Brave Dawson outgunned by Tapia in Macau

 
CHARISMATIC boxer/puncher Glen Tapia finished the usually durable Australian Daniel Dawson in three rounds overnight, in a performance that may go down as his best yet.

 
A one-time straight forward brawler, Tapia, 25, boxed intelligently against Dawson, 37, despite dropping the opening round to the aggressive Australian, who looked to make an impact early.

 
Tapia’s greatest asset in the fight was his patience, as he methodically picked Dawson apart from both close range and from a distance. The New Jersey-based prospect has always held thunderous power in his right hand but was clinical in the way he set up his shots.

 
Dawson’s best moment came in the opening round, where he appeared to rattle the once-beaten prospect on two occasions, both with his lunging overhand right.

 
The West Australian (now 40-5-1, 26 KOs) has never been emphatically beaten as a boxer. Although former WBO light middleweight champion Serhiy Dzinziruk is credited with a knockout win over Dawson, no one has truly stunned Dawson, or even put him away, until Tapia.

 
Despite his promising start, the end was near when Tapia tagged the Australian twice in the opening minute of the third round, with Dawson appearing to lose his equilibrium and balance in his legs.

 
To his credit, the former world title challenger refused to take a knee and the mandatory eight count that follows it, and because of his refusal to back down, Tapia was able to capitalise on a near stationary target.

 
The now Freddie Roach trained pupil showed great intelligence and composure by trapping Dawson into the red corner, before pummelling the kickboxing convert into submission. Referee Mark Nelson called a halt to the fight at 1:42 of the third round.

 
With the win, Tapia makes his first successful defence of his WBO NABO light middleweight title, while winning his third consecutive fight since a violent knockout loss to James Kirkland in 2013.

 
 
Photo: Chris Farina/Top Rank