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Chad Dawson-George Blades on Robert Guerrero-Yoshihiro Kamegai card

Fighters Network
11
Jun

Former RING and WBC light heavyweight champion Chad Dawson will return to the ring against George Blades on June 21 at StubHub Center in Carson, Calif., according to matchmaker Eric Gomez, vice president at Golden Boy Promotions.

The southpaw Dawson (31-3, 17 knockouts), 31, of New Haven, Conn., will face Blades (23-5, 16 KOs) in a bout that will precede two-division titlewinner Devon Alexander (25-2, 14 KOs) in a welterweight clash against Jesus Soto Karass (28-9-3, 18 KOs); featherweights Gary Russell Jr. (24-0, 14 KOs) and Vasyl Lomachenko (1-1, 1 KO) in a battle for the WBO's vacant featherweight belt and former titleholder Robert Guerrero (31-2-1, 18 KOs) in a 147-pound return opposite Yoshihiro Kamegai (24-1-1, 21 KOs).

The match-ups after Dawson's will be televised as a Showtime tripleheader.

In March, Dawson signed with Al Haymon, joining an impressive stable of fighters including Floyd Mayweather Jr., Marcos Maidana, Adrien Broner and Paulie Malignaggi.



Dawson has suffered consecutive stoppage losses in the 10th and first rounds, respectively, to RING super middleweight champion Andre Ward and Adonis Stevenson, who won Dawson's RING and WBC light heavyweight championships. Prior to facing Stevenson, Dawson earned a majority decision win over Bernard Hopkins to become RING and WBC champ.

Dawson also owns wins over Antonio Tarver and Glen Johnson (twice each), Tomasz Adamek and Adrian Diaconu, and has a loss by 11th-round technical decision to ex-beltholder Jean Pascal in August 2010. Dawson dropped to 168 to face Ward, who dropped him three times in September 2012, before falling to Stevenson last June.

The June 21 card will also feature 2012 Olympian heavyweight Dominic Breazeale (10-0, 9 KOs) will face Devin Vargas (18-3, 7 KOs); lightweight Sharif Bogere (24-1, 16 KOs) is being matched against Hector Velasquez (56-21-3, 38 KOs) and heavyweight Michael Hunter (4-0, 3 KOs) will face Jerry Forrest (7-1, 6 KOS).

In fights against opponents to be determined, light heavyweight Vyacheslav Shabranskyy (8-0, 7 KOs), lightweight Jeffrey Fontanez (15-0, 11 KOs), junior welterweight Mark Anthony Hernandez (1-0) and welterweight Fabian Maidana (in his pro debut) will also appear on the card.

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