By Stephen "Breadman" Edwards
The Daily Bread Mailbag returns with Stephen "Breadman" Edwards tackling topics such as Terence Crawford vs. Amir Khan, PEDs in boxing, Crawford vs. Errol Spence, Mikey Garcia, and more.
Hey Bread I hope you and your family had a great Easter. I really like Terrence Crawford but I have a great fear that he is going to get beat by Errol Spence. The reason being is he seems to get hit cleanly way too often than a guy of his athletic ability/skillset should. Even a couple of times in the Khan fight he got hit extra clean on the chin. I noticed it in the Benavdiez fight as well. My questions is a.) do you agree he gets hit more often than he should clean? b.) is it bad reflexes? footwork? Or he just wasn't worried about their power?
--
Marlon Andrews
Washington, DC
Bread’s Response: I don’t want to be a killjoy but I don’t believe Crawford and Spence will fight soon. From everything I know about the business of boxing, the side who holds more options will wait it out. PBC and Spence hold more options. Spence is 3 years younger. Spence has 4 huge fights available with Pacman, Danny Garcia, Keith Thurman and Shawn Porter. That’s about 2 years worth of fights.
With Common sense and understanding the boxing business I just don’t see it happening soon if ever.
Crawford is all that and a bag of chips. He’s as well rounded a boxer puncher as I have ever seen. But no fighter is perfect. He gets hit sometimes especially early. So did Ray Robinson and Ray Leonard. They were also boxer punchers but they were killers. Killers have defense but they don’t play defense. So they stay in a danger zone where they can kill. When you’re in that zone you can be killed too.
Crawford doesn’t have a lack of anything. His footwork is excellent. His reflexes are excellent. Don’t over think this. He’s great. Sometimes his eyes just need a little time to warm up. If you look close Spence has the same issue and in my opinion Spence is easier to hit than Crawford.
Hi Bread,
Another week, another PED scandal and another flood of opinions. Ban for life. Ban for six months. Legalise everything. Take your pick.
But I can't help thinking that none of these are going to help. Even life bans won't stop the next guy who is desperate enough, scared enough or cocksure enough to think it's worth the risk. If we want a clean sport, it's not enough to just go after the fighters. We need to go after the enablers. Let's be honest, fighters are not experts in PED dosages, cycles and all the rest of it. There are people in their camps or around the sport who do this for the fighter, and those are the people who need to be caught and removed. Banning a fighter won't help unless the doctors, supplement guys and assorted trustees of modern chemistry, to borrow a quote, are brought to account.
So how about this for a suggestion. Give Miller (and anyone else caught doping) a life ban unless he cooperates with an investigation and names names. Never box again, or point the finger and get back in the ring in a year.
Banning boxers won't clean the sport up. Finding and removing the enablers might.
Best of luck to you and J Rock next month.
Peter M.
Bread’s Response: You’re idea is the best one that I have heard. I have thought about this time and time again. We have to stop whoever is giving fighters PEDs. If we out those people then rest assured the problem would be cleaned up easier. As you stated a fighter doesn’t understand dosage and cycling. They aren’t equipted for that.
I also look at the excuses the fighters usually make. The reason they make these type of excuses is because they don’t want to snitch on who is giving them the PEDs. “I ate tainted meat.” “ I took a nasal congestion.” It’s always an innocent excuse where they don’t have to TELL. And that’s COOL no one wants to be labeled a SNITCH. But something comes with not being a snitch. You have to be able to stand on your punishment. Not being a snitch is glorified in the STREETS but this isn’t the STREETS, this is the professional sports world. The commissions should require the boxer to tell how he got the banned substance in his system and who gave it to them.
I have heard people tell privately and off the record as to who gives PEDs out in boxing. But I haven’t heard anyone as of yet tell publicly and on the record. When this day comes the boxing world will be turned upside down. You’re favorite fighter’s won’t be that anymore. It’s going to be gut wrenching to hear who’s using and who’s not. These guys who are giving out these peds don’t have loyalty. They are going to turn and RAT on all of their CLIENT/FIGHTERS. It’s going to be a 2 way rat race. The fighters will tell who they got it from. And the dealers will tell that the fighters knew and solicited them to use PEDS. Then the dealers will tell who the other fighters they give PEDS too who haven’t been caught yet. And then the boxing world will go bonkers. Mark it down. And screenshot this. The day is coming and sooner than you think.
I have reserved my comments about this Miller case. I was actually hoping it wasn’t true. But now that it seems that it is. I want to say that this is hard to swallow. A fighter in his prime, fighting for the biggest prize in boxing, test positive for 3 different PEDS. That should tell you guys something. This is a serious epidemic in boxing and it’s nothing to play with. A man putting that type of stuff in his system can do serious harm to another man. This is a very dangerous thing. Imagine if he knocked Joshua out and we found out after the fight and not before.
Hi Breadman,
If you can, much appreciation for your analysis on two points stated here related to Crawford-Khan-Spence.
1. How do you feel, the same Mikey Garcia that faced Spence making it through 12 rounds with Crawford? In your opinion, would Crawford have ended Mikey before 8 or so rounds with a severely worse beating than Mikey received going full 12 with Spence?
2. Instant replay for ring side judges should be mandated with large PPV fights. If so, judges would have seen the accidental low blow to Khan was not direct on the cup, it was off center and to the lower abdominal and therefore could have made a 5 minute mandatory rest period for Khan. After 5 minutes if Khan still couldn't recovery, fight ends TKO resulting in less controversy. Why didn't we hear any of the ring side commentators point out the accidental low blow was indeed off cup area and to the lower abdominal, upper thigh area?
Thank you!
Curtis/Cincy
Bread’s Response: 1) I don’t like to judge fights on triangle theories. There will be guys who Spence can stop that Crawford can’t but that doesn’t mean Spence is better than Crawford and vice versa. Mikey Garcia has sound fundamental defense. He’s tougher than anyone gave him credit for and he’s a tremendous fighter. He can go the distance with anyone if that’s his goal to go the distance.
2) Let me say this. I’m glad the fight was stopped. I don’t care what the real reason was. Khan was about to be brutally concussed by Crawford. Anyone could see Crawford honing in. Khan lunges in too much. His hands go before his feet. He’s been doing it his whole career but as you get older your flaws become magnified. Crawford was goin to knock him out cold with a check right hook. I’m telling you I could see it and I like Amir Khan. I was going to leave the sports bar after round 5 because I didn’t want to see Amir get hurt.
I have no idea why everyone wants to see Khan flat on his back with his eyes rolling in his head.
All I know about the blow was it was LOW. I don’t want to imagine where Khan’s private parts hang. That’s what the fans are doing. Just because the shot landed low but off to a side doesn’t mean it didn’t contact a part of his genitals. I don’t need to be descriptive. There was confusion and I’m not sure of everything that was said in the ring. But maybe Virgil Hunter heard or saw that Khan was also going to get hurt. Sometimes things that are understood don’t have to be said. The right man won. And the official result is correct. Terence Crawford by tko. It’s not like the fight was ruled a No Decision or some weird inconclusive result. Crawford got the tko win. So….
For creditability or to take my lick like a man, lol, I want to get this in before the fight! Arum likes to compare Crawford to Leonard and tho I lean towards Crawford I think he's gonna need a Leonard style come from behind rally to win this fight! Gamboa showed Crawford needs rounds to time speed and Benavidez proved if you time Crawford early/counter him, you can keep him honest for some rounds and take the fight deep! I agree with you that Khan's iq is his weakness in this fight! And as he fades, I think Crawford comes and Khan makes a bad decision late that gets him put down or makes way for him to lose a possibly controversial decision! I think Hunter and the gameplan is the true wilcard in the fight! If he can get Khan to use alittle of what Ward did in the second Kovalev fight, Khan can win! Lead, be first, tie up on the inside! He can't infight like Ward but he can hold and conserve energy! Then hit Crawford anywhere! Arms, thigh, groin, It don't matter, Just touch him and frustrate him! Think they will suprise him by walking right into the teeth of the lion! Fatigue is Khan's enemy, but as long as he can stay fresh, he can stay sharp and I think he will touch Crawford enough to feel motivated and in this fight all the way to the end! I call the toughest fight of Crawford's career so far! Lastly, Please clear up and arguement, between me and my little boxing circle! I've read you touch on it before, I don't give Floyd alot of credit for the Corrales win! My friends do tho! But I think it's just another case of Floyd being Floyd and picking a great fighter at a bad time in his career! I'm not sure but I think Corrales was facing his own domestic problems and jail time and was nowhere near 100% mentally or physically to take on the challenge of a Floyd Mayweather! And I think he and his team knew that! and I'm Not knocking Floyd, that's the game, Chico signed the contract, but he's also one of my all time favorites and I hate the way that fight played for him! History deserved a better version of him that night! If I'm wrong, I'll be a man and admit it! Just my opinions! All the best and continued success Brother!
Brandon
Bread’s Response: If you want your emails posted on Saturday, you have to send them by Thursday night because I submit my mailbag Friday in order for it to be posted Saturday morning.
Bro you were so wrong. Khan showed heart and grit but he was losing every round in my opinion. He wasn’t getting pummeled but he was losing and he was being worn out mentally which was not good for him because he is the one that is the fast starter. That fight was going to end BAD, I don’t care what anyone says. But I’m glad you’re a man about your predictions. You made your pick and you’re standing on it.
You have to give Floyd credit for the Corrales win. 100% credit. Listen maybe Floyd timed Corrales with his personal problems I don’t know. But Floyd didn’t create those problems. Floyd didn’t frame Corrales with the domestic charges. Floyd has won fights with his own personal and legal problems lingering. I also don’t want to hear about Corrales’s weight problems. Because Corrales came back 2 years later after going to jail and fought at 130lbs. Floyd was lights out that night and he needs credit. Floyd fought one of history’s perfect fights vs his best opponent up to that point. Don’t be a hater bro. It’s Corrales’s job to block out whatever problems he had going on and win. The only times I make excuses for a fighter is if the opponent cheated, there was a provable injury or the officials made a bad call. None of that happened in this fight. Floyd just dominated him.
Hey Bread,
Could you give a breakdown of how you see a fight between the big 3 heavyweights going if they were to fight right now?
Wilder vs Fury II
Joshua vs Wilder
Joshua vs Fury
Just to add my two cents - Wilder would be more composed in the rematch vs Fury and therefore better able to land his big shots. Often the higher IQ fighter is the one who takes more from the first fight but I think it's the opposite in this case. Wilder by KO.
AJ vs Wilder is a 50-50 shootout. Hardcore AJ fans won't see it that way because AJ is the more technical fighter but Wilder's one punch KO power is the equaliser. I lean towards AJ but it's close.
AJ vs Fury is a clear AJ win for me. Joshua isn't gun-shy like Wlad was vs Fury, so he'll take risks even if he's being outboxed for most the fight - he'd find the KO. AJ is also a better finisher than Wilder so if he gets Fury hurt just once he can end it.
Appreciate your insights as always and good luck to you and J Rock in a few weeks.
Nick, London
Bread’s Response: I believe all of these guys can fight multiple times and we get different winners each time. These are super tough fights to call. Wilder is not the boxer or technical fighter that Joshua and Fury are, but he has a freakish punch and a freakish ability to land it that makes him very dangerous to both.
I don’t assume that because Fury outboxed Wilder for the most part in the 1st fight, that he can do it in the 2nd. If Wilder tweaks his right hand slightly he could end that fight very early. I love Fury’s defense and ring generalship but he was hurt bad twice. If Fury took those big shots sort of like how Holyfield did Tyson’s without being dropped or critically hurt I would pick Fury to win easy. But that’s not the case. I have no idea who wins the rematch.
AJ vs both guys are tough calls. I have to see how they line up. But I suspect that if AJ can safely move forward vs Wilder and push him back with a jab he’s going to win. Wilder may have a more explosive punch than AJ but I don’t know if he’s stronger than AJ. I also think AJ has a different type of power. It’s like Hagler and Hearns. Hearns had that striking cobra ko ability. Where as Hagler had that heavy handed dense power. Once he was able to back Hearns up the fight was over. The question is does AJ have Hagler’s chin or abilty to back Wilder up.
AJ vs Fury is also tough for me because I watched the Aj vs Joseph Parker closely and Aj had trouble with that movement. If Parker could have mounted an offensive attack then he would have been in that fight. Fury is better than Parker and he has more moxy. He’s going to try to mount his attack. Stick and movers are really hard to deal with. I wouldn’t be surprised if Fury outboxed AJ. But again I just don’t know, maybe AJ learned something from the Parker fight.
I just finished watching Kendall Holt vs Danny Garcia and I'm reminded of what a physically gifted athlete Holt was. Speed, athleticism, skill and punch. I know Holt became a world champion but you can argue that Paulie Malinaggi who wasn't as gifted probably got more out of his career as a fighter than Holt did. Your thoughts?
J-Bird/Chi-Town
Bread’s Response: Kendall Holt is a super talented fighter. But it’s not always about the physical talent. Sometimes small things that go unseen determine the status and winning of fighters. Holt is my guy but I think his training habits caught up to him as his career progressed.
Mailgnaggi had a better career than Holt but again Holt was the more talented fighter. But it’s not always about talent. Malignaggi kept things more simple with his jab. He has big wins vs Diaz and Judah. And he lasted longer than Holt. I hate to compare two guys that I really like outside of the ring. Both had solid careers.
Yo Bread,
Getting this one in early as it's looking like its close to being announced: Pacquiao-Thurman! Before Keith's lay-off, I would've made him a decent favourite, but with Manny's legs looking so good against Broner (admittedly, Broner, for all his skill, don't move much), I'm going with the Pacman! Not just his legs, he looks to have his passion for boxing back. I think he goes in/out on Thurman, and bamboozles the guy. I was one of the few who thought Thurman looked decent against Lopez, but he looks to have lost something physically. It could just be the lay-off, but not so sure. This is a great fight to gauge where both guys are at the top table. How are you seeing it? What will you look for in the build-up before you make your pick? It's wild to me Manny is still taking fights like these. I love the guy, but glad they didn't go down the Spence route (too big imo).
Love the mailbag, peace to you and yours,
Okala
Bread’s Response: I slightly favor Thurman in this fight because in the history of boxing I can’t remember a fighter over 40 beating a fighter 10 years younger the caliber of Thurman except for Foreman over Moorer. So just going by the numbers and probability Manny won’t win this fight.
That being said Manny has done a few things that history has never seen before. I think Manny is live in this fight. Thurman is undefeated and he’s very good but when I watch him I don’t get the impression he’s as elite as Spence or Crawford. I don’t think he’s as efficient as either. Thurman over moves and can be carried fast.
Thurman has also never been stopped but he shows visual effects of punches very often in my opinion. I don’t know if it was the lay off or what but he struggled big time vs Lopez. I would not be surprised at all if Manny not only beat him but stopped him. Manny is not an easy guy to fight. He’s very difficult to gauge especially the 1st time you’re in there with him.
I look for Thurman’s check hook to control the fight. But this is a serious fight for Thurman. If he loses then it will be tough for him. An in their prime fighter in this division as highly regarded as Thurman can’t lose to a 40 year old fighter who started at flyweight. Thurman needs to deliver in this fight. I think he can but I don’t know it. I favor Thurman 55/45.
I’m also very impressed that Manny is still taking fights like this. Manny is a special fighter. If he beats Thurman I think he moves up P4P historically. This will be every bit as good as Duran’s win over Barkley but Manny is almost 3 years older than Duran was when he beat Barkley and Thurman is undefeated. Think about it…..
What's up Bread?
I'm sure you will be bombarded with questions regarding Terrence Crawford's anti-climactic TKO win over Amir Khan so I wanted to chime in with a few quick observations:
1. Amir Khan went into this fight thinking he was the bigger guy and that was a huge mistake. Bud actually had a 3-inch reach advantage and he didn't waste time using it. Crawford is also stronger than advertised and I knew Amir was in trouble when he mentioned having been at 147 longer. That told me everything I needed to know and for some reason it seems like Khan was surprised that Crawford brought that level of physicality.
2. Khan was actually pulling Crawford's head down when the low blow landed and the shot appeared to land on Amir's right thigh (maybe the inner thigh at best). I'm sure the shot hurt, however it didn't appear intentional and not taking the full five minutes to recover was a bad look.
Do you think Amir Khan quit? I do, and I believe that the low blow was the out he needed because Bud was coming on strong with those body shots
3. Where do Crawford and Khan go from here? Do you like the prospect of a Crawford-Brook fight? I think it would sell because everyone would want to see if Bud can outperform Errol Spence Jr. vs a common opponent. As for Khan, he might as well cash out against Kell Brook and call it a day. His main weapon has been speed and if that attribute is diminished then he is essentially the equivalent of a scoring point guard in the NBA who has lost a step (capable of being productive against the right team/opponent, but not able to win at the highest level)
Peace,
William in West Palm
Bread’s Response: I think Amir Khan is a great kid and I really like him. But often times when I hear him talk I get the feeling that his perspective is always off. I get the feeling he’s not a student of the boxing and athletics in general. When I heard him talk about his size I thought the same thing. I don’t think he’s so much bigger than Crawford. They look pretty much even in size to me. Khan is a hair taller and Crawford is longer. I also feel that Crawford understands how to impose his strength more than Khan does. Crawford has proven it. Khan focuses on the wrong things. It’s not who’s bigger anyway, strength and skill are more important than vanity size.
The haven’t commented much on the low blow because I think it was asinine. I’m glad the fight was stopped. Crawford was going to knock Amir unconscious. He was honing in on him and I didn’t want to see that. He was softening him up with body shots and Amir was lunging more and more. Eventually he would have fell into a check hook and hurt really bad. I don’t need to see a kid I like kod bad again.
I was hoping the fight would be stopped anyway. So that gave me relief without damaging the correct outcome. Crawford by tko is correct without Khan getting actually knocked out.
I don’t know if the shot hit Amir in his genitals or not. None of us do unless we know where Amir’s junk hangs. I don’t care to imagine. I think Virgil Hunter saw something he didn’t like in Khan’s demeanor and he made the right call. He saved his fighter. I have no problem with that. Khan has showed heart that most would not dream of having and I don’t want to question his heart now. He took a fight that many others turned down. Crawford is a killer.
Roy Jones used to get criticized for not having fundamentals and when his speed dissipated he dropped off. They used to say Roy didn’t have fundamentals. I never bought into that. Roy did have fundamentals he was just unconventional. Roy lasted at the top for 15 years. Khan has shown a lack of fundamentals throughout his career and now that he’s lost a step, his IQ and/fundamentals will show. Khan is just in a tough spot. If you think Jones fell off then imagine where Khan will fall too.
I really hope Khan makes the right decision. I don’t know what he should do. But he has to be very careful. The mistakes he makes are dangerous. And Khan doesn’t have a big punch or the savvy to get by at this moment at the elite level. A very smart matchmaker who understands where Khan is may be needed. Khan is a gun he will fight anybody. But at this point he can’t fight anybody. He has to fight a select opponent.
Crawford will most likely fight Kell Brook or entice a big 140 to move up and fight him. Crawford really is running out of opponents. It’s going to be tough for him to get a big name in their prime to fight him. Crawford is being boxed out big time. I think Crawford beats Kell Brook. Brook is stronger and a more fundamentally complete fighter than Khan so he may do better. But he won’t beat Crawford. I have observed something about Brook. He’s lost his zest to fight. He moved up to 154 claiming making 147 was too much of a strain. He’s ranked really high by all of the sanctioning bodies and he can get a title shot whenever he wants but he hasn’t taken one. Now he may be considering moving back down to 147. Well if 147 is hard to make then it’s hard to make. I heard him ask Errol Spence for a rematch at 154 because the weight depleted him. If Brook takes this fight at 147 then he’s taking it for money and not to win. You can’t mess with Terence Crawford unless you’re all in. Crawford will hurt you and hurt you bad.
What’s good Bro Bread. It’s been a minute but had a couple of boxing thoughts I wanted to ask and share. First, they’re saying that Porter will get Spence next. I was in Dallas for the Spence Garcia fight and just happened to stay at the same hotel that Porter was staying at and had a chance to meet him. I assume most of these guys aren’t as big as they look on TV but Shawn is not a very big man. From what I hear EJ is like 5 ’10 and walks around at 170-180 pounds. Shawn looked like he was maybe 5’7 and 155 pounds. Porter has never been known as a big puncher and I can only see Spence steamrolling him. I know Porter is supposed to be super strong but the guy who beats Spence will have to get his respect with some power shots and I just don’t think Porter does it, although I am a big fan of both. How do you see the fight playing out?
I watched the Wilder/Fury fight again and I can’t help but think that Wilder may have over trained for the fight. I’m not trying to make any excuses for his performance, but he just didn’t seem like he had any legs the second half of the fight which is uncommon for him. He typically looks like the much fresher fighter.
I think Crawford’s camp is having buyer’s remorse and maybe second-guessing resigning with Arum. I like Arum and how he builds fighters, but he has also had somewhat of a history with ugly breakups. If I’m Crawford and I hear my promoter say that he didn’t get me the biggest fight of my career because he was trying to save the other fighter, then “Houston We Have a Problem”. I also think that Arum tirade against Al was purposefully counterproductive to move Crawford in another direction. It’s a way for Arum to keep putting Bud against in house fighters and dictating the funds. Arum has done all this talking but what you haven’t heard him say is that he has tried reaching out to Al. Even with the Danny Garcia “offer” he sent it to Angel. Who does business that way that is really trying to get business done? Arum is playing Bud and Bomac and they may be to naive to see it.
I try not to be one of these “I knew it” guys but I may have written in to you or thought about doing it when I watched an interview with Big Baby Miller about why he wouldn’t sign up to be ranked in the WBC organization. He said something to the effect that because VADA is constantly adding things to the banned list it puts fighters at a disadvantage blah blah blah….. I thought at the time it sounded like total BS and from that point on I was suspicious, so it does not surprise me that he tested positive. I’m not sure why all the organization wouldn’t take a similar stance unless they are condoning the behavior.
I’ll end with this. I had a dream about the Canelo vs Jacobs fight, and I thought I might share just in case in came true. In my dream Jacob was closing in on Canelo along the ropes and as Canelo tried to slip away to his left Jacobs hit him with a big hook and dropped him in the corner. I don’t know who won or if it was a knockout because I woke up, but I do put stock into dreams so I think Jacobs may shock the world.
Bread’s Response: Good question. However I disagree on Porter’s size. Porter is short but he fought at 165lbs as an amatuer. Spence fought at 152lbs. So while I do believe that Spence walks around between 170-180. I don’t believe for one second believe that Porter walks around at 155lbs in between fights. That would be really hard to hold with no fight coming up and fighting twice a year.
I think Spence has a length and punching power advantage. I don’t know who’s stronger they will have to fight to find out. I suspect Spence will move forward more. I suspect Porter will box like he did vs Ugas. I don’t believe Spence can steam roll Porter. Porter has a solid chin with plenty of experience. He never gets steam rolled.
I won’t say Crawford made a mistake signing with Top Rank. Crawford signed with the promoter he wanted to be loyal to. He signed with the promoter that “put him on”. He signed with the promoter he was comfortable with. You would be surprised how much comfortability plays a apart in boxing. Getting your per diems on time, medicals, rooms, tickets etc etc. The staff of the promoters you fight for is very important to fighter’s who have a choice.
Now that comfortability and loyalty comes with a price and sacrifice. The promoter has to work in order to get you certain fights against opponents that aren’t in your stable. In Arum’s defense Crawford has faced a few fighters that weren’t Top Rank fighters. Gamboa, Diaz and Molina were not with Top Rank and some were with PBC at the time. But Crawford has not gotten any of the big dogs, Spence, Garcia, Thurman or Porter. Unfortuantely I don’t think he will either. They have to fight each other first. I think Top Rank will have to petition the sanctioning bodies in order to get Crawford ranked by the WBC, IBF and WBA. If he can become a mandatory then I think that puts pressure on them to fight him.
Top Rank really has their work cut out for them. But I don’t think Crawford regrets signing with Top Rank. Crawford was not the most sought after prospect and I think he’s loyal to Top Rank. Let’s see how this plays out.
I also heard Miller talk about how many things have been added to VADA’s list. I understood what he was saying but I couldn’t understand why he said it. Now we can see why. If you keep your diet and supplement intake simple you don’t have to worry about pushing the envelope with new supplement intake.
In baseball and track I have read about cases where the athletes were taking things that later became banned but at the time they took them they weren’t banned yet. Technically that’s not cheating but it does show that they have people who are supplying them with stuff that are well aware of the limits. There are people much smarter than the fighters who stay up on what is cheating and what isn’t. Those people get aggravated when VADA stays up on the topic and it’s why VADA is the best. VADA staying up to date on new designer drugs would not aggravate a clean fighter.
Send Questions to dabreadman25@hotmail.com