By Stephen 'Breadman' Edwards
The Daily Bread Mailbag returns with Stephen 'Breadman' Edwards discussing the trilogy between Manny Pacquiao and Timothy Bradley, discussing former four division world champion Adrien Broner, thoughts on former world champion Evander Holyfield and more.
I wanted to get your full opinion why you rate Holyfield higher then Lennox Lewis?
Lewis beat him up twice
Lewis won all of his big fights and had sum very underrated wins over Vitali Klitchkos, David Tua and Golota. If Holyfield had beaten them guys he would of got full credit.
How do you see the fights going this weekend? style wise? Keys to victory?
Charles Martin vs Joshua
Pacquaio vs Bradley
Abraham vs Ramirez
Lee Selby vs Eric Hunter
I can only call the top 2 with Joshua winning with his much much better conditioning and Bradley out working Pacquaio with a high tempo that the older man can't handle anymore.
The bottom two will end in the away fighter scoring a KO or home fighter winning a split decision
Jermaine from London
Bread’s Response: It’s not me who just rates Holyfield as the greater fighter but ESPN just came out with it’s top 25 fighters of the last 25 years and Holyfield rated considerably higher than Lewis. Ring Magazine had a list a few years ago and Holyfield rated higher there also….
I really respect Lewis and I think he’s the best heavyweight ever who was over 6’5 and 240. But I think overall in a p4p sense Holyfield was better. Lewis fought Holyfield after 3 brutal fights with Bowe, 2 with Tyson and 2 with Michael Moorer. Your memory is slightly off because Lewis won the first fight and got jobbed. But Holyfield put it on him in that second fight. He hurt him and backed him up and attacked all night. It was razor close. I wouldn’t consider that beating Holyfield up. Holyfield was at least 7 or 8 years past his prime.
Lewis has an excellent resume and did some great things but given the eyeball test, who they fought, when they fought them and Lewis’s two ko losses in his prime to lesser opponents I give Holyfield the nod as a little better overall. Especially in a p4p sense because if you factor in Holyfield is the best crusier ever….
I’m not overwhelmed by Martin. If he wins this fight I would be slightly shocked. I think Joshua needs a few more fights to be the best heavyweight in the world but he’s on his way. He should win Saturday. He’s just a little too strong and a little too athletic.
I think Pacquiao does not take boxing serious anymore. I think his last hurrah was the 6th round vs Floyd Mayweather. He’s old, uninterested, distracted and fighting for money now. That’s a bad mixture when you’re a fighting a possessed man like Tim Bradley. I don’t think Roach and Pacman will adjust and do anything different. I think Bradley and Atlas will. Bradley squeaks out a decision.
I can’t call Abraham vs Ramirez. Ramirez does not pass the eye ball test for me but maybe he has some unseen substance that will surface against better competition. Abraham is about 7 or 8 years past his best days and he’s hot and cold as of lately. My guess is Ramirez gets the benefit of the doubt in the close rounds and wins but don’t bet that pick.
I can’t believe Selby is such a big favorite over Hunter. I heard Hunter is at +500. That’s baffling to me. Hunter is a talented guy and was a tremendous amateur. My question about this fight is who will the judges be. It will be the deciding factor. I believe the scorecards will be all over the place with both guys thinking they won…..I won’t make a prediction because something stinks to me that Selby is such an overwhelming favorite especially after struggling so much with Montiel. But I do believe Hunter is slightly more skilled. Hunter is worth a pot shot with those odds.
Breadman,
let me first give big shout outs to Villanova as there players were unflappable just like Philly fighters. Regarding Adrien Broner, am I wrong to think he could have shade his beard and head to lose 0.4 pounds? Hair is light but his beard was very heavy! What do you think of him saying he grew out of the weight--is he just a thick dude that wasn't made to be 140lber or is it a lack of discipline and that club life?
I love Broner's willingness to fight anybody and his self confidence, but I think he won at 130 and 135 due to power mismatches, which he will not have at 147 plus he gets hit cleanly and has a low workrate, which he overomes by landing clean hard powershot counters. This strategy is doomed against bigger welterweights such as Keith Thurman, Danny Garcia, Errol Spence, and Kell Brook. I would favor each of them againt Adrien, do you agree? What did you think of his performance on Friday? Will he do better at 147 this time around?
Whats the word on the street regarding Rigondeaux?
Billy Bomaye
Bread’s Response: Yeah man Villanova was incredible. Their campus is about 15 minutes from where I live. You can still feel the tingling in the air. Usually when something great like that happens in the area more great things follow. Philly has some fighters that will be in some big fights real soon so…
I don’t know how much weight Broner had to cut to just weigh in at 140.4. But what I do know it that Broner and his team declared that welterweight was too big for him and that 140 would be his home. Now he’s grown out of 140…. Maybe, maybe not I really don’t know. A lot of things have to be factored in when you talk about making weight. Bone density, diet, muscle make up, how much weight do you have to cut during camp….
What I will say is .4 is not very much and a little spit session, wearing a towel and cap on your neck and head and simply walking around the weigh in signing medical forms and stuff you need for the commission can burn .4 off. It’s not a good sign that Broner has lost 2 of his 4 career titles on the scale. It’s also not a good sign that he had an easy road to this belt by getting to fight for a vacant title coming off of a loss and he still lost it on the scale. Last but not least it’s not a good sign that he drank something immediately after getting off of the scale and didn’t try to make the weight.
One day the B side opponent will realize his power and tell the commission “no fight”. I can’t wait for that day.
I think you make some accurate points about Broner’s style. The one thing I noticed about Broner is he’s infatuated with his punching power. And the kid can crack. But he’s not a George Foreman type of a puncher. He’s just a good puncher.
Also let’s talk about Broner’s style. Sometimes it’s just common to look at a fighter’s ethnicity or body structure and we classify them. Broner is in my opinion an aggressive, athletic, walk down type of fighter. That’s not to say he can’t box or can’t be a boxer puncher. But in his most effective moments of all of his fights, he’s walking his guys down behind a high guard, digging to their bodies and sometimes countering them with fast counters. That’s an overwhelming style usually based on him being stronger and more physical than his opponents.
It’s no coincidence the 2 fights he lost he wasn’t the stronger more physical fighter.
I think Broner did well vs Theopane. He did what he usually does with outmatched opponents. He walks them down and beats them up. He punished Theopane, especially with that left hook to the body. Broner got hit a little bit but he always does. He’s not a slick defensive fighter he’s just talented. There is a big difference.
I think the next big fight will be Danny Garcia vs Adrien Broner at 147. I think it’s going to be a great fight by the way. Two high contact guys, who believe in their power but can also be hit.
I don’t know what’s going on with Rigondeaux. I have been a supporter of his for a long time. I think he got a few raw deals after winning his legacy defining fight vs Nonito Donaire. But I also think he has not helped his cause either. When career stalls and questionable decisions occur over and over for the same individual the individual himself has to take some of the blame.
I have Pacman winning this weekend by Split decision.
Errol Spence beating Chris Algeri by Tko in a rough n tough fight. Errol Spence is going to get hurt this fight also.
Bread’s Response: I think Pacquiao loses this fight but close enough where he will keep fighting.
I also like Spence to beat Algieri. My only question is can he stop him.
Mythical match ups….Winky Wright vs Terry Norris. Wilfredo Gomez vs Guillermo Rigondeaux. Who and how?
Bread’s Response: Um…….I say Norris’s feet and rhythm allow him to outpoint Wright. Winky wasn’t a big puncher and if you couldn’t hurt Terry in his prime he was one of those guys where it was tough to win rounds against him because he had a superior boxing style. Wright was a tremendous fighter but he wasn’t creative offensively.
His defense was tight but it wasn’t impenetrable. Norris was a very active power puncher. The pick here is Norris by decision.
I would have to assume Gomez kos Rigondeaux. Rigondeaux is in the running for the most talented guy I have studied on film. Reflexes, reaction time, speed, punch release, accuracy, style appeal. Rigondeaux rates with Robinson, Jones, Leonard and 60’s Ali. But talent and fighting ability are different. I know fighters like Oba Carr and Zab Judah who have more talent than guys like Danny Garcia and Ike Quartey but they couldn’t beat them in fights. I don’t believe Rigondeaux could beat the greatest junior featherweight in history in a real fight. Gomez, was too accurate, too mean, too fundamentally sound and too much for my man Rigo. Gomez by brutal mid rounds stoppage.
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