The Daily Bread Mailbag returns with Stephen "Breadman" Edwards tackling topics such as welterweight Jaron Ennis, junior welterweight Teofimo Lopez, retired former champion Shawn Porter, scoring fights, Adrien Broner, Benn vs. Eubank, and more.
I’m gonna keep this short and simple. I want to know if I’m the only one who sees this. When I watch Jaron Boots Ennis I feel like I’m witnessing something I haven’t seen before. While I know he is yet to fight the level of competition to be making a claim like this, I just can’t help but to think we are looking at one of the next greatest boxers of all time. I say that because I believe he’s too good to compare him to another fighter. His combination of power, quickness, defense, his jab, his setup, his growing iq and his confidence amazes me. And I love how his confidence matches that of Timofeo, Floyd or Roy Jones but without the level of arrogance. I believe there is something truly special about him and Spence and Crawford would be smart to fight each other 5 times before getting in the ring with this kid. Spence called him the Boogeyman, do you believe he will be better than the both of them?
Bread’s Response: When I first saw Jaron Ennis box I had him in camp in 2014. I thought he would be good. But like regular, athletic, urban good. I was wrong. He was ATG potential good. He’s just different from other talented prospects. I won’t say he’s so good he can’t be compared to other fighters. That’s a stretch although I respect your opinion. There are fighters that I have seen that you get that same impression from but only 4 in the last 40 years. Ray Leonard, Roy Jones, Pernell Whitaker and Floyd Mayweather. It doesn’t mean he’s better than them. But it does mean he has their same potential because of GIFTS (God Given Ability), athleticism, work ethic and skill set.
I think he has the potential to be better than Spence and Crawford. But potential is not the same as accomplishment. He has to do it. I’ve said this several times. I believe Spence vs Crawford will happen because of Boots. Both Spence and Crawford are competitive guys. They want to be great. They know they can’t not fight each other and not fight Boots. They aren’t ducking Boots. But he’s emerging.
When I see publications speak on who’s the most talented young fighters in boxing. I see other fighters listed above Ennis. But when I watch him compared to everyone else, I think he’s the best young fighter in boxing. Let’s say 25 and under. His accomplishments don’t show it but my eyes tell me. His accomplishments are also the reason why I believe this to be true. Because if he were more vulnerable, then someone would call him out and fight him. Because this hasn’t happened it lets me know what I see to be true. Fighters at 147lbs don’t even mention his name because they know that a fight with him is not hard to make. The kid wants to fight. He’s not at the point of hand picking opponents. He just wants smoke. The only issue I see with Ennis is he’s 25 yrs old and He hasn’t fought for a title yet. And he’s down to 2 fights/year already. No one will ever make me believe this serves a fighter better. I get it when a fighter becomes a champion and commands 7 figure payday. But not beforehand.
I have received lots of emails telling me Boots has not fought anyone. I only like him because he’s from Philly. He’s not as good as I say he is. Vergil Ortiz is going to smoke him. Etc Etc. I want you guys to remember what I am saying. Remember what I said back in 2014-15. Jaron Ennis has HOF potential. I would never say a HOF lock. That’s disrespectful to the greats. But I will add this. Screenshot it. Archive it. “If Jaron Ennis does not suffer a career changing injury, he’s going to win titles from 147-154-160. And he’s going to be a top 5 P4P fighter. I just hope he gets a title shot within the next 2 years. Because I know how the business of boxing works in this era.
Bread - Love the mailbag. I’m writing to get your opinion on Teofimo Lopez. Before the Loma fight I thought he was writing checks his body and his resume couldn’t cash. He proved me wrong that night. But since, it seems like things have gone haywire for him. Watching the broadcast of his fight vs Campa it sounds like he’s had some personal issues (not my place to speak on) but, more related to boxing, he seems to no longer embrace the grind. He admitted to sparring only 2 weeks for Campa. And he’s making comments about how he doesn’t need to, “kill myself in the gym.” It seems like he thinks he accomplished what he needed to against Loma and now he can take the easier road. Would you ever let a fighter of his caliber only spar for 2 weeks? Especially when he’s coming up in weight AND he’s only fought twice in the last two years? Whether he wins tonight or not (I’m assuming he will) it just seems like he’s cheating the grind and it’ll catch up to him again when he steps up in competition. What do you think?
Josh
Bread’s Response: I think Teofimo Lopez is a super talent and on his best night he’s a handful for anyone at 140lbs. I thought his performance was solid considering what he’s been through for the last 2 years. I don’t agree with only sparring for 2 weeks but if he can get away with it, then that’s a credit to his talent. Sparring in my opinion is the most important aspect of training camp and unless you’re injured, you should spar. But if Lopez feels he only needs 2 weeks of sparring, then let’s see how he does with it moving forward. I’m definitely not going to say he’s WRONG, it’s just not something I would do.
I believe a fighter needs to be hit in order to build up a resistance to taking a punch. And I expect slow, careful starts against elite fighters if he keeps sparring for 2 weeks in camp because his body will need time to adjust to being hit. But that’s just my opinion, everyone does things differently. From a boxing perspective Lopez is put together the right way. I don’t know him but I can tell he’s FIT. I can tell he lifts light weights with a high number of reps. I can tell he can do a load of push ups, pull ups and core. When you know what you’re looking at, you know. He has fast hands, excellent reflexes and he can throw every punch in the book. I don’t see huge flaws but I do see things that can be issues. His shoulder roll stance can be attacked. He has good defense but not exceptional defense from the stance. James Toney, Floyd Mayweather and Georgie Benton are the epitome of the stance. Lopez doesn’t have it down the way he thinks he does. He can operate out of it but he has to be careful. He gives up too much out of it in my opinion.
I also don’t think Lopez likes fighters who can attack him with speed. When you invade his space and fire with him it seems to disorganize him somewhat. I don’t think Kambosos was lucky. I think it was a case of Lopez not having his best night, vs Kambosos having the best night of his life. But I also believe Kambosos’s fast hands, and guts to fire with Lopez would throw Lopez off at 100% although I think Lopez is the better fighter.
I don’t want to talk about a fighter’s personal issues. That’s just not cool. But mentally as far as boxing SPECIFICALLY, it seems that Lopez is a conspiracy theorist. He seems to think that there was a conspiracy as to why he lost to Kambosos. I was rooting for Lopez. I picked him to win. But I thought he lost that fight! Kambosos had his ticket that night, and that can happen. Even if there were people conspiring against him. There were things that he could’ve controlled that he didn’t. He got knocked down. No one made him get knocked down except Kambosos. That wasn't a conspiracy. No one made him struggle with weight. He did. No one made Kambosos keep landing that overhand right and that hook off of the jab he landed all night.
When people in general come up with conspiracies I ask them about things that no one else could’ve controlled except them. Often times they can’t take the truth when it comes to that. That to me is a sign of OVERTHINKING. Teofimo lost the fight. Dust yourself off and get back to work. It’s no big deal. Rematch Kambosos, smoke him. And then everybody will say he was weight drained and sick and the lost will be just a thing. He can overcome this if he mentally compartmentalizes it correctly. Teofimo is better than Kambosos in my opinion. He just has to prove it in the ring.
Thanks for doing the mailbag! My question is about scoring and perception. I think sometimes it’s hard to see whose gameplan is working in a fight until we see the result. Sometimes you must see if the gameplan worked to see if a person won the round if there isn’t clearly more damage. For example, I think it’s hard for big punchers to win rounds if they don’t hurt or KO their opponent because if they don’t knockout/ knockdown the opposing fighter the perception is that they are failing. if a fighter is able to not get caught by a big puncher, they often have the perception of winning/ controlling the fight despite often having less punches landed. Sometimes people might work the body in a way that might not catch the judge’s eye but down the stretch it comes to light they were doing the right thing all along. Sometimes it’s hard to see whose aggression was more effective until the fighter is affected. Can you think of any fights where the results made you rethink how you scored a round/rounds?
Also, I almost never see 10-10 rounds. I think in many fights’ judges feel obligated to give close rounds to someone early when fighters are still downloading their opponent and warming up. Lots of first rounds of fights nothing is landed and there is a lot of feeling out. Do you think there should be more or less 10-10 rounds, or do we have enough now?
MM Roy Jones Jr Vs. Rocky Marciano Prime v. Prime
Bread’s Response: Great question. This is why judging a fight is no easy task. Because judges don’t have the luxury to score based upon result. They have to score each round individually at the end of that round before they know what the result of the fight will be. And move on to the next without carry over effect. However, I do think judges score on the reputation of more well known fighters. They score for what they think is going to happen instead of what actually is happening. 80% of the time A side fighters get that benefit. Often times fighters who have more dynamic punch technique get credited for doing more. Their punches sound and look different. It’s nothing we can do about it except observe closely as to what is really happening.
I have too many fights to name where a fighter’s reputation was winning him rounds instead of what he was doing. Just recently Canelo was giving more rounds than he deserved vs Bivol because lately we were used to Canelo wearing fighters out and stopping them late. So the judges thought the same thing was going to happen to Bivol. But as the fight wore on they realized it wasn’t happening and Bivol started to get credit. Fights shouldn’t be scored on reputation. Just score what you see that’s it.
Rocky Marciano is all wrong for my guy RJ. Marciano fights out of the same crouch Montel Griffin did. He punches way harder and he’s bigger. He also is indefatigable and impossible to discourage. Did I mention an iron chin? Marciano is much better than people realize today. Very few men, circa 180-190lbs could beat him in history. RJ goes to the ropes way too much for my liking to deal with a guy like Marciano coming All night banging him on the hips, arms and everywhere else the ref doesn’t see.
Breadman,
Thank you for the detailed response to my last email. I really appreciate it when you give in-depth answers to people in the mailbag. I think you are steadily growing in influence in the sport. The week after Kyrone Davis fight with Benavidez there was a fight on ESPN that was stopped earlier than it otherwise might have been, and Andre Ward echoed what you had said the week before about sometimes needing to protect the fighters who are the toughest from themselves. If you keep going on the track you are on I can see you becoming an almost universally respected and known figure in the sport like a Teddy Atlas, Andre Ward, Max Kellerman. It's probably also why you get some of the fanboys writing in as though they need your approval (I don't know why you bother responding to some of them!) Here is a Youtube video I was specifically thinking of when I wrote about Shawn Porter's training: youtube.com/watch?v=EQpkUMpDtAg. There are others on the same channel from this camp and others.
I personally think Shawn has retired too early and has more to give, but equally he would need to switch up his training were he to fight again. I would give him more chance of beating one of the top names at 154 than Danny, because for me Danny is too small and will need to be selective about which 154 he fights. I wrote the email last week before I'd watched any tape. When I did I realized that Benavidez doesn't use his height and reach at all. There is nothing more frustrating to me than a fighter who won't use their obvious advantages. But I'm sure you've seen it in the gym there are some guys who are 'set' in their idiosyncracies and just can't change no matter how many times they are told or shown something.
Jose Jr. actually fought a style like his older brother despite not having the same physical attributes to employ it as effectively, and it got me to thinking about coaches and whether they have a patented style and also family/father/son teams. I noticed that a few Eddy Reynoso fighters seem to be employing the same walk down beat down type style as Canelo almost like it is a hallmark of that gym. When it comes to father/son teams I think that it's a double-edged sword. The advantage is that the father has more time with his kid than a coach at the gym would, and can start earlier so you get a fighter who has a head start and will tend to be a more successful amateur. This foundation can take a fighter a long way but not necessarily to the maximum of their potential - as the disadvantage is that the father may not necessarily be the best at formulating strategy, S&C, giving instructions/adapting during a fight, have the right experience. That is all without considering family dynamics. It's usually a bad sign when the father wants too much attention for himself for example.
You are spot on with the Heavyweights there is a clear top 3 I don't even think you can put AJ at 3 even though he does have the best resume. He accepted his losses too easily. With what happened in round 12 I won't be surprised if Usyk stops him this time. But when it comes to Broner his hubris and the fame got the better of him. He had some potential but ultimately was a weight bully who didn't want to put the work in both in terms of learning and honing skills and in discipline. There are similarities with Nicholas Walters, both were overhyped at a certain point, but hype sells. For me, Bam Rodriguez would beat both Sunny and Charlie Edwards on the same night whether it's yesterday, today or tomorrow
Bread’s Response: Trainers usually give their other fighters pieces of their best or first notable fighter. It’s just natural. Fighters themselves pick up stuff from the best fighter in their gym. It’s just natural. So if you see Reynoso’s fighters, fighting similar to Canelo that’s natural. As long as they stay themselves, I see nothing wrong with it.
Jose doesn’t have David’s power, fast hands or tenacity. So while they have some similarities they aren’t the same. I also think David is in his prime and Jose is well past his. It’s boxing. Time passes everyone. I think father/son teams in boxing, can and do work. When they don’t work people blame it on the father/son relationship. But often times trainer/fighter relationship stop working also. So it’s part of the game.
Boxing has a unique dynamic. The trainer has to tell the fighter what to do and discipline him. But the fighter pays the trainer. Unless the fighter is humble towards the dynamic it won’t work because the fighter can pull leverage on the fact that he pays the trainer. This same thing happens with the fathers. The father has taken care of the son his whole life. Now the son is the one paying the father and if the son doesn’t respect the dynamic and throw it up in the father’s face, there will be issues. Overall I think we have seen too many examples of fathers being good trainers for their sons to listen to the myth anymore.
I also agree that the father/son relationship really excels in the amateurs. In the amateurs the dad can pay for the travel. Get his son in as many tournaments as possible. And discipline his son to a high degree because of his son’s age and the son usually lives with him. But as the money comes and the son matures things change. One of the biggest changes I’ve seen is when the son gets a family of his own. Often times the woman is not conducive for boxing. She doesn’t understand the diet, sex life, discipline etc and it causes a rift. As far strategy, strength and conditioning etc. I feel like this. No one wakes up knowing everything as a coach. As your fighter evolves, so should the trainer. A trainer learns as he goes along. There is no reason why a trainer shouldn’t get better as times goes on. If he can’t formulate a strategy and get his son in shape as a pro. He doesn’t the deserve the job.
I follow you on twitter and I saw your back and forth with fans over Harry Greb. I am more on your side than I am theirs but I think you even overrate Greb. I am 65 years young and as a kid I never heard anyone say that Greb was the best fighter ever. Now after some research you have 40 yr old men claiming he was and challenging his status. I think you’re being generous by putting him at #2 all time at middleweight. Thanks again for your weekly contributions.
Bread’s Response: So you saw that. These are guys suffer from Smartest Person In The Room Syndrome. SPITRS. For those who didn’t see the interaction, one of the guys said he was perplexed at why Sugar Ray Robinson is rated so high at MW and Greb isn’t as highly ranked at LHWY. So then they tried to discredit the fact that Robinson won the title 5x, claiming he had to lose it 5x. Which is just stupid and not true. He actually lost it 4x not 5 but that’s just a small detail. More importantly Greb never won the light heavyweight title once…In an era where everyone lost their title and tried to regain it, Robinson is the only middleweight fighter in history to win a title from 5 HOF scoring 4 kos. That’s not a stain on his record. That’s a badge of honor in uncharted territory. Greb tried to regain his title but he lost to Tiger Flowers and he died. So we don’t know how things would have progressed.
I feel like Greb is well deserved of his high status. I feel like he’s a top 10 fighter ever. A top 2 or 3 middleweight. And a top 10-15 light heavyweight. That’s a rare place for anyone to be ranked especially when there is no film of them. But I guess those smart guys want me to rate him higher. I feel like I am the one who should be perplexed. Greb’s resume is unreal and has a case for being the best ever. But if we didn’t see these fights, part of our research is missing. Resume counts for a lot. But seeing how you won the fights matters and it helps us put the career in context. Greb is the highest rated fighter in history that there is no footage of.
My other points were that Greb for as great as he was, was not as highly thought of in his time than he is now. I don’t know who’s right or wrong as far as how Greb was perceived but it’s relevant. Some thought very highly of Greb. But I have seen articles that state Benny Leonard was the best fighter of the 1920s not Harry Greb. I have seen articles that state that Stanley Ketchel and Sam Langford were better middleweights. I have seen articles that stated that Jack Johnson was the best fighter ever up until the emergence of Henry Armstrong and a more sophisticated style that led in the 1940s. So my point was, the crusade to have Greb as the #1 fighter ever only started about 20 years ago because the writers of his day, thought he was great. But there was NOT a universal or majority opine that he was the very BEST.
I personally looked at his resume which was incredible. Then I watched film of the best fighters he faced in Flowers, Tunney, Loughran and Walker. Greb is for sure on the level. Going by the articles, I suppose Greb was a windmill pressure fighter but could move in an out with fast feet. Obviously being successful in that era, he had great stamina and had an iron chin. I would assume he was a hybrid fighter, a mix of say Armstrong and Burley. But I won’t overlook the fact that there is no footage of him. That counts although it’s not his fault. It also matters that Tiger Flowers is known as one of the best fighters ever who had a questionable chin. And Greb could not ko him in several tries.
I still can’t understand why these guys fought so hard to have him ranked over Robinson and have him ranked as a top 5 ligth heavyweight. The Robinson argument at middleweight is up for debate. I prefer Robinson not only because I saw him but because he did win his title 5x while Greb was not able to win his back because after he lost for the 2nd time to Tiger Flowers he unfortunately passed away. I think that’s fair. But again I don’t have an issue if you rate Greb at #1 at 160. But there is no way he’s a top 5 light heavyweight ever. It’s just not possible. When I read that, I stopped interacting because I know they were reaching to prove an asinine point. They just wanted a platform to SOUND smart. The only people that would have Greb as a top 5 light heavyweight ever are his direct descendants and I mean no disrespect by saying that. It’s just not true by any metric.
What do you think of Adrien Broner pulling out of his fight for mental health issues? Also did you read Tank Davis’s comments about it basically being BS? How would you deal with a fighter stating having mental health issues as his trainer and not wanting to fight?
Bread’s Response: Great question. Ok…..I don’t have any feeling over Broner pulling out of his fight. If he says he has mental health issues, we have to take his word. I don’t try to publicly diagnose mental health. Someone sent me Tank’s comments. But my question is how do you know he was talking about Broner? He could have been referring to Ryan Garcia, who he often takes shots at on social media? If he is talking about Broner than that’s Tank’s opinion. He doesn’t have to believe anyone who claims mental health issues. We all have choices to believe or not believe. Again that’s not my business.
What would I do if a fighter I trained wanted to pull out because of mental health? I would have a talk with the fighter and ask him has he spoken to a professional. I would try to figure it out if it was a case of common anxiety of going into a big sporting event or if he had clinical mental health issues and a diagnosis or if he diagnosed himself. Fighters are human like everyone else. And humans get anxiety. We called them BUTTERFLIES as a kid. Lastly I would like to take this time wish Adrien Broner a speedy recovery. I also would like to give some attribution to his trainers Mike Stafford and Levi Smith. They have stuck by Broner through a lot and trainer’s job is usually overlooked and underappreciated. So I just wanted to give some respect to two of the good guys in boxing.
What up Bread,
Getting right to it.... Spence vs Crawford... Last time I wrote in I touched on EQ vs IQ regarding them and I saw someone a few mailbags ago said they were picking Crawford IQ over Spence EQ. For anyone using that as the main metric to make a pick then the smart money would be on Spence (High EQ). Here's why... if a person has a high IQ but low EQ (that's ME saying this about Crawford) then chances are they make poor decisions when faced with adversity. I'll give an example that shows the extremes of both. Early 00's a NASA astronaut was involved in a lover's triangle and attempted to confront the other woman. She drove 950 miles in disguise and wearing diapers so she didn't have to stop to relieve herself... She ended up getting arrested and charged with attempted kidnapping and other things. To be a NASA astronaut you have to have a damn near genius IQ and Master's Degree. Yet clearly she has an almost non-existent EQ that led to her downfall. Back to boxing... let's use past behavior to predict future behavior.
Using Shawn Porter for comparison... Spence vs Porter: 4th round Porter catches Spence with a big left hook and what did Spence do? Smartly covered up while Porter got off 6-7 punches and when Shawn stopped punching Spence got right back to work like nothing happened. Crawford vs Porter: Round 8 Shawn catches Crawford with a big overhand right and immediately is able to catch him with the same punch again. I know last time you said you disagreed that Crawford has a low EQ but if I may use one of your astute observations to support what I'm saying let's juxtapose Crawford and Andre Ward who both have high boxing IQ. Kovalev caught Ward in the first fight and knocked him down. You observed that he NEVER got hit with that punch again and they fought 18 more rounds. That's amazing that Ward was able to do that and kudos to you for seeing that. So how did that happen...? Ward used his EQ to remain calm and stay on mission (jabs & body shots) against the most dangerous puncher in the game at that time and his IQ to make sure that didn't happen again. At some point Spence and Crawford will BOTH catch the other with a big shot... and if I'm making a prediction then when Crawford catches Spence, EJ will remain calm ride it out and get right back to work but when Spence catches Crawford and Crawford tries to fire back instead of covering up he can/will get clipped big... Regarding Bud's IQ I've seen people say Bud "computes" data in the ring similar to what they say about Loma... I strongly but respectfully disagree. I think his genius is a whole nother equally impressive mental skill-set.
Loma uses that light board in training camp and you can see the results in the ring. His brain operates like an AI algorithm and you can really see it when they show his landed punches in slow motion. It's very predictive like how your IG explore page operates... Crawford to me is like an architect, engineer, and welder all rolled into one. He designs a vision (gameplan/architect), creates the blueprints (training camp/engineer) then gets in the ring with the necessary tools (punches, foot work) and puts that heat on em like a welder. Back to the Porter fight... During the post fight interview he said he figured out Shawn Round 1.... well how is that possible if he "computes data"? I think it's only possible if you've already "created" the fight in your head and you "know" what will work because you drew it up... I.E. the punch that dropped Porter ( quick sneaky left hand underneath from southpaw stance) he threw that punch the whole fight not just that round... He "knew" from the opening bell that it would work and it did. Last thing... Tank vs Ryan Garcia. I know people are excited about it but I really think that fight will be boring as sh!t for several rounds til one of them clips the other and that's big if.
Both will circle around with their right hands glued to their face out of an abundance of caution for the other's money punch. Tanks overhand left/uppercut and RG's left hook. I truly think that fight will be 10X better if they let Ryan grow a bit more under Joe Goosen's tutelage and develop a reliable right hand cuz it will force Tank to adjust to something else other than the left hook. With Ryan's hand speed if I was on his team I'd have him studying the Floyd Mayweather Hook off the Jab move cuz he's one of the few with the quickness to pull it off successfully. Currently Fulton is the only other top fighter I see that does this really well IMO.
PeaceDB
Bread’s Response: You’re very good at analyzing fighters even though I don’t agree with you 100%. The fans need to read these type of informative comments. I think you should try your hand at training fighters. You definitely understand the nuances.
Ok..So you think Spence’s EQ will outdo Crawford’s IQ. Deep….I’m not so much disagreeing. I still don’t have a pick on the fight yet. But I am questioning your diagnosis. We agree on Spence’s EQ. I have watched Spence for many years now. When the 2012 class came out, out Errol was praised as “The Guy”. No one on the team won a medal but yet this one kid was being talked about the most. There are several good fighters from 147-154 that came out of the amateurs from 2010-12. If their careers stopped today Errol Spence would be considered the best of them all. You watch Spence and you say he’s athletic but he’s not a freak athletically. He’s strong but so are several others. He can punch but he’s it’s not a one hitta quitta. What is it about this kid that makes it seems as though he’s better than just about everyone else. I think you make have hit it, his EQ.
Errol has a good chin but you can hurt him. I have seen Errol hurt multiple times. The announcers have even missed it, because Errol has maximum composure. A fighter named Emanuel Lartey buzzed Errol many years ago and his equilibrium was off for a few seconds. Errol handled it. Kell Brook buzzed Errol with a right hand early, but Errol handled it and he just knew that he would break Brook as he did. Believe it or not Danny Garcia hit Errol with a shot that made him loopy going back to the corner late in their fight but by the next round Errol was fine. And Ugas just hurt Errol but again like Brook, Errol knew Ugas would break so he showed no discomfort. Taking a punch is just as much about composure as it is actually taking a punch. Everyone gets hurt. But only a select few can keep composed and not panic under the hardest thing to practice. Being hurt! So we agree on Errol’s EQ. Not just with being hurt but with applying his pressure and breaking wills.
Crawford is where I’m not sure you’re right. Terence Crawford’s EQ. Terence is openly competitive. He’s openly high strung. He’s the kid, who’s a bad ass and he let’s you know he’s a bad ass before he shows you he’s a bad ass. Where as Errol is a bad ass but he’s laid back. He only shows it in one place and that’s the ring. I can remember when Crawford fought Mean Machine. Andre Ward and Tim Bradley wanted him to box early and said so during the telecast. Crawford seemed pissed and he was pressing the fight, even after he was unofficially dropped. You say that’s low EQ. I’m not sure you’re right. I’m not sure you’re wrong either I might say.
But I wonder if that’s Terence breaking a guy in his openly forceful way even after being hurt. Where as Errol is calm and collective. Just because Terence is the fire, to Errol’s ice it doesn’t mean Terence’s EQ is lower. Again I don’t know if you’re right or wrong. I just know Crawford’s results are perfect. I do agree that he’s playing with fire, always being so competitive in every instant. He has to get everything BACK and that it can be used against him one day. When I assess a fighter I look at their mental makeup before I look at their skillset. A skillset can be changed easier than mental make up. Crawford’s fire competitive nature may come back to bite him one day but it hasn’t yet and I can’t call it a flaw just yet.
I actually think Ryan Garcia has a good 2 fisted attack. He heavily favors his left hook but I think his right hand is fast and powerful also. I don’t know if Davis vs Garcia will be a knockdown drag out brawl but I don’t think it will be boring.
Bread, I know you get tired of people stealing your quotes. I won’t name names because I know you wouldn’t post this but it’s crazy how many times I have heard you say stuff then I hear someone else in boxing pass if off as their own. Your fighters have done it, other fighters and most of all the boxing media. My question is what can you do about it. And who is the one person in boxing media who you give the most credibility to as far as their opinion on a fight or specific subject?
Bread’s Response: I hear it all the time also. I will admit it gets under my skin but it’s really nothing I can do. I just hope one day someone calls them on it. I don’t have one specific person in the boxing media who’s word carries the most weight. There are many people in the boxing media I respect. Too many to name and I don't want to forget someone.
Hey Breadman,
I trust that all is well with you and your family? I recently viewed an article by talkSPORT in which they rated the 10 worst heavyweights of all time. So that got me thinking, in your opinion who are the 10 greatest heavyweights of all time? Additionally, would any of these heavyweights besides Ali (whom I presume will make your list) be considered amongst the 10 greatest boxers of all time (without regard to division)?As always, thanks for your keen insight. Keep up the great work!
Regards, George from The Bahamas.
Bread’s Response:
1.Ali
2.Louis
3. Foreman
4. Holmes
5. Lewis
6. Holyfield
7. Marciano
8. Frazier
9. Johnson
10. Tyson
Ali is a top 10 ATG in my opinion.
Hey Bread,
Hope you're well. Let's get it out of the way: Eubank and Benn benefited from their names. They benefited from lots of things. And, Benn should fight for a title at 147 or against Thruman, Avenasyan or Stanionis before getting a shot. And Eubank against a top 3 MW. Now what's your breakdown? I'm a fan of Eubank but I don't see it. Eubank is strong, fast, mean, an athlete, and has a great chin, against 168 pounders who can hit. He is confused by boxers and can be outboxed. He excels in combinations, hits hard, is explosive and extremely well conditioned. He does great against come forward fighters. Benn is a bit wild. He is aggressive, with a big heart. He punches in combinations and gets better each fight. He has momentum.
He did better than he was supposed to do in each fights - although he was supposed to win them. He is a normal 147 pounders. Chris is a tweener 160/168 with the sturdiest chin behind GGG at MW. How can Benn, who lacks experience, who overwhelmed smallish WW with his aggression, who is a bit wild, who got dropped by a French journeyman, beat Eubank? He won't outwork him. He won't stop him. The fight is at 156/157 I believe, but Eubank lives such a clean life, I don't think the factor would be too much. He also has a rehydration close but for the next morning. What do you see? Finally, how does Benn fare at WW? I think Ortiz is too sharp and throws too tight. Ennis is too gifted and everything. Crawford and Spence, same + experience and pedigree. Do you think he beats Thruman? Ugas? Stanionis? Hard to see where he stands. He could be 5th or 8th.Thanks for your time.
Best, Diego
Bread’s Response: I swear I thought the proposed match up of Benn vs Eubank was a media ploy. I didn’t think it was REAL. I have been watching Benn for a few years and he’s starting to improve. He’s not as wild as he was and he’s becoming more accurate. Most of all he’s 25 years old! In all my years of boxing I have never seen a marketable rising prospect/contender take a fight like this, before they ever challenge for a title.
Eubank seems TOO BIG. And unless he can’t make weight properly I suspect he’s going to hurt Benn, but I could be wrong. Eubank is 32 and he’s fought for a title already vs George Groves. I would have liked to see him challenge Jermall Charlo, GGG or Demetrius Andrade at 160 but those fights never happened. I would assume Eubank didn’t want them to happen because he does have a big name and all 3 have been looking for opponents so I can’t see them turning him down with the scarcity of opponents at 160 while not fighting each other. So this fight is better for Eubank than it is Benn. Eubank has sort of accepted where his career is. We sort of know what he is. While Benn is still ascending he has more upside.
I don’t think Benn is as good as Ennis or Ortiz. But I think he’s improving and there are fights for him. When you have a marketable name, the powers in places allow you to get better before you take a fight there is a good chance of losing. Benn doesn’t have to fight Ortiz or Ennis just yet. There are 5 to 10 guys he could offer their career high paydays to and they would accept. It’s not for me to get. But taking this fight can really derail his career. I know people will bring up Kell Brook and Amir Khan but they were over 30 and already had been world champions when they faced GGG and Canelo respectively. Benn is still getting better.
The only drawback for Eubank is if he loses this fight to a much smaller man, no one will take his career serious anymore. But I don’t think he cares. I think he looks at Benn like fish/food that took the bait. Often times the results determine if a move was good or bad. But even if Benn wins, he may take unnecessary punishment from a fighter who is literally 3 divisions bigger. Eubank’s biggest and best performances have come at 168lbs. so maybe they are sucking him down to 156/157 in hopes that he won’t be strong. Let’s see…I don’t know if Benn beats Thurman or Stanious. But I think he can hang with Ugas. Ugas just took a bad beating from Spence. The thing about being a big name is, Benn can surely get better fights than an iron chinned super middleweight, who’s bigger, longer and may be faster in Eubank.
I guess this is the new era of boxing. I think one day we will get back to a place where money/legacy/common sense will all be on the same accord.
Breadman’s Comment: None of you guys asked me about Usyk vs Joshua 2. What the heck is wrong with you guys! I can’t answer what I’m not asked but this is a BIG fight for the heavyweight championship of the world and no one asked me about it.
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