Associated Press

While it should be another entertaining fight for fans in Hartford, Connecticut, it's a bit tedious for the 27-year-old Dawson (28-0, 17 KOs). He's stuck in a rut, having beaten Antonio Tarver for a second time and now getting Johnson again, rather than a bigger and more lucrative opportunity against Bernard Hopkins.

Dawson also has an agreement with HBO, which will televise the Johnson fight and would normally provide the best situation. But the agreement could preclude Dawson from dropping down to super middleweight and joining Showtime's ambitious Super Six tournament, where it's expected that Jermain Taylor will drop out following his brutal opening-bout knockout loss.

"HBO has a first and last punch at Dawson," Dawson's promoter, Gary Shaw, said on Thursday. "I know he would be welcomed into the 168-pound tournament. I believe he'd win it convincingly, bar none."

That's high praise, considering Shaw also promotes tournament contender Andre Dirrell.

"When this fight is over, we'll sit down with HBO - I have an appointment with them that week - and we'll talk about 2010," Shaw said.

That's assuming, of course, that Dawson can again handle the 40-year-old Johnson (49-12-2, 33 KOs) on Nov. 7.

The veteran from Jamaica, nicknamed the "road warrior" for his willingness to fight in hostile arenas, has been in with veterans ranging from Tarver and Hopkins to Roy Jones Jr.

He's proven that age is just a number with recent victories over Aaron Norwood and Daniel Judah, and still believes he won the first fight against Dawson. Johnson said he landed the cleaner and more convincing blows throughout the night.

"Chad Dawson moves a lot and just tried to throw punches at my defense. My understanding, boxing is supposed to be judged on clean and effective punching," Johnson said. "If something has changed, someone needs to tell me."

Dawson intends to honor slain University of Connecticut football player Jasper Howard by wearing Howard's No. 6 on his trunks. The 20-year-old Howard was fatally stabbed outside a university-sanctioned dance on Oct. 18, when witnesses say a minor altercation escalated into violence.

John William Lomax III, 21, has been charged with murder, while his friend and co-worker, 20-year-old Hakim Muhammad, has been charged with conspiracy to commit assault.