Daily Bread Mailbag: Golovkin, May-Pac, Canelo, More

By Stephen "Breadman" Edwards

As another fight week approaches, Stephen Edwards comes in with another mailbag discussing WBA/IBO middleweight champion Gennady "GGG" Golovkin, more questions about Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Manny Pacquiao, and more.

Wassup Bread,

Just had a few comments about the May/Pac fight.  After the fight I felt a little torn; on one hand Mayweather put on an excellent performance with his boxing ability, defense, accuracy and counter-punching; but on the other hand, I kind of wanted Mayweather to walk Pac down later in the fight.  I understand that he may have been hit with something he didn't like and chose to play it safe. You would think after all of the negative media over the last 5 or 6 years calling him "scared" and cowardly" etc, that he would have fought like he had something to prove.  My question is: Where do you draw the line when it comes to winning vs entertaining?  I know that the ultimate goal is to win, but should you at least try to be as impressive as possible for the fans, as well as, taking the necessary precautions? I think Mayweather fights according to his level of competition, meaning he will do just enough to win; so if you are pressuring him or pushing him to the limit, only then will he respond.  What would you do if you were a boxer Bread? Would you fight just enough to win or would you try to balance it out? I think Terrence Crawford is a great example of a boxer who "moves" (often referred to by casual fans as running) but will take you out if he sees you are hurt. Thoughts?

Also....what do you think of Pac/Freddy after the fight being somewhat of a "sore loser" with the shoulder injury excuse, as well as, him saying that he thought he won the fight?  Should boxers bring up injuries as excuses after a loss or is that perceived by the public as being whiny or a sore loser? Thoughts?

Bread’s Response: Good question. I believe a professional prizefighter’s responsibility to the fans is to entertain but not at the expense of winning. If you guys would just listen to Floyd Mayweather you will understand where he’s coming from. He tells you what’s going on in an round about way. Right now he’s a little ticked at Manny because of the excuses but Floyd thinks highly of Manny as a fighter. He felt a sense of danger in the fight and he didn’t want to take risk because of that danger. Floyd was hurt twice bro. Everyone talks about the 4th round but Manny hit him with a left hand on the temple in the 6th round. Watch that round again. Floyd just knows how to remain calm under adversity. He wasn’t going to chance it after that especially in a fight that he was controlling. Honestly I’m not disappointed or happy about it. It’s just who Floyd is. And I don’t think he ran or excessively held. He more or less quelled the action and controlled Manny.

Floyd understands that his style is not for everyone. So he entertains in other ways. Outside of the ring…He shows the public his lavish lifestyle. He’s outspoken. He has found a way to make people watch him although most don’t feel his style is exciting. There is obviously an intrigue about Floyd…

I’m not going to be so hard on Manny. I’ve heard 99% of fighters make excuses after a loss or not so great performance. I don’t have to name any of them specifically but just about ALL of them do it. Go to youtube bro and look at some of the post interviews after losses. Shoulders, feet, hands, trainers etc etc. Sometimes it’s an excuse sometimes it’s a valid reason. It’s not a big deal to me.

What up Bread?  Long time reader of your work.  I was curious on your opinion of Manny's circle?  It seems to me as if Manny's best interest isn't everyone's priority.  From things like Koncz checking the wrong box or even the paltry sums that Manny takes home vs. revenue generated.  Manny should be questioning why he took home a $25M check and Floyd took home a $100M check when the split was 60/40.  I've just always felt Manny is too trusting of Top Rank and Michal Koncz.  More on that, would it be unheard of for a promoter to limit his take on a fighters purse?  If Manny still pays top rank 27.5% then I really feel Arum should have said there is no way a promoter is worth 27.5M for a fight that basically sold itself.  Bob Arum has been doing this forever and probably does not need the money so why not look out for the fighter?  Hell, limit your take to 5-10 million and put the rest in a trust for the fighter.  That's just my take on it.

Bread’s Response: I can remember Manny hired a company a couple of years ago to investigate his finances. Opening the books is what it’s called in the business world. The outcome of that investigation didn’t get talked about much.

I don’t know pertinent details of Manny’s finances. But I’ve always been curious as to why Manny’s guarantees were so low throughout his career despite him being the 2nd biggest PPV draw in boxing over the last 6 or 7 years. For a while Manny and Floyd were neck in neck but Floyd’s guarantees were significantly higher…..

I also have always felt Manny didn’t run a tight enough ship with his team. At one point Alex Ariza would same something that was contradictory to what Freddie Roach was saying, and Michael Koncz would be saying something different from what Freddie Roach was saying. And Bob Arum would be saying something different from what Michael Koncz was saying. That’s a sign of confusion and chaos. I’m truly surprised that Manny has lasted this long at the top level. Hopefully this last payday will allow him to live the rest of his life very comfortably. I don’t ever want to see him fight again. He’s given me enough thrills throughout a great career.

What's up Bread? I hope all is good man. First I have to congratulate you on the Mayweather Pacquiao prediction.

I had Mayweather winning 9-3, I thought Pacquiao would out work Floyd to a UD, thinking he was gonna out work Floyd, but after I saw Floyd moving so Swiftly on his feet on the first round and the trouble his reach was giving Manny I knew the writing was on the wall. Pacquiao looked like he walked on quicksand, and save for a few bursts here and there, gone was the Pacquiao Blitzkrieg attack that from David Diaz to Margarito made him Boxing's most popular offensive machine. That being said you got to admire the way Floyd boxed him, even when he was briefly stunned he never lost his composure.

And now on to the shoulder injury fiasco. I agree with you Pacquiao is done. His team knew this and this is why the fight went on IMO. Logic said Pacquiao wasn't going to get better, so why postpone and maybe even cancel a 100+ million dollar paycheck. It was the same deal with Martinez on a smaller economical scale, his knees were shot they could only get worst with wear and tear and Martinez was no Spring chicken,  so he gambled. A career high 3 million dollar pay check, against a popular smaller opponent  and lost the fight but won the business side of things, he can retire happy he made as much money as he possibly could under the circumstances. No one is calling Martinez a fraud, for pretending he didn't have bum knees and still going through the fight mainly because after losing he didn't use his injuries as an excuse. The excuse part is were an ill advised Pacquiao went wrong.

Pacquiao should have kept his mouth shut. He went through the fight, he didn't get hurt and he made more money in one night than 99.9 of the worlds population makes in a lifetime. Now he comes as a sore loser to some, and as a fraud to those who bet money on him and paid to watch the event. The worst part of it is that he really doesn't deserve the criticism, his team does,  not so much for allowing the fight to happen, it was a smart business decision,  Pac can now retire and live well, but for not advising Manny to Keep quiet about the injury and then instead of fixing Pacquiao's PR blunder adding more fuel to the fire.

And I agree with you, I have been reading rumors of Pacquiao fighting Kell Brook or Crawford in a return bout. Top Rank will get him killed, or at least brain damaged, and they have a history of throwing Manny under the bus as you have stated over the years, if there has been fighter that has been matched tough in the sport that fighter has been Manny.  I love Crawford, I think he is the truth, but I have too much respect and admiration for Manny to watch him be the sacrificial lamb that propels Terrence to stardom.

Mayweather won the fight he is the one who should be talking Kell Brook and Crawford, not Manny. Top Rank will obviously not consider Manny's long term health when matching him upon his unnecessary return to the ring. If Freddy truly loves Manny like a son, I hope he pulls the plug on Manny's great hall of fame career.

On an unrelated note, what do you know of William Monroe Jr. Can he upset or at least be competitive against GGG? –Samuel

Bread’s Response: Sure Willie Monroe can be competitive. GGG is just a man. He’s a dangerous man but nevertheless he’s a man. If a world class fighter has 8 weeks to train and he’s not afraid to execute, he has a chance to win. However, for the record though I like GGG in the fight.

Because Manny was able to win some rounds with allegedly being hurt I can already see the “spin”. I don’t know what to say….Get ready though because it’s coming. Manny will be the sacrificial lamb to propel some young kid to stardom. You know what I’m hoping for. Manny fights Jesse Vargas. Although I think he should retire, I still think he can beat quality fighters like Vargas. My guess is he will get fed to Kell Brook or Terrance Crawford. We shall see….

What's up Bread? I thought Freddy Roach did Manny a disservice. You have to give props to Mayweather for showing the discipline not to show the shoulder roll not one time in the fight. I believe that's what Manny trained for and when he didn't see it, his night came to an end. Roach look like a deer in headlights.

Brian "Brutally Honest" Green

Washington, DC

Bread’s Response: No doubt about it. Great gameplan by Floyd. Floyd threw people off by not shoulder rolling and he didn’t try to walk Manny down like he did other southpaws Zab Judah, Sharmba Mitchell, Chop Chop Corley and Victor Ortiz. He did 80% of his boxing from a distance. Manny was looking for his pound of flesh but it was rarely there.

Do you feel as though JM Marquez was juiced for his 4th fight with Pacquiao? If so how does it affect his legacy?

Bread’s Response: To publicly say a fighter was juiced without any proof is reckless and disrespectful. I will say, I am highly suspicious of Marquez. Out of all of the top fighters of this era, I am most suspicious of Juan Manuel Marquez’s performance and body transformation for his 3rd and 4th fights with Manny Pacquiao. Was that good enough for you?

Fighters, fans and media celebrate Marquez’s brutal KO of Pacquiao. So I assume it enhances his legacy…..

Who do you feel gave Floyd the toughest fight, Manny Pacquiao or Miguel Cotto? This is a barbershop argument you have to settle for us.

Bread’s Response: Good question. Visually I think people will say Cotto did. But in my opinion Pacquiao did. They both won about the same number of rounds 4. And while the Cotto fight had more action I think that happened because Floyd tried more things. He was able to get a toe hold on Cotto and stand his ground and punish Cotto. In fact Floyd almost stopped Cotto late in the fight and he was going for him.

In the Pacquiao fight because of Pacquiao’s sharpness and buzzing Floyd a few times, Floyd simply won the fight. He didn’t risk what he did against Cotto. Floyd has a great instinct as to who he can do what too. So Cotto bloodied his nose and the fight was a little more exciting but I believe it was because Floyd made it that way because he could handle the heat of what Cotto throwing. Pacquiao was a greater threat to Floyd in their fight. For the record I still say Floyd didn’t run from Pac and Pac fought better than people gave him credit for.

Glen Tapia‏

If that guy really wants to be a pressure fighter he needs to:

1. Quit juicing

2. Shed 15lbs of muscle so he doesn't have to drain 25lbs of sweat to make weight

3. Quit drinking

If he goes to 160 he will take huge beatings. His intelligence seems a bit on the lower side. He's tries to be a bully but I think he has stamina issues.

Bread’s Response: Top Rank does not have many players in the super welter and middleweight divisions, Glen Tapia was their hope. But he has been KO'd twice in the last 18 months in fights he was favored in.

I think Tapia has lots of issues. He is definitely heavily muscled. And his stamina issues are visible. He’s always tired after 3 rounds. Maybe his body just doesn’t process the simple sugars quick enough. Whatever the case may be he is the type of fighter who really needs a sports science guy in his camp. There is something wrong. Unfortunately for him I wouldn’t be surprised if Top Rank cuts him, they usually don’t allow too many slip ups this early. I will say this, I am surprised they matched him with sharp shooting Michel Soro. I picked Soro to beat him.

A few years back there were literally about 20 young fighters between 147 and 154 that looked like they were going to do big things. Through attrition so many have came up short. Glen Tapia, Steve Martinez, Denis Douglin, Michael Zewski, Alphonso Blanco, Eddie Gomez, John Jackson, Adam Trupish and Jonathon Gonzales have all either taken tough losses or suffer from out of the ring problems.

Erol Spence, Sammy Vasquez, Jermell Charlo, Jermall Charlo, Tony Harrison, Dominique Dolton, Hugo Centeno and Julian “JRock” Williams all seem to be in good standing but still have lots of jungle to fight through.

A few questions that will be all over the place. What do you think of the NSAC not allowing Pacquiao to use the numbing medicine? Why do you think people are so down on the fight? Who are you picking to win the remainder of the fights in May, it seems as though you are never wrong? Hypothetical match ups Floyd Mayweather vs the Fabulous Four?

Bread’s Response: I think authority organizations should always use discretion when applying the law. For example if a police officer sees a guy running a red light and he stops him. If he finds out the guy is rushing his pregnant wife to the hospital and she’s in labor, technically he broke the law and the officer could give him a ticket. But if the officer uses common sense and discretion he will escort the guy and his wife to the hospital so they can have a safe delivery.

Team Pacquiao screwed up there is no denying that. But in the grand scheme of things if they went to USADA and got the medication cleared which all parties seem to agree on I don’t get why they didn’t allow Manny to use the medicine. I also wonder what happens if a fighter is shaking out the night before the fight AFTER all of his paperwork has been filled out and he tweaks an injury. Does that fighter get denied the shot that is legal? I don’t know I just think a little discretion could have been used.

I am not down on the fight. I thought the fight was so important I was on the edge of my seat because of what was at stake. Was it the most exciting fight I have seen, hell no, but it wasn’t Wlad Klitschko vs Alex Povetkin either.

A prominent trainer asked me if I have ever waited 6 years to sleep with a woman. I told him I have never waited 6 months to sleep with a woman, lol. He went on to add that a fight that has a 6 year build up has to be better than Corrales vs Castillo by a landslide. I agree with him.

Although the PPV numbers are off the charts, as far as in the ring occurrence, no fight can live up to that. Especially when the guy considered to be the action fighter has slipped over those 6 years. So there it is. Think about the analogy. One more thing, has there ever been a true superfight in the lower weight classes between a 38 and a 36 year old?...Hmmmm….

I am wrong sometimes. I picked Bryant Jennings to beat Wladimir Klitschko. Next week I’m picking Roman Gonzales to win in a technical but violent beat down. I’m also picking GGG to win in the same exact fashion. His left hook to the liver will be a big shot in this fight because southpaws have a hard time defending it. They lead with that side of their bodies.

I don’t have a take on Dirrell vs Degale. This is a serious 50/50 fight. I’m just going to close my eyes and pick Dirrell because I think he is due to win a title but don’t bet that fight because of my pick. I think Degale is live.

Amir Khan is going to light Chris Algieri up like a Christmas tree. Algieri is up against it. I will be surprised if he doesn’t get stopped or at least dropped multiple times.

I have already answered Floyd vs the Fab 4 many times.

Man your theory on attacking fighters is on point. Kirkland was slurring before the fight, his legs looked like they are shot and his chin is gone. What did you think of Canelo’s destruction of him? Who are you picking in Cotto vs Geale and if it happens Cotto vs Canelo?

Bread’s Response: Canelo is a gun and I respect him a lot. Because he has tested himself vs a plethora of styles he has visibly improved. Canelo has seen just about everything in the ring. I don’t believe he will ever be the #1 guy p4p but he will be a major force for the next few years.

His destruction of James Kirkland was violent and beautiful. People are saying Kirkland was made to order for Canelo. I say so what. Lara and Trout weren’t and he beat them too. Canelo deserves credit. It’s not his fault Kirkland didn’t have Ann Wolfe and was inactive for a year and a half. It’s not like he put it in the contract as part of the stipulations.

Let me wait on my prediction of Cotoo vs Canelo. I want to see how Cotto looks vs Geale. Freddie Roach has been in a little bit of a slump lately. But I am impressed with Gavin McMillan, Cotto’s S&C coach. He’s one of the sharpest S&C coaches around. I loved how Cotto’s body looked vs Martinez. I loved the weight he came in at. I loved the workouts they were doing leading up to the fight. I think 80% of these coaches are overrated but not McMillan. He’s the truth. If he can keep Cotto in that form, he will give Canelo hell because he has seemed to put life back in Cotto’s legs and Canelo does not have quick feet.

As for Cotto vs Geale I’m picking Cotto. I think Geale is quality but if you look closely at his stoppage to GGG, in my opinion you will see he packed it in a little bit. After the knockdown when he landed a shot and GGG landed a shot immediately afterwards, Geale got up he wobbled for the ref, he started blinking then he slightly shook his head no to the ref. In my opinion that was his way of asking the ref to stop the fight. He gets a pass because GGG is a killer but when I see that in a fighter it’s hard for me to pick him in a big fight where he will be under the gun. Cotto sometimes gets complacent when he’s with a trainer too long so he’s a wild card. But I’m still taking him vs Geale.

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