The Daily Bread Mailbag returns, with Stephen "Breadman" Edwards tackling topics such as the numerous conspiracy theories regarding the Tyson Fury vs. Deontay Wilder rematch, the career of Roman "Chocolatito" Gonzalez, and more.

Breadman

Have you seen the videos on Fury’s glove. I been watching boxing for 25yrs now and I watched the conspiracy videos on Fury’s glove. After watching them I think something in the milk isn’t clean. I just want your opinion and also why isn’t the boxing media talking or speaking up about it more, is it fear of retaliation or what. I’m not saying Fury cheated but something wasn’t right with his left glove.

Bread’s Response: I don’t have a conclusive opinion just yet. I’ve seen a few conspiracy videos in boxing over the years. I saw the one trying to make a case for Pacquiao really beating Mayweather and how Hopkins really beat Calzaghe. I know how the internet can be. Neither of those videos grew legs.

I did stumble over the Fury glove ordeal. I know from life experience, that you have to be careful forming a concrete conclusion too soon. That all of the facts have to be presented. It’s not fair to call Fury a cheater because of an internet video without a proper INQUIRY. These are serious accusations.

But here is what I will say. I saw Tim Bradley talk about how Fury doesn’t clinch his fist when he punches. Fury sort of just flings his gloves. Fury doesn’t LOCK his wrist for every punch. I thought Bradley was dead on in the breakdown before the fight. Now that this has come out maybe it’s an innocent simple explanation. Or maybe there is something more. I also think because Wilder seemed to suffer so much trauma to the side of his face and ear area that some don’t believe it was just a glove from a supposed non puncher like Fury. Wilder looked really hurt and off even early in the fight and no one can explain it. When the unsuspected happens then people look for explanations.

Last but not least I have seen this in boxing several times and nothing ever really comes out of it. I hope the investigation is proper. I think a proper investigations benefits all involved, Wilder and Fury. I know when I see a BS investigation of just going through the motions to appease. …

Here some of the things that need to be ascertained. Who gloved Fury up? Who signed off on the gloves and wraps? What did the referee think when he checked the gloves? What member of Wilder’s team was in the dressing room? Is there a video of Fury GLOVING up? Not just wrapping but gloving up. Who cut the wraps off and where are Fury’s wraps. Is there any of Wilder’s blood on Fury’s wraps and if so what part of the wrap is the blood on? Who has Fury’s gloves that he used in the fight? Is their considerable damage on the inside of the wrist area? Last but not least an examination of Wilder’s injury.

Let’s see how this plays out and be fair to everyone involved. Unil hat happens I have no opinion. OBJECTIVITY is the key word moving forward.

Sup Bread,

Got two great mythical matchups for you -

1. Benvenuti vs Hearns and 2. Benvenuti vs Mccallum

Does the fighting style of Fighting Harada and Aaron Pryor seem similar to you? It seems almost identical to me with the exception that Harada jabbed more than Pryor and Pryor was much harder to clinch.

Regards,

Saurabh

Bread’s Response: I like Hearns and McCallum both over Benvenuti.

Harada and Pryor are very similar. But as you stated Harada jabbed more. I also think his balance was better. But both were world winds.

Hey Bread! Quick question about fighters who may or may not have HOF cases.

If you were to ask me who would get into the Hall of Fame if they retired now, here’s my short list: GGG, Chocolatito, Loma, Bud, PacMan, Usyk, Kovalev (yes really), and Canelo (also yes really). I think each of these guys have had fantastic peaks and accomplished enough to get into the HOF if they retired TODAY. Thoughts on this list? Just off the top of my head, but did I leave off anyone important?

Also, I thought I read somewhere that Tyson Fury is apparently considering retirement after two more fights... supposing the Wilder rubber match is one and AJ for all the marbles is the other... is Fury HOF? At the moment it’s a stretch. Yes, he beat Klitschko and Wilder, I believe becoming the first man in heavyweight history to beat two reigning champs with 10+ title defenses each. But aside from that, who’s the next big name on his resume? My guess is Chisora (a game opponent to be sure, but hardly a big enough win to have a HOF case). I’m not going to fault The Gypsy King if he beat Wilder and AJ and then walked away on TOP. But would those wins be enough for HOF? Or would he have to stick around and make some big name defenses (Whyte, Ortiz, Povetkin, Ruiz, DuBois, etc)?

Lastly, do you think Arturo Gatti belongs in the HOF? I think so... but whenever I have tried to defend that view, I freeze up. All I can think of is how overmatched he looked against Oscar and Floyd. What do you think of the Blood and Guts Warrior being in the HOF, Bread?

Greg K.

Bread’s Response: I agree with you 100%. All of the guys you named are HOFs today if they retired. You left Nonito Donaire off. He’s a sure fire HOF. Come to think of it so is Monster Inoue. So you left 2 obvious cases off. I think Juan Estrada and Danny Garcia have borderline cases but not as strong as the people you named. They may need another BIG win or two to get in.

I don’t believe Fury is a HOF yet but if beats Joshua and Wilder again he’s in. He’s a heavyweight and heavyweights are special.

Yes Gatti is a HOF. It’s crazy that so many people think he isn’t. Gatti was SPECIAL. He’s not an ATG. There are plenty of people who can beat him. But think about this. Let me make his case. He wins his title vs a tough champion in Tracy Harris Patterson. He defends that title 3x vs Patterson in a rematch, Gabe Ruelas and Wilson Rodriguez. Every fight was drama filled and he scored one punch kos vs Ruelas and Rodriguez. No one will remember this but Gatti rose to a top 10 P4P fighter.

He leaves junior lightweight and is still exciting but he loses 3 in a row to Ivan Robinson twice and Angel Manfredy. So then he responds to the 3 losses in a row and moves up to 140lbs. He beats a very good fighter in Joey Gamache and Joe Hutchinson who was undefeated in an underrated war. He loses to Oscar De La Hoya really bad at welterweight which was a money fight.

But he comes back again at 140lbs and beats a solid fighter in Terron Millet. Millet kod Vince Phillips and was an ex champion at junior welter weight. Gatti brutally knocked Millet out. He then fights Mickey Ward 3x in a row. I thought he won all 3 fights. But forget that, has anyone ever seen anything as good as Gatti vs Ward1? It has to be top 10 fights EVER.

Now here is where I think Gatti sealed his HOF status. After the Ward trilogy he fights undefeated Gianculo Branco for the WBC Title and wins. In his first defense he takes undefeated Olympian Leonard Dorin. Dorin was the real deal and I thought he should have gotten the nod in his draw vs Paul Spadafora. Gatti knocked him out in 2 rounds.

After Dorin, Gatti kos Jesse James Leijia in a title defense. Gatti has scored about double digit kos vs ex world titlist and elite competition.  Then his rapid decline starts losing 3 of his last 4.

So Gatti had a 10 year run through 3 divisions. He usually scored kos in his big wins. He has some nice scalps. Patterson, Ruelas, Millet, Gamache, Rodriguez, Dorin, Leija, Grove and Ward. He showed longevity. A decade of fighting the killers he fought deserves credit. He had a reasonably high peak. He was actually as high as #9 P4P. His excitement was off the hook and it’s very rare for an action to last as long as he did.

In contrast Ray Mancini and Barry McGuigan are both in. Both fit Gatti’s profile the best. Gatti lasted longer and had more big wins than both. He also won more titles. I think McGuigan is clearly a better fighter than Gatti and Mancini most likely is. But if we go on accomplishments, Gatti has a big edge over both. I would never discredit a fighter and say he shouldn’t be in the HOF. But Gatti measures up very well vs those two and no one keeps asking why they are in. I think people need to leave Gatti alone and look at his resume and see how hard it is to come back from ko losses and see what Gatti did and who he beat before they keep repeating the same nonsense. Gatti was such a rare and resilient fighter who accomplished more than people realize. He’s definitely a HOF.

Which fighting styles do you feel translate best to street fighting? I ask this because you see a lot of martial arts that don't have the rigorous contact that you see in combat sports yet they apparently originate from realities of life, but at the same time, combat sports lack certain realities of the street (no rules, no ref, no gloves, potentially more than one participant), but are more revealing about true fighting due to the rigour.

I always felt a guy like Joe Louis might have had the best style for street fighting because he fought in the smaller glove era where they partied and loved their heads well. He fought efficiently. At the same time, Jack Dempsey brought his swarming, pendulum like head movement into the ring and he got his start battling bigger guys in saloons in the west.

So I just don't know. I think it comes down to personal style and knack, but I think guys like Alexis Arguello and Joe Louis (moreso Louis) would do better than say Macho Comacho or even Floyd Mayweather.

What's your take on this? Thanks!

Bread’s Response: Great Question! Let me think.

Because a street fight is usually over within under 30 seconds I think the vicious attacker would be best in a traditional street fight. I’m not saying that Joe Louis wouldn’t be great in street fights. He’s cool and precise. But there are other guys I would take over him in street fights. I’ve had over a dozen street fights in my life and they usually get broken up quickly. Louis in my opinion would be better as a designated sucker puncher of the crew. Louis sees a guy from a rival neighborhood, he walks over to him and ask him for a light of his cigarette and then boom he knocks him cold.

In an actual street fight three men come to mind. Deontay Wilder, Mike Tyson and George Foreman. As great of a boxer that Muhammad Ali is he wouldn’t be near my top as a street fighter. You usually want brute force and viciousness in a 30 second violent attack. Those would be my go to guys if I wanted someone EFFED up on the street. My 2nd team would be guys like Ray Mercer, Jack Dempsey and Ike Ibeabuchi.

Hey Bread,

I don't discredit fighters who put food on the table with their fists, but Choclatito in my opinion was an HBO creation.

He hadn't really done much and HBO was hyping him up as the second coming, this especially after they refused to give Mayweather a deal casting him off to Showtime purgatory and the rest is history.

I'm quite sure if HBO had to do it all over again they would give Mayweather the deal he was asking for and still be in the boxing business today.

I'm also not saying Marciano was a bum but Jersey Joe, the Brown Bomber and Archie Moore were past it all 9 and 10 years older than the Brockton Bomber, the Cincinnati Cobra was around the same age as Marciano with only two years separating them. It was also said that Marciano didn't want to face the up and coming Floyd Patterson 12 years his junior not giving Patterson the chance Wallcott, Moore and Louis had given him.

Charles has a large edge over the old mongoose defeating him as a middleweight and light heavyweight giving him beatings. Charles was even 2/2 against Walcott, and won a 15 round decision against louis.

Moore dropped back down to light heavyweight where he was most effective after fighting Marciano only returning to heavyweight for Patterson and Clay both losses.

I would've loved to have seen Moore face Bob Foster.

The bum of the month reference was racist to diminish Louis' stature even after Louis defeated Schmeling in the rematch the 2nd blow against the 3rd reich for America ( the first was Jesse Owen's and Ralph Metcalf's Olympic track and field victories in the 1938 Berlin Olympics).

Tyson wasn't the same fundamental fighter after prison, everybody including Bowe, Holyfield and Lennox Lewis avoided Tyson pre prison similar to how Manny Pacquiao now wants to fight Errol Spence after his car accident but didn't want to pre accident.

Fighters know that traumatic events affect a fighter and all of them are looking for an edge.

Spence won't be the same!

Bread’s Response: How could Chocolatito be an HBO creation when he was already a 3 division champion and over 40-0 before he got on the network? He accomplished more before HBO then after. So how did they create him?

HBO also didn’t match him softly. After his first fight on HBO which was a showcase, he fought the best available guy fight after fight. That schedule took his prime. Again how did they create him? Now after a brutal ko loss he comes back and wins another title to prove how great he was 5 years ago. No disrespect Rob. You know I love your comments. But you’re TRIPPING!

Joe Louis was a shot fighter when he fought Marciano. But Walcott wasn’t shot. He was the champion of the world and he had just kod Charles who you mentioned. Moore was also a current champion when he challenged Marciano. Walcott and Moore were also two of the greatest fighters ever over 35. So….

As you stated Charles was only two years older than Marciano. I don’t believe any of them were at their peaks but they were still great fighters when he fought them.

The BUM of the Month Club should never be repeated. Louis fought the best available guy for 11 years. He also had his reign interrupted by WWII. He may have had 40 title defenses during those 4 years. What a shame no one ever mentions that the longest title reign in history was on hold for 4 years!

I don’t think Holyfield avoided Tyson before he went to prison. In fact Holyfield moved up to heavyweight and went after Tyson in 1988. He fought a series of fights to become Tyson’s mandatory while Tyson was the undisputed champion. Then he agreed to fight him before prison. Tyson went to jail that’s not on Holyfield. After Tyson got out of jail Holyfield fought him as an 8 to 1 underdog. Please don’t do that to Holyfield.

Bowe and Lewis were young fighters during Tyson’s run. Not so much in age but experience. They were 1988 Olympians. Tyson lost his title in 1990. They weren’t ready for title shots until late in 1992. Unless you have more facts I don’t understand why you said that.

I do agree Tyson had slipped technically after jail. I noticed he didn’t use his left hook as much after he came back. His rapid head movement wasn’t the same. And he was easier to tie up. But a style like Tyson’s never ages well. I think that’s why Frazier slipped in his late 20s and why Marciano retired with big fights looming.

I do think Errol Spence was severely ducked. I also see how fighters are willing to fight him now. But I think that also could be because Shawn Porter won 5 or 6 rounds from him and Mikey Garcia went the distance…

As far as his accident. It’s not fair to play doctor. How would anyone know if he will be the same if we are not part of the team of medical professionals who examined him? We have to see him perform. We also have to take into consideration that his opponents have seen him have a tough fight vs Porter. Now they will fight him harder because they know he’s human.  If someone beats Spence let’s not discredit their win before they even do it. Let’s also give Spence the benefit of doubt. He says he’s fine.

Breadman ,

                 How about the upcoming fight between Canelo and BJS . You said BJS has a style you don't pick . And I agree with you .

                  But here we are , someone had to pick him . And BJS belt is on the line at 168 . How do you see this fight going , it has

                  me intrigued .

                   Also how do you feel about Wilder in the immediate rematch . Think he should tune-up fight first . Who does this favor

                    him or Fury . How do you see this fight going .

                     I think GGG should fight Murata next and retire .

                    

                     Canelo vs Plant

                      Canelo vs Archie Moore "The Old Mongoose"  at 175 lbs

                      Caleb Plant vs James Toney at 168 lbs

                      

                                                                    Thanks

                                                                       JB

Bread’s Response: I give Canelo props for picking a stick and moving southpaw. But I favor Canelo. Canelo has evolved into a guy who can do it all. He’s settled into a counter punching pressure fighter. He’s a better more consistent fighter than Saunders and I expect him to win. But I expect Saunders to perform well under Ben Davison. Saunders will be in shape.

I’m not sure how Wilder will do in the rematch. But I don’t think he’s as over his head as everyone says. Now that he’s seen Fury fight him in two different styles he should have a gauge on what should work and what shouldn’t.

I don’t know if he should take a tune up. I don’t know Wilder. What I do know is he wants his title back. If he wouldn’t exercised his rematch clause people would say he was a COWARD. Now that he is, they are saying he’s STUPID. He has to do what’s best for him. Also remember he’s 34 years old.

GGG has to be careful with these young studs hovering around. Because GGG got his big fights so late he’s really fighting guys from a different era. GGG’s real contemporaries are Sergio Martinez, Kelly Pavlik, Arthur Abraham, Danny Jacobs, Peter Quillin, Andy Lee, Chavez Jr and Dmitri Pirog.

GGG appears to be clean. He’s not a great athlete. He’s just a great fighter. He’s taken his share of punishment. He’s almost 38. And he’s a pressure fighter. Most fighters who fit his description and level of athleticism were retired by 38. I know fighters can go on a little longer in this era but not too much longer. Again I’m not suggesting he should retire. That’s not my place. But there was a time where he could fight anyone in the division. Now he has to be very careful.

Whats up Bread,

Big fan of the Mailbag.  Also a big Wilder fan.  I feel like you were one of the only voices in boxing that didn’t seem to relish in Deontay Wilders loss.  I felt a lot of the coverage was disrespectful.   I think saying things like he “can’t fight” is pretty offensive from a non-fighter in Teddy Atlas. 

I think the Idea that Deontay lost 10-2 in the first fight is pretty wild seeing as a lot of the rounds were close to me.  I thought Deontay was more active in the first 4 rounds, As did Jack Reiss and one of the judges.  I think Fury got a lot of credit because of the perception that if Deontay doesn’t knock you out with the right hand he didn’t do what he wanted.  Fury seemed to get a lot of credit for feints, taunting, and not getting knocked out. I also think the idea that fury did enough to win or even up the 12th round after the knockdown is delusional.   I guess my question is am I just a bitter Wilder fan? lol

I saw Fury-Wilder II a lot like the Ali-Foreman.  Foreman was 40-0 with 37KOs.  most people assumed Foreman would win.  one thing that impressed me even more was that Fury was knocked unconscious by Wilder.  Then he came back and went toe to toe.  Talk about mental strength!  Do you think this win was as big as Ali-Foreman?  Thanks for your time,  sorry for the long post.

Bread’s Response: No I don’t think you’re a bitter Wilder fan. I was there live at Wilder vs Fury 1. I thought Wilder won between 3 and 5 rounds. 3 being the minimum and 5 being the max. The consensus opinion is he won 4 rounds. That’s why more people thought he lost than thought he won. Most people had a score of 114-112 for Fury including the 2 knockdowns.

No Fury didn’t even up round 12. That’s a 10-8 round for Wilder.

Being a fan of a fighter doesn’t allow you to be objective. But you aren’t a judge so you have a right to your feelings.

Fury does have tremendous mental strength. I observed that when he beat Wlad Klitschko. Some of that can be cultivated by a trained EYE. But Fury has something special. His self confidence in his application when he’s fighting is on the level of say a James Toney, Naseem Hamed and Muhammad Ali. Those are probably the 3 most insanely confident fighters I’ve ever seen. I don’t think Fury is as good as Ali but I do get the comparison.

No Fury’s win over Wilder is not as big as Ali’s win over Foreman. Foreman was a more highly regarded champion than Wilder. Foreman was a gold Medalist and he had destroyed Frazier and Norton in 2 rounds. They are both HOF. Foreman was also 25 when Ali fought him. Ali’s win over Foreman could be the biggest and best win in history. It’s easily top 5. Fury’s win over Wilder is a big win for this year. I’m not downplaying I,t but it’s not the same or even close.

I haven’t heard what Teddy Atlas said. I also respect him so I won’t single him out. But I’m glad you brought up some of the things that people are saying about Wilder. I have heard it and I find it very insulting. I have a rule. Unless you can do what an athlete did better than them, you CAN’T insult them. You can fairly criticize them but you can’t insult them publicly. No one should be insulting someone publicly anyway. RESPECT is very important in sports and in life.

My very 1st cousin who I am very close to, sent me a bunch of text telling me how Wilder can’t fight and how he was scared etc. I told him he couldn’t spar 30 seconds with Wilder without being sent to the hospital. He got upset but the fact remains he can’t. People go overboard with their criticism. It’s a pet peeve of mine.

The reason you didn’t see me RELISH in Wilder’s loss is because I’m not a hater. I don’t have a jealous bone in my body. And I am a fair objective person. Wilder got dominated and I picked him to win. I bet on him! Of course I didn’t want to lose my money. But I have to give Tyson Fury props. He was awesome. That’s so easy for me to say. But I would never relish in someone’s pain, unless I disliked them personally. I think the people that are happy Wilder lost, have a personal axe to grind against Wilder. It’s been overkill.

Boxing is a prideful sport. No one wants to be WRONG. Most people in boxing act like their word is the bible. When their pick is WRONG, Instead of just saying they were WRONG, they come up with more excuses than the fighter. Then they start INSULTING. Some of the things that are being said about Wilder are over the top.

If Wilder was so bad then why didn’t these EXPERTS pick Fury before the fight? If Wilder was so bad why was he the slight favorite despite most thinking he lost the first fight? If Wilder was so bad how did he get to 10 title defenses and 42-0? If he was so bad how did he win a Bronze Medal in the 2008 Olympics? They say he only accomplished what he accomplished as a pro because he’s connected to Al Haymon and Shelly Finkel. But in the amateurs there is NO matchmaking.

There is not one BUM in the history of boxing who has defended a major title 10x. Not one. Even if you don’t defend vs all killers there are still capable challengers.

What Wilder is, is an unrefined, defensively flawed, athletic puncher. He relies on his athleticism and power to win and not his boxing ability. He’s unconventional in his approach because we are used to seeing a fighter built like him jab more and be more sharp. Sort of like his trainer Mark Breland and Tommy Hearns who is probably the most famous tall, skinny puncher of them all. But Wilder sits back and he waits and waits. He paws with his left hand then boom he lands his MONEY and the fight is over. It’s just him.

To say that Wilder is poor defensively is a fair criticism. To say that he does not use a good jab is a fair statement. To say he loses too many rounds is a fair statement. But to say that he CAN’T fight or that he’s a BUM is overboard. Wilder is just a very flawed fighter.

I wouldn’t be surprised if Wilder banned a number of members of the press. I think it went too far. I think fighters should start attacking certain members of the media. Not physically of course. But they should start insulting them. Stop interviewing with them. Start questioning their legacies and credibility when they get a prediction wrong or write an untrue story, so they can see how it feels. Right now the attacks come one way. I would like to see how these SUPER critics would handle it if every time they made a bad pick they got insulted for a few months.

Fighters shouldn’t have to deal with that crap from the media. The media shouldn’t be on the same level as these social media trolls. Especially when these IDIOT social media trolls can insult you whenever they want with no repercussions. I think that show where the boxing reporters take fighters to the TROLLS place of work is so cool. I loved the Zab Judah and Danny Garcia episodes. I apologize I don’t know the name of the segment but it’s great that fighters get to reverse the trolling.

I always treat everyone with RESPECT until they disrespect me or show me that I can’t. Trolls, media and critics took Wilder’s loss too far. What’s crazy to me is I think he overachieved. With his experience level and level of ability for him to have made it that far is amazing.

Haven't written in for a while, but after reading your opinion the other week on the Meldrick Taylor chavez fight, I thought it would be cool to get your thoughts on some other controversial fights.

Ali vs Liston 2.

Pryor vs arguello

Cotto vs margarito

Also, what's your thoughts on Harry Greb? I'd always been under the impression that ray robinson was pretty unanimously regarded as p4p number 1 of all time, but I've actually heard quite a few knowledgeable boxing folk say they have greb as number 1. His record is incredible, but after seeing sugar ray it's hard to think of anyone who could be better(especially considering greb isn't meant to have had knockout power).

Rob, England

Bread’s Response: It’s really interesting that my stance on Chavez vs Taylor has never wavered. Over time many people who I know and respect have sort of changed stances. But I still feel as though that Taylor would NOT have taken another punch. I still feel as though he beat the count clean. I still feel as though Richard Steele asked him twice was he ok but the second time was rushed and he never gave him a chance to respond. I still feel as though Steele had an idea that the round was ending. I still feel as though Taylor nodded slightly but he could have been more assertive in his response, so he shares some blame although it’s a small percentage. I still feel as though Lou Duva ducked lots of criticism and he distracted Taylor by jumping on the ring apron and getting too excited. I still feel as though Chavez vs Taylor 1 is one of the top 5 unification fights ever. I still feel as though Meldrick Taylor got screwed.

Ali vs Liston2. I feel that Liston was hit with a real punch. The right hand counter was sharp and sudden. I don’t feel as though that punch was enough to keep a fighter like Liston down for that long. I think he overreacted. What I don’t know is why? Maybe he was threatened. Maybe he took a dive. Maybe he was tired of dealing with a young, athletic great fighter Ali so his self esteem was low and he sort of stole the money. The WHY is the big question in Ali vs Liston 2.

Pryor vs Arguello was some fight. Arguello was going for his 4th division title. Pryor wanted to be a great fighter. I think Aaron Pryor was special but Panama Lewis is a cheater. He’s proven to be a cheater in the Luis Resto case. Lewis didn’t work Pryor’s corner in the rematch. That’s telling. Emanuel Steward did. I have probably listened to about 150 Steward interviews. He’s great. I heard one interview where he said that he purposely changed the color of trunks that Pryor wore from  black to white because the black represented the bad guy. He also said that Pryor lacked some confidence because he was used to cutting corners and cheating.

I believe that there was something in the bottle. It’s clear on audio that Panama Lewis is saying give me the bottle I mixed. You don’t mix water with water. The rumors are that the bottle had peppermint schnapps in it. Then the water supposedly had crushed asthma tablets in it. Lewis claimed that he mixed tap water with spring water and ice. I don’t believe Lewis’s story. In the corner in 1982 only water was supposed to be in the bottle. It pains me to say this because I feel as though Aaron Pryor is a great fighter. But I do think some level of cheating took place. What exactly, I don’t know.

Cotto vs Margarito is a tough one for me. I know Naazim Richardson personally and I asked him personally what happened. He told me that one of Margarito’s hands were wrapped already when he got to the dressing room and they were starting on the second one. He complained. He told me that Margarito’s coach looked very nervous and he couldn’t get why. He said that he notified the commission that he didn’t like the wrap. He said the commission made Margarito’s trainer unwrap and he saw a used knuckle pad that was wet. Then they unwrapped the hand that was wrapped before he got in the dressing room and that one had a wet knuckle pad in it too.

That story is the brief version of the story not exact verbatum.

Now obviously this is for the Shane Mosley fight not the Miguel Cotto fight. Mosley fought Margarito after he beat Cotto.

Many assumed that these were the same knuckle pads used for Cotto without concrete proof. But there is no way to prove it unless the wraps were taken and examined after the Cotto fight.

So while the evidence is circumstantial I will say that whenever I hear of a fighter attempting to or cheating I always wonder if that was the first time they did it or the first time they got caught. I assume it was the first time they got caught.

I don’t know what Margarito knew or didn’t know. But I believe his coach knew what he was doing. I don’t believe this was an innocent mistake like he claimed and they were knuckle pads he used in sparring. I know sometimes make shift pads are used in sparring but not of this sort. Why would you do that to your sparring partners?

While I was watching Cotto vs Margarito 1 I kept saying to myself what in the heck is wrong with Cotto’s face. I will give Margarito credit, he didn’t have wraps on his chin. That dude could take a punch like no one I’ve seen. But maybe he had extra push because he knew his punches were more damaging than anyone knew. I will also give Margarito credit because I believe he was coming on in the REMATCH but the fight was stopped. But I always go back to how I felt at the time before my mind gets flooded with the controversy.

My guts rarely lies to me about anything. The energy I feel is rarely off. I’m being very modest when I say this. I’m prefacing Margarito’s karma AFTER he beat Cotto. He was destroyed by Shane Mosley in a fight he was supposed to win and a huge favorite in. I said to myself they attempted to cheat vs Mosley as the big favorites and Cotto had beat Mosley so why not cheat vs an undefeated Cotto? After the Mosley loss, Manny Pacquiao almost killed Margarito literally. Then he takes a beating in the Cotto rematch and as soon as he comes on they stop the fight. If that isn’t bad karma I don’t know what is. I will leave it at that.

Harry Greb has a case for the greatest fighter ever. But I can't see him fight so I can't tell if he's the best. For arguments sake I say Ray Robinson is the best and greatest but Greb's resume could be the top ever.

Send Questions dabreadman25@hotmail.com