A true Philly grudge match that many excited for it in the build-up as Paul Kroll dropped Mark Dawson Jr. in the first-round and went on to win a decision, but the tension in the building was that of a fight in the MGM Grand Arena. 

Dawson Jr. had lost to Kroll in 2015, in Kroll’s run to become the 2016 U.S. Olympian at the welterweight division. Kroll would unfortunately qualify for the Olympics, and then faced a very serious attempted murder case. 

So in 2020, Dawson Jr. had more fights as a professional than Kroll, despite Kroll being an Olympian in an exciting weight class. 

The fight was a battle of the young hungry fighter Dawson Jr. look to avenge and challenge one of the most respected fighters in Philly, and what we got was a fight that will more than likely birth a champion, if not two.

Honorable Mention

Domnique Crowder vs Marlin Sims – A battle of two undefeated featherweights, with Crowder fighting now at 122 lbs, saw Crowder graduate to the next level, as he now should be in a ten-round fight against some form of an opponent vying for a top spot. Both of these guys didn’t have to fight this early in their career, and Crowder winning this bout made him stand out to me.