Stevenson scores surprise 1st-round KO of Dawson

Jun 9, 2013 - 3:51 AM Montreal, QC (Sports Network) - Adonis "Superman" Stevenson shocked the boxing world Saturday night by scoring a one-punch knockout of Chad Dawson in the first round to take the WBC light heavyweight title.

Stevenson (21-1, 18 KOs), who resides in Longueuil, Quebec, landed only three punches in the fight, but the end came 76 seconds in when referee Michael Griffin counted out Dawson (31-3, 17 KOs).

The big blow came in the form of a left cross from the southpaw. The punch nailed Dawson on the side of his face. Dawson got to his feet, but was a bit wobbly and Griffin signaled the end. The Bell Centre crowd went wild with Stevenson racing around the ring in jubilation.

"It's a dream come true," Stevenson said during a post-fight interview as he held the belt down near his knees in the middle of the ring.

After the fight, Stevenson said he'd like to unify the title with Bernard Hopkins, who holds the IBF version of the belt. Stevenson could also battle Andre Ward, the WBC and WBA super middleweight title holder.

Dawson was making the first defense of his title, although he lost to Ward in the battle for the two super middleweight belts Sept. 8 last year.

Stevenson, in his first title fight, moved to 20-0 with 17 KOs in Montreal.