Daily Bread Mailbag: Spence, Golovkin vs. Ramirez, Mike Tyson

By Stephen 'Breadman' Edwards

The Daily Bread Mailbag returns with Stephen 'Breadman' Edwards answering questions on Errol Spence's recent win over Chris Algieri, Gennady Golovkin moving up to face Gilberto Ramirez at super middleweight, and more.

Yes Breadman

With UK boxing booming in and out the ring. I wanted to get your opinion on what styles trouble UK fighters and Mexican vs East European.

You spoke about matchmakers and internal guys knowing that black American fighters had the edge over Mexican fighters, Mexican fighters having the edge over East European and East European having the edge over black American fighters. Where do UK fighters fit on this equation?

I see UK fighters generally as being long to midrange boxers and being very offensive juggernauts and not being able to defend inside. Amir Khan, Kell Brook, Carl Froch, David Haye, Prince Naseem and BillyJoe Saunders.

Can only think of a few off the top of my head who can fight/defend inside. DeGale, Eubank jr and Tyson Fury.

With Mexicans having the edge over East European boxers, why do most of boxing not give Canelo a chance vs Golovkin?

Jermaine from London

Bread’s Response: UK fighters don’t really factor into the determination to be honest with you. If you notice the quote wasn’t about American fighters it was about Black American fighters. The UK is multicultural and you see fighters of all kinds who can do a variety of things.

The UK is thriving and I have seen it all from their finest fighters. The US has a serious challenge from the UK in boxing supremacy.

I think overall Team Canelo is giving GGG too much respect. I say Canelo should take 1 more fight after Khan to grow a little more then fight GGG. He’s not as over his head as people think. I’m not saying he’s going to win but I think he’s in the fight. And if it goes the distance he has a great chance. Canelo will get benefit of the doubt in lots of close rounds.

What's good Bread.

I'm a big supporter of Errol Spence. I think this kid is something serious. I'm not trying to sound like a hater but he gets caught cleanly because he is so focused on delivering his shots. Maybe he would be more cautious if he knows some real heat is coming back at him. Now I know it will take a certain type of fighter to capitalize on this, but I think a sharp/strong puncher who is willing to throw while Spence is throwing (this will take some balls) can cause him some problems (ala Danny Garcia, Manny Pacquiao(even though he's semi retired), possibly Jesse Vargas or maybe Kell Brook). I will still favor Spence over Garcia and Vargas and I give him a slight edge over Brook. What are your thoughts?? Secondly, I know many say that punchers are born. But what do you think contributes more to punching power? Leg strength, balance, core strength, fast twitch muscles, all of the above. I notice the difference in the way  men's hands are built (no homo) that some guys have very dense and solid hands and others not so much. I imagine those dense hands can cause much more damage then a less solid one. Your thoughts. I think Ortiz will beat Berto in similar fashion as the first fight. Canelo will win a close controversial decision against Khan so neither man will really lose. Tell J-Rock to keep knocking heads off!! and much respect to you and your team.

Osiris

Bread’s Response: I was very impressed with what Spence did to Algieri. But I’m not going to get carried away with it. Algieri is a solid guy but his biggest victory was very controversial vs Ruslan Provodnikov. Spence just has too much physicality for him.

If Spence has world class whiskers which I suspect he does he will beat just about everyone at 147. Let’s see how it plays out. I don’t want to overrate or underrate the young gunner. Let’s see how they match him up, there is a lot of room between the cup and lip. And with guys fighting twice a year he probably won’t fight half of the guys you named.

I believe punchers are born, created and enhanced. I believe certain types of punchers have special sets of characteristics. But as I will point out great punchers come in a variety. Speed punchers usually have sharp shoulder and tricep muscles.  Tommy Hearns, Terry Norris type of built. Then you have heavy handed type of guys like Julio Cesar Chavez and GGG and they aren’t built anything like Hearns or Norris. Then you have guys like George Foreman who sort of bludgeon you. The guys like Foreman as you keenly pointed out have huge fist and wrist because a small fragile hand can’t hold that force.

You have guys who produce power with leverage. Others who produce it with more force….I can go on about punchers all day.

I think it’s foolish to believe you can’t enhance punching power. It’s scientifically proven that you can. By increasing leg strength and power, hand and wrist strength, enhancing the ability to make a tighter fist, and triceps strength and power. By doing these things you can create more force upon impact. Again punchers are born but with proper training you can create a better puncher.

What's up Bread?

What did you think of Errol Spence's clinical destruction of Chris Algieri?

Here are some mythical matchups (prime for prime) and breakdowns I have been meaning to ask you about:

1. Rafael Marquez vs. Guillermo Rigondeaux (122)

2. Juan Manuel Marquez vs. Erik Morales (126)

3. Arturo Gatti vs. Diego Corrales (130)

4. Juan Diaz vs. Brandon Rios (135)

5. Kostya Tszyu vs. Shane Mosley (140), (I know Shane skipped junior welterweight but let's say he didn't)

6. Oscar De La Hoya vs. Antonio Margarito (147)

7. Winky Wright vs. Sergio Martinez (154)

8. Bernard Hopkins vs. Gennady Golovkin (160)

Keep up the good work,

William in West Palm

Bread’s Response: Errol Spence is the Truth. I can’t wait to see more. He did what great talents do. Blow through established B level fighters. Good job!

Rigondeaux but he gets dropped on the way to a decision.

Marquez by SD. Picking straws though.

Um…..this is closer than people think. Corrales went down a lot and Gatti is just as good a puncher at 130 than he is. Chico on pedigree but Gatti was a great fighter during his run from Patterson 1 until he moved up.

Diaz. Brandon Rios is too hot and cold for my liking.

Tszyu vs Mosley is a barn burner. Mosley had a problem defending the right hand. Tszyu didn’t like when you overwhelmed him. Believe it or not Tszyu is the better natural boxer. I take Tszyu on a historical upset.

Oscar but the Margarito from 04-08 is a big big problem. The more I think about it….

Martinez by controversial decision. It would depend on the subjective preference of the judges.

I don’t know enough about GGG yet to pick him to beat one of the top middleweights ever. BHop.

Breadman, 

I am a Massive Boxing fan from the UK (London)

This is the first time writing in, however I have been reading your mailbags religiously from the early Boxing Talk days and have wanted to email in for a long time.b

Anyway, I have a few questions for you, hope they haven't been duplicated too much previously. Here goes:

In relation to the heavyweight scene, what do you think about the theory that David Haye, Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua is another triangle scenario? What I mean is, IMO Right now, Haye beats Joshua but loses to Fury, Fury beats Haye but loses to Joshua. This down to stylistic reasons.

My second question is Which of the aforementioned three heavyweights do you give Shannon Briggs the best chance to beat right now and why?

And finally on a total different subject: who wins ?

1) A prime Roy Jones vs Kovalev at light heavyweight ?

2) A Prime Hopkins at 160 vs GGG ?

3) GGG vs a prime James Toney?

Thanks for your time, I hope my questions make the mailbox. All the best

Jonan Mendoza, London (uk)

Bread’s Response: Too soon to tell on your triangle theory. But Joshua is the class.

Briggs has best shot vs Fury. Fury is the slowest and Briggs can punch.

Your hypotheticals are hard spills because I don’t know enough about GGG and Kovalev yet. Sorry

Hey bread whats popping you should write daily king or be on tv because your non biased and supremely knowledgeable l only read your articles all the way thru other l scroll thru and look at pictures lol

I wanted to ask about emmanuel augustus aka the drunken master and why he couldnt get over the hump was he just not good enough ? or did he take too many short notice fights in others hometowns ? or was he just a espn level gatekeeper ? what do you think was the reason because he looked relaxed in the ring and at times he seemed to do what he wanted ala the drunkenmaster defense plus he fought hard las well maybe he had no power but he could be a sharpshooter at times as well

Sharif from Brooklyn

Bread’s Response: Augustus was an excellent talent. But contrary to the myth he laid some eggs in some big chances. Sometimes a guy will look like the goods but they don’t always get the good results. Any blind man could see Augustus’s talent. But talent isn’t always enough. Sometimes you have to just know how to win. Augustus had lots of things going against him.

One by the time he came onto the mainstream his record was screwed up. So the judges didn’t have a conscious ruling against him. Two he had a sparring partners mentality. He knew how to fight better than he knew how to win. Three he undertrained often and you could see it in clutch spots. Nevertheless I loved the guy. Special talent.

Bread,

In your opinion, how skilled was a prime Mike Tyson? Disregard the power for a moment (which was viciously formidable) and look at head movement, footwork, timing, instinct, angles. Not how good was that guy ... how skilled was he? There's a difference.

Next: Errol Spence ... what's your take on him. I think the boy has the goods to go far. Algieri is gonna be a big step up for him, he ain't no push-over. Been in there with some top fighters. How you see that fight going and why? I got Spence by UD. If he stops him, holy s*&#. That's what you call a decent statement.

Last: I read somewhere (I think here) that Golovkin would be open to fighting Ramirez at 168. It's one of those fights, you know, you'd watch just to see how GGG's power translates at super middle, but ultimately you know GGG has too much class (as the Brits would say). Does this fight intrigue you in the least?

Bread’s Response: Prime Mike Tyson was superbly skilled. So much so that he still can’t be emulated 30 years after his prime. No short fighter since can twitch from side to side with that sort of speed and precision that Mike did.

160 to 168 is the biggest jump in boxing. I am intrigued if GGG goes to 168 to fight Ramirez.

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