The best in the world Ward gives Dawson torrid time to retain titles

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UPDATED:

11:02 GMT, 9 September 2012

Andre Ward showed why he is one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world after stopping Chad Dawson in California to retain his unbeaten record.

The WBA and WBC super-middleweight champion had the challenger on the canvas three times before the fight was called off.

Ward, who beat Carl Froch in the Super Six final last December, consistently overwhelmed his more experienced opponent.

Main man: Andre Ward celebrates beating Chad Dawson

Dawson started brightly, keeping Ward off balance with a strong southpaw right jab in the first round, and then scoring with counter left hooks as Ward looked to press the action in the second.

And by the third he was catching his opponent with sharp left jabs and hooks, using swift footwork to throw Dawson off.

A short hook near the end of the third dropped Dawson, and another one knocked him down again at the start of the fourth.

Ward pressed the advantage in that round, nearly putting Dawson down again and pursuing him across the ring.

The challenger survived, however, and for the next several rounds some of the steam evaporated from the contest, as Dawson appeared content to keep Ward at bay with jabs and by tying him up when the two men were close.

Ward was relentless however and a sharp right hand in the ninth round buckled Dawson's knees again.

In the tenth, a three-punch combination had Dawson wobbling on his legs and a follow-up barrage knocked him to his knees.

Game over: Dawson had no plans to continue after a knockdown in the tenth

Although Dawson beat the count, he signaled to referee Steve Smoger that he had had enough.

It was Ward's first stoppage win in three years, and the champion said the quality of his opponent had caused him to raise his game.

'All we did was eat, sleep and drink this guy, because you can't take a chance on someone like Chad Dawson,' he said. 'He's beaten future Hall-of-Famers.

'A lot of people in boxing are knockout hungry. Everybody wants the knock out. I tell people you can still entertain without a knockout. But a knockout is always great. That's the last piece of the puzzle in my game that I want to keep working on. This is the first step toward that tonight against a top of the line opponent.

'I took a big risk fighting the bigger man. He had the advantage in height and reach but he sacrificed the weight. In boxing you have to take a risk to get the prize.

Crash: Ward send Dawson to the canvas time and time again

'We showed that we can do more than win
decisions. I have another gear. I'm in my prime. I feel like I'm coming
into my own at a championship level.'

Dawson, the reigning WBC light-heavyweight champion, whose most recent win came against veteran Bernard Hopkins, said he would be returning to that weight division.

'He's a hell of a fighter,' Dawson admitted. 'He's a great champion.

'He's a lot faster than I thought he would be.He was strong too. I can't take anything away from him. He really is one of the best.

'I'm not going to hang my head low. I'm still light-heavyweight champion of the world.'

However, Ward may have eyes on that title, too.

'A move to light-heavyweight is not out of the question,' he said.