LAS VEGAS — Chad Dawson entered his IBF-IBO light heavyweight title fight Saturday night with questions that his unblemished record was the result of victories against inferior competition.
Thoroughly dominating three- time champion Antonio Tarver (27-5), Dawson silenced critics with a unanimous decision to capture both titles.
The Connecticut fighter had the lone knockout when his powerful left jab sent Tarver to the canvas with 2:11 left in the final round.
Dawson (27-0, 17 KOs) won by the scores of 117-110 from two judges and 118-109 from the other.
“I was playing him and working him one round at a time,” Dawson said. “I’m bringing these titles back to New Haven.”
• Vitali Klitschko (36-2, 34 KOs) reclaimed the WBC heavyweight belt by stopping Samuel Peter (30-2) in eight rounds in Berlin.
Kings’ Kopitar signs extension
LOS ANGELES — Anze Kopitar has signed a seven-year extension with the Los Angeles Kings, putting the 21-year-old center under contract through the 2015-16 season.
• Buffalo Sabres center Tim Connolly will miss the first week of the season after tests revealed he has a hairline fracture of a vertebra.
• Columbus Blue Jackets center Michael Peca has been suspended indefinitely by the NHL for making contact with an on-ice official Friday.
• Florida Panthers defenseman Bryan McCabe is expected to miss two weeks after injuring his back in Friday’s season opener at Carolina.
Alexander wins Ironman
KAILUA-KONA, Hawaii — Australia’s Craig Alexander rallied to win the Ironman World Championship.
The 35-year-old triathlete from Sydney completed the 140.6-mile endurance test in 8 hours, 17 minutes, 45 seconds.
Britain’s Chrissie Wellington won the women’s race, and her third straight Hawaii Ironman title, finishing in 9:06:23.
Footnotes.
Cruz Pedregon bolstered his title aspirations at the Virginia NHRA Nationals, taking the No. 1 qualifying position in funny car with a 4.041-second run at 306.88 mph in Dinwiddie.
Tony Schumacher (top fuel) and Greg Anderson (pro stock) also topped their divisions.
• Top-ranked Jelena Jankovic rallied into the final of the Kremlin Cup with a 0-6, 6-1, 6-0 win over Elena Dementieva in Moscow.
Jankovic will face Vera Zvonareva. Zvonareva ousted Dinara Safina 6-2, 7-6 (5).
• Top-seeded David Nalbandian and Robin Soderling reached the Stockholm Open final in Sweden.
Nalbandian beat Jarkko Nieminen 6-2, 6-1, and Soderling outplayed Kei Nishikori 6-1, 6-0.
• In MLS action, Jimmy Conrad’s second-half header gave the host Kansas City Wizards a 1-0 victory over the New England Revolution and visiting Toronto FC tied Dallas FC 2-2. Visiting Chivas USA edged the San Jose Earthquakes 1-0.
• DaMarcus Beasley’s two goals helped lift the U.S. to a 6-1 World Cup qualifying win over Cuba in Washington.
The Associated Press
