Worldwide Weekend Results - Dawson Claims Championship, Cleverly Squeaks by Bellew

Los Angeles. California

Chad Dawson TKO2 Bernard Hopkins - This one was an oddball that begs for a rematch, though it may not happen considering both Hopkins's age and the fact that it's unlikely that this pay per view sold well.  Dawson got the win on what was almost universally considered to be an illegal bodyslam.  Whether it was Dawson or Hopkins (or both) who initiated this is up for debate.  A full write-up is available here courtesy of Andrew Fruman.

Antonio DeMarco TKO11 Jorge Linares - In a fight that was marked by solid action, DeMarco came from behind in a fight where, while many rounds were close, Linares had a seemingly insurmountable lead going into the championship rounds.  Notwithstanding Linares's better boxing, DeMarco had battered and bloodied Linares in a war of attrition.  While it's quite clear that Linares has immense talent, I personally class him in a category with guys like Jhonny Gonzalez - if this was the amateurs, he'd be spectacular, but in the pro game, his chin is just going to let him down from time to time.  Both men proved in this one that they're legitimate world-level fighters.

Danny Garcia SD12 Kendall Holt - Former titlist Holt apprised himself well in this bout, but Garcia just had the better stamina and was able to pull out the late rounds to earn the win.  It's hard to tell what this one proves because Holt hadn't looked to hot in the past couple years, but he seemed to mostly be back to his old self in this one.  While Golden Boy is banking on Garcia to be a future name fighter, his style isn't quite exciting enough to build a reputation of making good fights, and it seems he's just not quite good enough to build a following due to his excellence.  While he was able to batter guys like Mike Arnaoutis and the shell of Nate Campbell, this fight together with his razor-thin win over Ashley Theophane seem to say that either he's not quite ready for prime time, or he'll just never get there.

Paulie Malignaggi UD-10 Orlando Lora - Malignaggi looked dominant in this welterweight battle, but it doesn't say much since Lora usually isn't much more than a trial horse.  It's about time to Paulie to take another step up or two in class to prove if he's a legit welterweight.  He'll never have power, but at his best, he has quickness and skill that can give him an advantage.

Freddy Hernandez UD-10 Luis Collazo - Onetime semi-contender Hernandez won a reportedly close but clear decision over former titlist Collazo, who took his first serious fight in almost three years.  While Collazo still gets mentioned in prospective bouts from time to time, this loss together with his reputation as an almost impossible negotiator probably means he's lost all relevance at this point.

Dewey Bozella UD4 Larry Hopkins - His opponent wasn't much, but it's a great story for Bozella, who won his first pro bout as a 52 year old after being exonerated from a crime where he served nearly 30 years before being released from prison.

Liverpool, England

Nathan Cleverly MD Tony Bellew - This was a close fought bout that might be on fight of the year lists for those who like momentum swings and tactical boxing.  Bellew made this a much closer fight than expected, seemingly fighting about even with Cleverly.  Overall, Cleverly was the slightly busier and more accurate boxer, while Bellew tended to land the harder shots in a number of rounds.  At least around the interwebs, as many people seemed to have Bellew winning this one as Cleverly.  In the end, the judges gave it to Cleverly, although Dave Parris's 117-112 scorecard was pretty disgraceful.

James DeGale MD12 Piotr Wilczewski - DeGale claimed a European title in only his 12th pro fight, but he wasn't impressive in this one.  The Pole kept even with him and seemed to bother DeGale whenever he turned on the pressure.  While DeGale has great skills and talent, he seems to be missing that extra heart that tends to make most boxing champions. 

Buenos Aires, Argentina

Celestino Caballero UD12 Jonathan Victor Barros - Pelenchin won a title in his second weight class, defeating Barros in a must-win fight for the former arguable pound for pound entrant.  Reportedly, the fight was close but clear, with long stretches of inaction from both fighters.  Caballero still doesn't have much of a name and has never been super skilled, but he's always been a major risk because of his height and inconsistency.  Despite winning another title, I wouldn't expect the top dogs in the featherweight division to face him anytime soon.

Other Results - Denver Cuello TKO1 Carlos Perez, Marvin Sonsona (fighting for the first time in over a year and a half) UD10 Carlos Jacabo, Johnriel Casimero TKO2 Roemart Sentillas, Billy Joe Saunders TKO1 Norbert Szekeres, Tomoki Kameda TKO7 Jesus Ceja, Hugo Ruiz TKO4 Francisco Arce, Artur Szpilka (a very intriguing heavyweight prospect to watch) RTD3 Owen Beck, BJ Flores UD10 Paul Jennette, Konstantin Airich KO1 Varol Vekiloglu, Michael Perez TKO2 Tyrone Harris, Prawet Singwancha UD12 Kosuke Iwashita, Orlando Cruz KO1 Michael Franco.