In this week's mailbag, Stephen 'Breadman' Edwards reflects on the performance of Shakur Stevenson, its late start time, the career of Boots Ennis, and the notion that Terence Crawford could beat Oleksandr Usyk.
Dear Mr Edwards, It's Saturday night and the first bell for Lopez-Stevenson has just sounded at 12:15am Eastern. What a disgrace for the first big boxing event of the year that had the massive advantage of the NFL being absent this weekend. By the way, I'm on the west coast and still hate these late start times. Ideally, the main event first bell should sound at 9pm Eastern/6pm Pacific. As you said last week: When boxing gets its priorities straight, then it will prosper again. I'm sure people with influence read this mailbag. If you're one of those people, get your priorities straight. These promoters and networks are literally squeezing blood from a stone by asking what's left of the boxing fanbase to pay, then put up with their PPV greediness, logistical failures, and fear of going head-to-head with the UFC. Ramblings aside, I should pose a question. Is there a sleeper country that you think will develop and put some good pros on the scene in the future? Thanks, as always, for the great work.
Bread’s response: I don’t want to complain too much because Shakur Stevenson, Keyshawn Davis and Bruce Carrington all put on excellent performances. But common sense should tell you that to gain a mass audience you have to deliver a product that is reachable. The Super Bowl, which is the most viewed sporting event in the US, comes on at approximately 6pm EST on a Sunday. Why the people who run boxing think they will gain new followers by putting on a show after midnight is beyond me.
I’m going to guess that there is some type of algorithm that suggests the show should be on at midnight. But whatever that algorithm is, it’s wrong. But I digress, it’s not worth the muscles in my fingers.
I suspect Canada will start to produce more fighters. There is good things happening in Toronto and Montreal. It’s close to the US and they have real promoters.
Hoping you and yours are well. Boots Ennis is one fighter you and I will never see eye to eye on. I don't rate Boots Ennis highly, at all, and I'm sorry for how his career has turned out but Boots only has himself and his people to blame for it. I'm not sure what gave them the idea Boots could shun established powerhouse promoters and go his own way to become a megastar. That was a fatal error on their part. I mean, even the undisputed pay per view king Floyd Mayweather Jr had to be tied to Top Rank first before going his own way. So did the great Andre Ward whose career was stunted by trying to get out of his promotional contract. The great Bud Crawford also had to go through a promotional powerhouse before he went it alone. How did a guy like Boots Ennis, who didn't even have an Olympic medal behind him, think he was going to make it without a little help from these promotional giant friends? He's in his late twenties and he's literally achieved nothing. Thank you for last week’s breakdown of Spinks v Foster. However, Foster might have lost to heavyweight contenders other than champions like Ali and Frazier but he never froze the way Spinks froze against Mike Tyson when he fought Ali and Frazier and I believe Foster beats him on temperament alone because their dominance at light heavyweight is about equal. Keep punching Mr Edwards. Katlholo Johannesburg, South Africa
Bread’s response: I get constantly questioned because I said Boots Ennis is a superior talent. I stand on that. Time will tell. I can’t speak on anything from a business standpoint because I don’t know what’s going on. What I will say, objectively, is that Boots needs a big fight in 2026. But you guys conflate my comments. When I speak on a fighter I am specific. When I say Boots is talented that doesn’t mean everything on the promotional side is perfect. I don’t claim to know what goes on behind closed doors.
Spinks vs Foster. Hmm… Foster was crushed in two rounds by Joe Frazier. Spinks was crushed in one round by Mike Tyson. I think that’s about the same performance. Spinks delivered vs Holmes and Cooney. Foster never delivered once vs a heavyweight of note. I’m not sure what your logic is. Maybe you like Foster more. I understand that. But if you go by what they did and who they beat, Spinks is the superior fighter. Michael Spinks would not lose to Zora Folley.
Hi Breadman, 1. How much credence, if any, do you give to the fact that both Shakur and Keyshawn have significant association with Terence Crawford? Not that a fight would ever happen given their relationship, but do you have a favourite? 2. Brandon Adams’ two performances against Bohachuk are looking better and better. Is this a simple matter of him having Bohachuk's number, or is Adams inconsistent or underrated? 3. I also liked Josh Kelly before the fight, but your response reaffirmed what I felt and convinced me further to add to my bet, so thank you. I do however feel he may have got the rub of the green (it could have gone either way), given how he wilted towards the end. Fair play to him for seeing it through, but I cannot see how he makes it through the killers that await him at junior middle. I believe he would be much better placed moving up to middleweight and quick. 4. Maybe a stupid question, but my brother told me he liked Crawford to beat Usyk, irrespective of size, and he could do it now at this moment in time. I find this difficult to explain how or why Crawford would lose, so maybe you can explain it better to a casual fan? Thanks
Bread’s response: I think being around Terence Crawford has its benefits. He can offer them boxing insight and business insight. They can just also sit back and watch Crawford and pick up pieces from his game without even asking. Superior athletes can look at other athletes and replicate their movements. It’s why basketball players play a certain way in certain regions. Same with dancers. Same with boxers.
If you go to any gym across the world and you will see fighters in that gym copying the mannerisms of the gym’s best fighter. Don’t believe me? Go look at certain Mexican fighters. You can tell who trained near Ricardo Lopez. Juan Manuel Marquez and his brother Rafael hold their hands exactly like Lopez used to. When you watch Shakur and Keyshawn fight, you can tell they have been around Crawford.
I’m not going to say who I would pick between Shakur and Keyshawn. They vowed not to fight and that’s that. It’s not worth talking about.
I think Brandon Adams is underrated, inconsistent, and he has Bohachuk’s number.
Josh Kelly looked good. I thought he edged it. It doesn’t mean he beats everyone at 154. But last weekend was just his day. I wouldn’t favor him to beat the champions at 154 or 160. But let’s see how it plays out for the young man.
Terence Crawford is the world’s best P4P fighter but he can’t beat Usyk in a real fight. Anyone who thinks that is not worth your time arguing with. Including your brother.
Bread - You nailed it with the Josh Kelly prediction. Keyshawn looked so sharp. Shu Shu pulled through… But Shakur looks untouchable. Who beats Shakur and how?
Bread’s response: Thanks. Keyshawn looked phenomenal. Shu Shu looked very good. And Shakur does look untouchable. I can’t tell you WHO can beat Shakur. He may be good enough to beat everyone. But I can tell you what type of fighter can trouble him. A long sharp fighter with a Tommy Hearns-like dynamic offense. The fighter would have to have a significant reach advantage over Shakur to counteract his out-of-this-world reflexes. The fighter also has to have significant power so Shakur can feel the threat of being KO’d if he decides to press the fight. The other type of fighter is an Aaron Pryor-type. William Zepeda gave Shakur a tussle but Pryor is much better. Pryor is more athletic, better defensively, more twitchy with better pedigree than Zepeda. So, an athletic, relentless swarmer that can box. Maybe his volume can overcome Shakur’s precision. However, I don’t know if a Hearns- or Pryor-type exist for Shakur in his weight classes.
Hi Bread, I'm not even going to discuss Shakur's otherworldly performance. It wasn't long ago I worried that he would not get the right opponents (at the right time) to have the chance to create a Floyd/Bud level resume. How things can change swiftly. Muratalla just had a great win, is in his prime, wants to fight Shakur. Floyd Schofield still wants the fight vs Shakur. There’s Abdullah Mason and then you have Richardson Hitchins, and maybe even Devin Haney if Shakur would really press hard to get that fight. Do you think he has the opponents to build a great resume? Thanks for the immense insights shared every weekend.
Bread’s response: Shakur can build a Floyd-like resume but he has to get busy. Floyd had more fights when he was a similar age to Shakur. Floyd was just further along in terms of public appeal. He was much more active, therefore the fans saw him more. But Shakur has time. Shakur is in a unique situation. He can fight the best fighters in two divisions. And he can do something that the other unified champions of this era have not done. And that’s unify in two divisions simultaneously and defend both titles on a regular basis. He also has a large field of young fighters to fight in their primes, so his legacy can really become enhanced if he gets to work over the next few years.
Bread, After the way Shakur dismantled Teo, it begs the question: what active boxer can give Shakur a real challenge? Right now I'm looking at fighters between lightweight and welterweight. The names that stand out to me off the top of my head (no order) are: Keyshawn Davis; Devin Haney; Raymond Muratalla; Abdullah Mason; Gervonta Davis (if he can clear up his legal troubles and decides to fight again). And honestly, some of these guys feel like a stretch because they lack experience (which is why I haven't included Floyd Schofield). The guy I'd give the best chance to is Gervonta Davis, which would be an instant superfight, but I'm not convinced Gervonta will fight again. Thanks, DougDouglas Cohen
Bread’s response: Time always tells. Sometimes a style you don’t suspect can give a great fighter issues. Sometimes it’s the tough 50/50 super-fight. Right now, we don’t know. But it’s up to Shakur to clear out an era and take on all challenges so we can judge him properly once his career is done. He seems to be the type to line everybody up, similar to Pernell Whitaker, who didn't care who he fought. Let's see.
W’sup Bread, Calling the Murtazilev-Kelly fight like you did in last week's mailbag was some impressive stuff, true savant! The inactivity monster stroke again. Bakhram also could've cut the ring off better and shown more variation earlier in the fight. Zayas really impressed me, I think skill-wise he'd be Boots’ best fight due to his youth and body type; he showed me something vs Baraou. Teo had a terrible gameplan vs Shakur, no variation at all. The problem with him & Danny Garcia is they stayed too loyal to their dads who were limited as trainers when it came to their sons fighting elite fighters. Shakur did great, master of distance and efficiency. I just wish him and Devin Haney would close the show offensively on guys when it becomes evident they're superior. Anyways, appreciate you as always, much blessings!
Bread’s response: I knew who Bakhram was before he hit the mainstream. He was Jermell Charlo’s mandatory for years but he kept getting step aside pay days. I always thought to myself that if he was THAT good, he would go for his title shot and just win the title. But he never went after Charlo. Then I saw him fight on a few PBC undercards. He was solid. He was a good puncher. But I knew I was not watching GGG or Beterbiev. So respectfully, I never viewed him as a monster. I viewed him as a very good fighter who’s fighting in an era where most of the fighters are businessmen. There is no way a champion can’t find someone to defend his title against for over a year. Bakhram would not have had that issue in any other era except the one he’s currently in. When Jarrett Hurd, Jermell Charlo, Jermall Charlo, Julian Williams, Tony Harrison and Erislandy Lara were all in their primes they would have fought him several times over and we would have found out what and who Bakhram was. So I just factored in he was going to Kelly’s hometown and Kelly would put everything into his first title shot.
I like Zayas' improvement. But I think Ortiz and Ennis are more advanced than him at this current moment.
What are your thoughts on Floyd Mayweather’s lawsuit against Showtime, Stephen Espinoza and Al Haymon? I can remember Floyd saying he works for himself and Manny Pacquiao works for Top Rank. Now we find out that he may have been wrong. 50 Cent is really clowning him on social media. Is there any substance to this lawsuit?
Bread’s response: This is all a surprise to me. I have no idea what’s going on. I don’t even want to publicly speculate on a pending case like this. So, personally, I will just let due process take place.
What’s up Bread?I hope all is well and let’s get straight to it: How would you describe Shakur’s adaptability? In his last two performances he’s handled heavy pressure from William Zepeda and neutralized Teo’s explosiveness. Critics claim Shakur is pillow-fisted yet his results suggest otherwise. I’m curious to hear your thoughts because it seems like the guy who beats him will have to go through hell to do it. William in West Palm Beach
Bread’s response: Shakur’s adaptability is top tier. The only other thing I need to see him do is attack a fighter who can hurt him but is giving him trouble in his normal boxing mode. If you need examples, see Whitaker vs Hurtado and Leonard vs Hearns I. I don’t believe Shakur is feather fisted. I believe he’s decent puncher, who can hit you clean just about whenever he wants. A clean consistent puncher is always dangerous. All punches hurt. Just because the punches don’t KO you in one shot it doesn’t mean they don’t hurt. Shakur punches hard enough to control his opponents and that's all he needs. Control.
Hi Breadman, Do you think Top Rank, PBC, and Golden Boy will go out of business in the near future (this year or in a couple years) because they don’t have a broadcast deal, put on shows irregularly, and Zuffa is coming in as well?
Bread’s response: Boxing is not in the best of places right now and old foes may need to collaborate to survive these times.
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