a clash of two top five fighters in one of the stronger weight classes in boxing at the moment.  In their first bout, Moreno won a tight but disputed decision in Cermeno's home country of Venezuela.  Now, the rematch is happening in Panama, where both fighters live and have somewhat of a fan base.  The local promoters have pulled out all the stops for this one.  Golovkin, who was supposed to make his American TV debut last week, will be facing Nunez for an interim middleweight title.  The winner (almost certainly Golovkin, who is one of the bright rising stars in the division) will need to face Hassan N'Dam N'Jikam (also a bright rising star) next for the full vacant title.  Concepcion is keeping busy with an easier defense of his interim flyweight title before facing full titlist Denkaosan Kaovichit in a couple months.  Mosquera is one of Panama's top prospects.  This card is available via live, legal stream at http://www.tvmax-9.com/live_deportes.asp. 

Fox Sports Net, Fox Sports Espanol, 10:00 p.m. Eastern, Ji Hoon Kim vs. Miguel Vazquez, Mikey Garcia vs. Cornelius Lock.  If you had the choice to watch any of the three major cards going on in this time slot and your sole criteria for making your decision was whether the fights will be exciting, then you'd probably choose this card over Dawson-Pascal or Moreno-Cermeno.  Kim is an awkward South Korean banger with weak fundamentals but a huge right hand.  Since starting his career with five losses in his first 13 fights, he's won his last 13 in a row, all but one by knockout, including some decent scalps like Koba Gogoladze and Zolani Marali.  Vazquez is more of a boxer than the typical Mexican fighter, but the former Antonio Margarito sparring partner has really taken off since moving down from welterweight to lightweight.  He upset Breidis Prescott his last time out, and his three losses all came to Saul Alvarez and Timothy Bradley (and he's the only fighter to so much as win a card Alvarez).  The two will battle for a vacant lightweight title.  Garcia is one of Top Rank's blue chip prospects, taking a pretty major step up against Lock, who can box a little and bang a little, and who rarely makes a bad fight.  Garcia-Lock is an eliminator for the IBF #1 ranking at featherweight. 

Televisa (Mexico), 10:00 p.m. Eastern, Donnie Nietes vs. Mario Rodriguez.  Nietes is defending his minimumweight title against Rodriguez, who's 10-5-3 overall and has drawn twice in his last three bouts against less than overwhelming competition.  The sad part is that it isn't the world's worst defense, when you consider who else is available.  How's this - why not just eliminate the 105 pound weight class?  There just aren't enough decent fighters at the smaller weights for both 105 and 108 to be competitive at the same time.  Sure, that might mean you'd have some naturally tiny guys like Ivan Calderon fighting a few pounds over their optimal weight, but so what?  Eliminating the weight class would mean there would usually be decent competition at 108, and fighters at 105 generally seem to alternate between fighting there and at 108 at will anyway.  Of course, because it would mean less revenues for the ABCs, it will never actually happen.

Cadena Tres (Mexico), 10:00 p.m. Eastern, Felipe Rivas vs. Armando Vazquez.  A minimumweight fight between a guy who's 7-7 and a guy who's lost his last two fights, and it's for a minor trinket.  Seriously, just eliminate this weight class.

HBO, 10:30 p.m. Eastern, Chad Dawson vs. Jean Pascal.  The big fight of the weekend will be for the Ring Magazine light heavyweight title.  While Dawson generally isn't that fan-friendly, Pascal is one of the more exciting big men out there, and this fight has some sleeper potential to be a good one.  You can't actually say that the bout is for the true world championship - Zsolt Erdei unfortunately still holds that moniker.  Still, with Glen Johnson losing this past weekend, it's a fight between the consensus #1 and #2 light heavyweights in the world, and championship be damned, the winner deserves to be called the best light heavyweight in the world.  Bad Left Hook will have live round by round coverage of this bout.

Elsewhere in the world of boxing...

• There are a couple of interesting fights happening on the Kim-Vazquez undercard, and depending on the timing of the main bouts, viewers may get to see a bit of them.  Mike Lee, the former Notre Dame boxing club champ, will be taking his second pro fight.  Maybe they're just selling an image, but Bob Arum seems to really like the kid, so maybe he's someone to watch out for.  In another supporting bout, Hekkie Budler will make his US boxing debut, facing journeyman Evaristo Primero after winning two questionable decisions in a row over Juanito Rubillar.
• In case you needed another reason to completely discount the stupid WBC Silver title, they've sanctioned a bout between 14-4 Ganigan Lopez and Juan Palacios, who lost his last fight in a close one to full titlist Oleydong Sithsamerchai, for the minimumweight silver title.  Also fighting on the card, Gamaliel Diaz will face Pedro Navarette in what looks like an entertaining fight on paper.
• Also in smaller bouts this weekend: Hasim Rahman, Hernan Hugo Garay, Tim Bell, Raul Garcia, Carlos Molina, Eric Fields, Dierry Jean and "You can't spell 'why bother' without" Whyber Garcia.

The Ring reports that Jean Pascal will get his shot at Chad Dawson and have home field advantage in Montreal, with HBO televising the fight on August 14. Previous dates in discussion were June 19, July 17 and July 24. The August date was confirmed by Dawson's promoter, Gary Shaw.

Pascal and Dawson, both 27, come in riding different waves. Both are hot right now, but Dawson's domination of Glen Johnson looked even better once Johnson got back into the ring in early February and took Yusaf Mack apart. Pascal, meanwhile, will be coming off of shoulder surgery, one of the reasons the fight kept getting pushed back. He battled through the injury to defeat Adrian Diaconu for the second time in December.

Shaw putting Dawson into the fire against one of the division's best in Montreal shows some real guts as a promoter. Dawson simply has not drawn anywhere, even in his own backyard in Connecticut, where he drew a soft house against Glen Johnson in their November rematch. Dawson's safe performance was also booed by his home-state fans.

Pascal, born in Haiti, is based out of Montreal and has become one of the city's most popular fighters, along with Romanian-born Lucian Bute.

Pascal's WBC belt will be on the line. Dawson won the body's interim title in the Johnson rematch, but has shown zero attachment to title belts in the past, giving up the WBC and IBF titles out of the ring to chase bigger fights. HBO will televise.