Bad Chad Dawson was being trumpeted as boxing's next American superstar.
But now, I have learned, the once-beaten light heavyweight is beset by financial and myriad other problems outside the ring, including ongoing legal disputes with his manager, Mike Crisco, his promoter, Big Gary Shaw, and his adviser, the rap music maven James Prince.
Dawson, whose verging on boxing superstar status took a major hit in Montreal Saturday when he got outhustled by Jean Pascal, has been trying to shake manager Criscio like a deer tick carrying lyme disease.
Their rift was mentioned, a bit obliquely, by announcer Jim Lampley on the HBO telecast Saturday night as the lethargic lefthander was getting knocked from the ranks of the undefeated (he's now 29-1) by the Haitian born resident Quebec resident.
Criscio, who owns a pawnshop and check cashing stores in and around New Haven, Ct., was nowhere to be seen on the prime cable network's coverage and his absence was particularly noticeable as the HBO cameras emphasized trainer Eddie Mustafa Muhammad.
There was no sign of Criscio in the fighter's corner, anywhere in the ring or even in the whole of Canada.
Dawson has been feuding with and trying to free himself of Criscio and the manager's 10 percent share of the 28 year old's ring income.
The backdrop to this is that Dawson's relationship with Shaw, once solid and strong, has grown contentious.
(I am informed, though, that Dawson has had some rapprochement with Shaw which came after the promoter agreed to fully provide all past Muhammad Ali and other financial disclosures and to accept a less lengthy promotional deal, said to be for only four bouts rather than a four year one.)
I am told that Dawson is saddled with a strong contract he signed with Prince, the Rap A Lot label owner from Houston.
Dawson is required to pay 10 percent of his purses to Prince, the adviser who has a piece of Andre Ward and formerly held a slice of Floyd Mayweather Jr..
When you then subtract Criscio's share, Prince's fees, Muhammad's standard 10 percent trainer cut and what Shaw keeps for himself, it really adds up.
I'm hearing that Prince, who really does nothing for Dawson but collect money for himself, paid Dawson $20,000, to get involved and has gotten back about $300,000.
You may remember that, when Mayweather refused to pay money to Prince, a team of “collection agents” visited the Top Rank Gym and used forcible methods to extract payment in full. Let's just say that blood flowed and no one called the police to report anything.
Getting back to Dawson, the fighter was upset when he discovered that Shaw had given $500,000 to Criscio, later explained as Shaw's investment in one of Crisco's check cashing operations.
At or about the same time, Shaw feathered Criscio's nest by installing him as the manager of junior middleweight slugger, Alfredo Angulo.
Dawson's professional past is littered with former handlers, including Rhode Island promoter Jimmy Burchfield and ex-trainers John Scully, Dan Birmingham and Floyd Mayweather Sr.
Dawson has also engaged the services of a gang of attorneys along the way.
"The only guy who Chad really trusts now is Eddie Mustafa which was one of his reasons in deciding to move from Connecticut to Las Vegas," a source close to the situation said Sunday. "If not for his close relationship with his trainer, Dawson might be totally adrift. As it is now, he's just very confused."
How Dawson rid himself of Burchfield is, what's the expression, instructive.
Burchfield accepted a settlement of $150,000 but then Dawson was hit with and paid a $250,000 legal fee to lawyer Judd Burstein.
One Dawson observer said the fighter owns a $500,000 house in Connecticut but also bought five, high priced cars and fritters away money on jewelry and other trinkets.
“The kid bought himself a watch for $150,000,” the man said. “For the first Montreal press conference he was supposed to fly from Hartford to Montreal. He was repeatedly told he had to have a passport to enter Canada. He could not find the passport, had to skip the flight and appeared only by telephone for the presser."
“About 15 minutes before they had to board the flight, the lawyer got a call from Chad who said he couldn't find his passport. He participated in the press conference by telephone.”
Losing to Pascal might be a temporary setback for the talented Dawson.
But his issues with Criscio, with Shaw and with Prince linger on.
“He just doesn't pay attention to his business affairs,” the same man said. “He doesn't read or understand contracts and then he acts surprised when these people want to collect money.
"Dawson looks to Floyd Mayweather's lifestyle and would like to emulate him," this man said. "But Mayweather is a proven superstar who earns millions upon millions as a PPV draw whereas Chad is still trying to climb to that level."
Pascal and Dawson split a HBO rights fee of $1.75 million, or $875,000 each, from their title bout but PPV revenue from Canada may add up to about 500,000 buys which would push both of their total purses well past the million dollar mark.
That's appropriate for Bad Chad, the big talent with a million problems.
http://www.boxingscene.com/?m=show&id=30092
Home Page 
