Hopkins and Dawson in rematch
Bernard Hopkins will defend his WBC title against Chad Dawson on April 28.
Hopkins, at 47 the oldest champion in boxing history, and fellow-American Dawson will meet in a rematch in Atlantic City.
When they fought for the WBC light-heavyweight title in Los Angeles last October, the bout ended in the second round when Dawson lifted Hopkins and slammed him into the canvas.
Hopkins suffered a dislocated joint connecting his left shoulder and collarbone and has yet to resume full training.
Referee Pat Russell awarded the fight to Dawson, saying no foul had been committed, but the result was overturned to a no-decision at a December hearing and the WBC ordered a title rematch.
Last May, Hopkins defeated Canadian Jean Pascal by unanimous decision to take the title. The two had fought to a controversial draw in December of 2010.
Hopkins, who turned 47 last week, has a record of 52-5, with two drawn and 32 knockouts. Dawson's record is 30-1 with 17 knockouts.
NAMIBIAN TO FIGHT BURNS
RON JACKSON reports that former WBA “regular” lightweight champion Paulus Moses, 33, from Namibia will challenge Scotland’s Ricky Burns for the WBO interim lightweight belt in Glasgow on March 10.
And Audley Harrison will resume his career when he fights Ali Adams at the Brentwood Centre in London on April 14.
The former British heavyweight hope, now 41, will have his first fight since November 2010 when he was stopped in three rounds by David Haye in a challenge for the WBA heavyweight belt.
Harrison won a gold medal at the 2000 Olympics but never lived up to expectations as a professional.
Orlando Salido will defend his WBO featherweight title against Juan Manuel Lopez in a rematch that has been set for March 10 in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
IBF middleweight champion Daniel Geale is scheduled to defend his title against Osmanu Adama of Ghana in a double-header in Hobart, Tasmania, on March 7.
The other title bout is between IBF featherweight champion Billy Dib and Eduardo Escobedo.
George Groves is set to defend his British and Commonwealth super-middleweight titles against Kenny Anderson at the Wembley Arena in London on March 16.
Britain’s Matthew Macklin takes on Sergio Martinez from Argentina in a middleweight clash in Madison Square Garden, New York, on March 17.
Yota Sato (23-2-1; 12) from Japan will challenge Thailand’s Suriyan Sor Rungvisai (20-4-1; 7) for his WBC super-flyweight belt in Tokyo on March 27.
IBF super-featherweight champion Juan Carlos Salgado (24-1-1; 16) is scheduled to defend his title against fellow-Mexican Martin Honorio in April at a venue still to be announced.
Cuban Joel Casamayor, 40, has been stripped of his licence by the Nevada Athletic Commission after testing positive for a banned substance after his fight against Timothy Bradley in November last year.
In a special feature in Boxing News , Bob Mee wrote that there were 1 162 fights for some or other “world” belt in 2011.
The WBC offered 458 title bouts, the WBO 260, the WBA 207 and the IBF 122. The IBO held 44 of the other title fights.