Written by Scott Swerbinsky

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The two best light heavyweights in the world will be squaring off tonight in Las Vegas.  "Bad" Chad Dawson will step in with Antonio Tarver in what figures to be a very entertaining fight.  Before that is a clash of top ranked heavyweight contenders, as Samuel Peter takes on Wladimir Klitscko's brother Vitali.  Both fights are on Showtime Saturday night, and mu cuz previews both beefs for us here on The Cleveland Fan. The two best light heavyweights in the world will be squaring off tonight in Las Vegas.  "Bad" Chad Dawson will step in with Antonio Tarver in what I expect to be a very entertaining fight.

Dawson comes in undefeated at 26-0 with 17 knockout wins. The last time we saw him, he was in the fight of his life against the gritty veteran, Glen Johnson.  He escaped with a unanimous decision that many people, including myself, had him losing. That matchup will only make Dawson better as his career goes on, Johnson has a way of making a lot of fighters look bad. Other than Johnson, there aren't too many household names on Dawson's resume.

Antonio Tarver has fought much better competition and that might be the difference tonight. Tarver comes in at 27-4 with 17 of those wins by way of knockout. Among his victims are Glen Johnson, Clinton Woods, and Roy Jones Jr. twice. At age 39, this might be Tarver's last hoorah. He plans on making the most out of it and is telling anyone who would listen that Dawson isn't ready for the step up in competition.

Chad Dawson is a very likable humble fighter. He isn't one to run his mouth and do a lot of thrash talking. Tarver, on the other hand, loves to get under people's skin.  He has accomplished his goal of irritating the younger Dawson.

There is only one way to settle the argument of who the better fighter is. When the bell rings, the better man will come out on top.

I look for Chad Dawson's speed to be the biggest factor in the matchup tonight. He is heavy handed and a very solid counter puncher. If he is able to back Tarver into a corner and unload some of his power shots, he might just end the fight early. His confidence will grow as the fight goes on.

The biggest question about Dawson is his chin. We have seen him hurt before against much lesser opponents than Tarver. If Antonio is able to put together combinations, he might just be the first guy to defeat Dawson.

Both guys come in with a lot to prove tonight. Dawson wants to show that he is legit and should be considered among the elite fighters in the world. Tarver plans to fight for a little while longer and wants to show observers that he hasn't lost a step.

Let's get these two in the ring to settle the debate.

There is a heavyweight fight taking place to start the Showtime telecast. It will air on tape delay from Germany. It features Samuel Peter in with Vitali Klitschko.

Peter to me is the biggest threat to the current king of the heavyweight division, Vitali's brother, Wladimir Klitschko. In order to get another title shot, Peter has to go thru Vitali.

Vitali Klitschko was one of the best heavyweights in the world a few years ago. Injuries have done a number on him and he hasn't been able to fight since December of 2004.

In this clash, I don't expect a lot of combinations or body shots. I look for both guys to come in throwing bombs and looking for a knockout. I believe the overall skill level of Peter will be obvious and he will have his hand raised.

If Peter wins, he should get a much deserved rematch with Wladimir Klitschko. It is the fight that makes the most sense in the division people love to watch.

I think fight fans are in for a treat tonight for two fights that aren't getting a lot of press.

Chad Dawson to me is one of the fastest rising stars in the sport of boxing. He'll be on display and I recommend tuning in to check out his skills. Antonio Tarver should give him his best test to date. I know I'll be there.