On this day, Jean Pascal defeated Chad Dawson in a light heavyweight unification bout that had overtunes of Chad Dawson's arrogance, and taking Pascal lightly.
The bout which was the third title defense for Jean Pascal as defended his WBC light heavyweight title, as Dawson and his coach Eddie Mustafa Muhammad, felt the outcome was inevitable despite going to Montreal, Pascal's hometown for the bout. The bout will forever be remembered for Dawson fighting at his own pace and on his own schedule. Dawson took his time getting going in the fight.
The bout is remembered as one that most see it is as the following. Pascal outworked a very slow-starting Dawson before Dawson began to amp up and have great rounds late in the bout. The fight was ended in the eleventh round, when Dawson and was cut from a headbutt and they went to the scorecards.
Heading into the bout, Dawson was two-to-one favorite.
The judges scored the bout 108-101 and 106-103 (twice), all for Pascal, who upset Dawson.
It was a frustrating fight as Dawson displayed talent, but didn't ever 'leave it all on the line', and took a cautious approach. That approach seemingly cost him in this fight.
The fight sums up the key flaw of Chad Dawson's career the inability to change his fight in the middle of a bout. Dawson was very good at what he did, and not one willing to leave what he preffered to do. Against Pascal, Andre Ward and Adonis Stevenson...they provided moments in which an adjustment needed to be made - but it wasn't. This was the foreshadowing to the future.
On the hand, Pascal was a great overachiever. A fighter, who shouldn't have gone as far as he did. Pascal had the will that Dawson always seemingly lacked and this was one of many fights Pascal would come in and win, when a lot of people doubted him.
