Stevenson topples Dawson with huge punch

Dan Rafael

Adonis Stevenson stopped Chad Dawson with a left hook in the first round to take the WBC light-heavyweight title on Saturday night.

Adonis Stevenson fells Chad Dawson © AP

Stevenson (21-1), from nearby Longueuil, sent a crushing left to Dawson's temple less than two minutes into the scheduled 12-round bout. Dawson (31-3-0) got up, but referee Richard Griffin stopped the fight.

Stevenson, who was fighting at home and moving up in weight from super-middleweight to light-heavyweight to challenge Dawson, erased him with a single, massive left cross in the first round to win the fight and the light heavyweight championship of the world.

It was a spectacular shot that we'll see replayed for the rest of Stevenson's career and beyond. It was the kind of knockout that makes people jump out of their seat in the arena and off the couch in their living room

Stevenson became the only Canadian to currently hold a world title.

"I caught him, and that's a beautiful punch," Stevenson said to HBO's Max Kellerman during his postfight interview.

To Dawson's credit, he managed to get up on unsteady legs at the count of six, but he was in bad shape. When he wobbled backward, referee Michael Griffin called off the fight, igniting the joyous celebration.

"It was a punch I didn't see. He caught me. That's it. He caught me with a good punch," Dawson, who seemed like he was in shock after dropping to 1-2 at the Bell Centre, said.

On the undercard, Yuriorkis Gamboa unanimously outpointed Darleys Perez to win the interim WBA lightweight title. Gamboa (23-0), the 2004 Olympic champion from Cuba who now lives in Miami, floored Perez (28-1) with a left hook in the first round and received winning scores of 116-111, 115-112 and 115-112.

Source: www.espn.co.uk/boxing/sport/story/211405.html

Stevenson stops Dawson in 1st to take title

MONTREAL (AP) -- Adonis Stevenson stopped Chad Dawson with a left hook in the first round to take the WBC light heavyweight title Saturday night.

Stevenson (21-1), from nearby Longueuil, sent a crushing left to Dawson's temple less than 2 minutes into the scheduled 12-round bout. Dawson (31-3-0) got up, but referee Richard Griffin stopped the fight.

Stevenson became the only Canadian to currently hold a world title.

Dawson, from New Haven, Conn., took the title last year from Bernard Hopkins.

On the undercard, Yuriorkis Gamboa unanimously outpointed Darleys Perez to win the interim WBA lightweight title. Gamboa (23-0), the 2004 Olympic champion from Cuba who now lives in Miami, floored Perez (28-1) with a left hook in the first round and received winning scores of 116-111, 115-112 and 115-112.

Source:  sports.yahoo.com/news/stevenson-stops-dawson-1st-title-035511501--box.html