HARTFORD – World Championship boxing returns to Hartford for the first time in 20 years!  The long awaited and eagerly anticipated rematch between undefeated two-time light heavyweight champion and Connecticut’s favorite son, CHAD DAWSON, and former world champion GLEN JOHNSON is on. Promoted by Gary Shaw Productions, in association with DiBella Entertainment and Seminole Warriors Boxing, Dawson-Johnson II will be broadcast live on HBO World Championship Boxing, Saturday, November 7, beginning at 9:30 p.m. ET / 6:30 p.m. PT, from the XL Center.

Tickets, priced at $200, $100, $70, $50, and $35, (plus any applicable fees and surcharges), go on sale Next Friday! September 18 at Noon ET, and can be purchased at the XL Center box office, at all Ticketmaster outlets, through Ticketmaster Charge-by-phone at 1-800-745-3000 and online at  www.xlcenter.com.

Dawson and Johnson will host a news conference at the XL Center on Wednesday, September 16 at 11 A.M. to formally announce the fight.

The world title rematch pits Dawson, the light heavyweight division’s kingpin, defending his world championship belt against Johnson, the man who gave him the stiffest test and closest shave of his career. In their first battle, which took place in April 2008, the two squared off with Dawson’s WBC light heavyweight title on the line. Dawson came away with a hard-earned unanimous decision, but the entire boxing world was left clamoring for more from these world-class fighters.

Since their first rumble, Dawson has only raised his profile, with two nationally televised victories over former undisputed champion Antonio Tarver. Johnson has also kept a high profile, stopping Aaron Norwood in four rounds, and then avenging a highly controversial draw with Daniel Judah by winning a clear-cut unanimous decision in February.

“I am so excited to be able to bring back world championship boxing to Hartford as a defending world champion,” said Dawson.  “This is going to be a homecoming home run because this time I’m going to knock Johnson’s head out of the park.  He didn’t win the first fight and he has absolutely no chance this time.”

“I’m known as the “Road Warrior” for a reason.  I always win the away game,” said Johnson.  “In 2004 I went to England and beat Clinton Woods for the world title, knocked out Roy Jones in Memphis and smacked Antonio Tarver around in Los Angeles to win the Fighter of the Year Award.  Unlike our last fight, I will leave no hanging Chad.  I’m going to punch his ballot clear through this November.”

“It is such a thrill to bring a world title fight back to Hartford,” said promoter Gary Shaw. “It’s hard to believe that it’s been 20 years since Marlon Starling defended his WBC welterweight title in this same building, winning a unanimous decision over Yung-Kil Chung.  Starling, Gene Tunney, Willie Pep, just to name a few, came from Connecticut and put it on the map as a boxing capital.  The title fight drought is over for the fans of Hartford, and millions of HBO viewers will get a first-hand look at what a home cooking, Dawson Style, is all about.”     

“We are extremely excited to be able to bring the great sport of boxing back to the XL Center, and to be able to land an event of this caliber,” said Chuck Steedman, Senior Vice-President and General Manager of Northland AEG and the XL Center.  “This bout will receive tremendous exposure from HBO, and Hartford has an outstanding boxing tradition, which includes some of the greatest champions of all time.  To have one of Connecticut’s own, Chad Dawson, help re-introduce championship boxing to the XL Center is huge for the Hartford market and for boxing fans all over the Northeast.”

Dawson (28-0, 17 KOs), from New Haven, Conn., serving his second term as light heavyweight champion, successfully defended the IBF and IBO titles on May 9 in a rematch against former world champion Tarver, whom he dethroned last October. Dawson won his first world title in 2007 with a dominating performance over undefeated defending WBC champion Tomasz Adamek.  It remains Adamek's sole professional loss. Dawson successfully defended the WBC title three times, including a close and very competitive victory over Johnson, before vacating that title to challenge Tarver. Dawson, unable to get an exception from the IBF for his mandatory title defense, vacated his IBF title in order to make the Johnson rematch, which will be for his IBO championship.

Johnson (49-12-2, 33 KOs), from Miami, FL by way of Clarendon, Jamaica, is one of boxing’s most popular fighters.  He captured the world light heavyweight title in 2004, winning a brilliant unanimous decision over future world champion Clinton Woods.  His title reign included a knockout victory of Roy Jones, Jr. and 12-round decision over Tarver, which earned him the “Fighter of the Year” honor from the Boxing Writers Association of America.  Johnson has won seven of his last nine bouts, five by knockout, with the only blemishes coming from close world title decisions to Dawson and Woods.  He is currently world-rated in the Top-Five by the major sanctioning groups, including No. 3 by the WBC and the IBF. The Dawson rematch will be Johnson’s ninth world title fight.