Chad Dawson and Antonio Tarver will compete again May 9 at the Hard Rock. After Dawson handily out-pointed Tarver, taking his light-heavyweight title last October in Las Vegas, the March rematch was scuttled when Dawson suffered ligament damage in his right hand. The postponement was a blow to Tarver, who must push his 40-year-old body into shape one more time. But he has motivation for the battle, given the lopsided nature of the earlier loss.

If this is Tarver’s final hurrah, he’s enjoyed an enviable ride. The amateur champion and 1996 Olympian made his mark in the Roy Jones trilogy. After losing the opening bout, but coming on strongly at the finish, Tarver entered the second bout with supreme confidence.

“What’s going to be your excuse tonight, Roy?” he inquired just before the opening bell. One round later, he dropped a left-hand bomb that stopped Jones, boxing’s top name at the time, cold. The punch was so dramatic it also prompted Charles Barkley to halt his live NBA studio analysis to comment on this fight.

“Holy [expletive deleted], Roy Jones just got knocked out,” he said to a worldwide basketball audience.

Tarver handily won the rubber match against Jones, and then parlayed his popularity into television and movie roles. A sharp dresser and talker, he appeared as a host on ESPN’s Friday Night Fights, then won the role of Mason “The Line” Dixon for the Rocky Balboa movie in 2006. Sylvester Stallone, who thought it easier to teach a boxer how to act rather than showing an actor how to box, cast Tarver in the role.

While it led to enhanced marquee value, the break marked a high-water point for Tarver’s boxing skills. He was unexpectedly toyed with by the crafty Bernard Hopkins in a 2006 defeat, and could not compete with the younger, faster and stronger Dawson last October.

Dawson will be a substantial favorite this time, but Tarver should muster the urgency to produce an inspired effort. If Tarver can’t turn the tables, who will demand his services? The problem for him in this all-lefty match-up is the youth, speed and heady confidence of Dawson.

A strong, tall lefty, Dawson has had “champion” in his forecast for several years. He achieved the status by toppling Tomasz Ademek in 2007 and cemented his dominance with the victory over Tarver. A convincing second victory, even a knockout, could propel him into boxing’s elite ranks.

Southpaw slugfest

Las Vegas presented an excellent all-lefty match-up in April, when Paul Williams outgunned a hustling Winky Wright for one of his best career performances ever at Mandalay Bay. Williams against Kelly Pavlik would be an outstanding fight, but it’s not a good bet that the promoters will get this deal done. Williams, who fought at 159 pounds, wants to return to the 147-pound welterweight division and reclaim former titles. Going back down in weight is difficult for fighters to manage.

Pavlik, meanwhile, fights Sergio Mora June 27 in Atlantic City and may not be pushed to fight Williams by his promoters.

While Las Vegas heats up for the sold out May 2 Manny Pacquiao-Ricky Hatton bout at MGM, successors are already lining up. Timothy Bradley, who won a pulsating April victory over Kendall Holt in Montreal, indicated he wants the winner of this mega bout.

(Dave Bontempo, a multiple award-winning journalist and boxing commentator, will call the Dawson-Tarver rematch to a worldwide HBO International audience)

By Dave Bontempo

Casino Connection Sports Editor Dave Bontempo is an award-winning sports writer and broadcaster who calls boxing matches all over the world. He has covered the Philadelphia Flyers in the playoffs, as well as numerous PGA, LPGA and Seniors Golf Tour events, and co-hosted the Casino Connection television program with Publisher Roger Gros.