Written by Nick Tylwalk | 25 January 2012

Of course, that's not because it's going to be a non-stop slugfest or anything. But in the spirit of putting a positive spin on things since the year in boxing is so young, the April 28 rematch between Bernard Hopkins and Chad Dawson is almost certain to be better than their first meeting last October.

Yeah, it's hard to see Hopkins-Dawson II having a crazier ending than the first go-round, which saw Dawson score a dubious knockout after what looked to this observer like a shove. That shove caused a partial dislocation of Hopkins' shoulder, leaving him unable to continue and Dawson the owner of perhaps the least violent stoppage in the history of the sport.

It took a while, but that injustice was finally undone and the bout declared a no contest. That leaves us here, roughly three months away from a second shot at a fight that only the most hardcore fans were anticipating the first time. Yet besides the obvious fact that the original bout didn't even go two full rounds, here are three reasons this should be a boxing rarity: A rematch that outshines the original in every way:

1. The venue - The first fight was in L.A., the rematch will be at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City. As Dan Rafael pointed out in his ESPN piece, it's about 1,000 times more preferable to have two boxers based on the East Coast fight on the East Coast. Shocking, I know! I'm not sure that A.C. has the rowdiest fans anywhere, but I can tell you from personal experience that they aren't bad. Hopkins, especially, should have plenty of supporters make the 60-mile drive to the boardwalk to see what could be one of his final appearances in the ring. Speaking of which...

2. The stakes - Obviously I'm not talking about the WBC belt. Even though he's been a modern marvel, one gets the very real sense that Hopkins knows the end is near. He's too smart to hang around when he can't compete at a very high level, and he's a master at using slights both real and perceived as motivation. The Executioner won't want to go out on a losing note, and even though the decision got reversed, you know he's itching to avenge the "loss" from last year. As for Dawson, I've given up hope of ever figuring out what might light a fire under his ass. Let's just say that if he can't get fired up for this fight, I don't know if he ever will.

3. The broadcaster - Hopkins-Dawson version 1.0 was on pay-per-view, a prospect that excited exactly zero percent of the boxing fan base. It appears the rematch will be carried on HBO, and as Martha Stewart might say, that's a good thing.

I'm well aware that Hopkins-Dawson II could end up being 12 rounds of monotony and we may look back on the abrupt ending of the first meeting as a blessing in disguise. I'm willing to take that risk and think positively for the time being. I saw bring on Rounds 3 through 14. Heck, I may even make the drive down to the beach to see it in person.