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The Daily Bread Mailbag returns with Stephen “Breadman” Edwards tackling topics such as Josh Taylor vs. Jack Catterall, Jaron Ennis, Gilberto Ramirez, Roman Gonzalez vs. Julio Cesar Martinez, Kell Brook, Gary Antuanne Russell and more.
Bread,
Hope you’re well. Looking to come up to Philly soon. Sorry to find out about the loss of your friend Tyrone McNeely. I’m predicting that Spence vs Crawford will happen by the end of 2022 or early 2023. This is assuming, of course, both win their next bouts, which is not guaranteed.1) Both fighters want it. Boxing may be the ultimate ego sport, but I think they will work through whatever issues stand in the way. Both are aware that this is a legacy fight. 2) The Keith Thurman factor: He may have done Crawford a great favor by overvaluing himself. This was proven by making his last fight a PPV event. By the numbers, it was a flop, and he may have placed himself in a position where he needs to fight Crawford. 3) The Boots factor: The monster is coming! and this puts more pressure on Crawford/Spence to make their fight. Though Ennis hasn’t fought a top, top guy, he looks so good I almost wish he would go away only because he threatens the fight I’ve been pining for. Any top fighter should only fight him only if forced to, because he would mess up their money. It would be foolish to do otherwise.
Your thoughts?
Simba Sana
Bread’s Response: Thank you. Tyrone McNeely was my 1st cousin. I actually agree with you and I stated it in the past. Boots is a big reason for Spence vs Crawford to fight. If Boots becomes one of their mandatories before they fight each other. Then their advisors will most likely and logically conclude, why would we fight a kid 7 or 10 years younger. Taller, longer and faster than the guy the world wants to see us fight for less money. Boots is coming! Neither one of their legacies could take them not fighting each other or Boots if he becomes a mandatory. I also agree the next logical fight is Crawford vs Thurman. Thurman looked good to me in his last fight and he’s still a player despite low PPV numbers in his last fight.
Hello Breadman ,
You made a great point that boxing is first and foremost a business . I try to look at it that way now . The best business man in boxing is Canelo . I will admit he is my favorite fighter . But lots of people hate him , and want to see him lose. He has the largest fan base , and in this world smart people win . All the fighters want that huge payday fight with Canelo .
Cant blame him for taking the easy way out . Bivol is no threat , Canelo wins easily . Only way to beat Canelo right now is to knock him out . That is not going to happen . He is more physical than Bivol , and just as strong or stronger . I dont see how Bivol can win . I think GGG knows what he is up against . Canelo has waited him out until he is forty , so no way GGG is going to win , he may get really hurt . At the same time , fighting a guy that’s eight years older than you and forty , there is no honor or glory in that . Only money . Charlo may be a mean guy and really fight hard against Canelo , but he has not faced upper level fighters . Lower tier guys have taken him the distance . I don’t think Canelo is really excited to fight Benavidez . He is younger , and poses a real threat . He could stop Canelo . And that is the only way to beat him . I hear that Crawford may move up and face Jermell Charlo at 154 . That would be an awesome fight , if it were to happen , who you got.
Thank You
J.B.
Bread’s Response: I disagree. At the elite level of boxing any man is a threat. I think Bivol is a threat to Canelo. But right now I pick Canelo to beat him. But just because Canelo will be the favorite, doesn’t mean Bivol is not a threat. Bivol is a light heavyweight. He’s undefeated. He has pedigree and he seems to want to win. Obviously he was picked for a reason but that doesn’t mean he has to give Canelo what he wants. A side fighters are not 100% from the field. Sometimes they pick POISON. Boxing is a business. But the sports aspect happens when a fighter trains his butt off and gets in that ring and starts slinging leather. Canelo will feel his punches and vice versa.
Charlo has been going the distance often lately but I still feel as though he would fight Canelo really hard. That’s the fight I wanted to see. Because I believe that Jermall has toughness and durability that Bivol may not. For the record I’m not saying Bivol lacks toughness. I’m saying that I don’t know if he has the toughness of Jermall Charlo. Bivol has been the distance in like 5 or 6 fights in a row. Each opponent has been sort of outmatched but he elected to cruise and not engage. He was hurt by Joe Smith and he became even more passive. Joe Smith hurt him during the middle of his ko halt. My instincts tell me when a superior fighter keeps going the distance vs inferior fighters and he’s ok with cruising to a decision it’s because he doesn’t like being hit. No one does but…..
I know Charlo has been the distance often lately also. But Jermall doesn’t stop trying to ko guys. He’s still trying to bring the pain. His lack of kos has not been because of lack of trying for it.
I would love to see Benavidez vs Canelo. My goodness that may be Fight of the Decade. Benavidez is a straight killer. He actually reminds me of Canelo but they are built different. They fight very similar. Benavidez flurries more but other than that it’s similar approach.
Hello Breadman ,
What do you think about Josh Taylor and the Catterall fight . The fight I saw , Taylor gave up too many early rounds then got knocked down . Catterall was getting off first and getting the better of it . To me it seems Catterall won the fight . Taylor now says he may go to 147 . If he stays at 140 how do you see a fight with Teo Lopez going . If he goes to 147 how do you see a fight with Crawford going . I think he loses both fights . He definitely gets knocked out in the Crawford fight . I see now where Ryan Garcia wants to fight Kambossos . Seems everybody wants him . Ryan Garcia and Tank Davis , great fight if we ever get it . Another question for you , do you think going to thirteen rounds would help eliminate draws . We see lots of fights where one judge has it even and the other two are split . This happens too much .
I know this could not ever happen , but title fights would have unlimited rounds , and a fight can end in three ways – by KO with ten count , quit in the corner , throw in the towel during the fight , NO judges , no ref stoppage or doctor stoppage. But seriously something needs to be done , judging is either incompetent or corruption laden . You watch a fight , you want to see the winner get the win .
Thank You
J.B.
Bread’s Response: Going 13 rounds would not eliminate anything. Corrupt and Incompetent judges would still find ways to be corrupt and incompetent. If you want to stop bad scoring start interviewing judges after the fights. Start doing investigations on their bad scoring. And then start suspending them indefinitely. The judges who score bad get rewarded by keeping their jobs. They score bad because of they know if they score for the A side or favorable fighter they assume the promoters are in favor with them. We had draws in the 15 round era also. If we do away with even rounds or start a consensus round of scoring things can be better. For example in order for a fighter to win a round, more than one judge has to be in agreement with it. Or more judges. I’ve always believed it’s harder to corrupt more people. If we had 5 judges instead of 3 I think boxing would be better.
As you know Josh Taylor is my guy. I have been high on him for a very long time. Way before he became the undisputed champion at 140lbs. But I have to tip my hat to Jack Catterall. I was rooting for Taylor and I didn’t think he won the fight. He just had an off night. Sometimes an athlete can get into a FUNK or a YIP where they keep trying to do things that just aren’t working and they can’t stop. Taylor was trying to sort of big dog Catterall and walk him down. But Catterall was slippery. He had Taylor’s left hand timed, he was rolling under it. And he used Josh’s aggression against him. I don’t even know if Catterall is better than Taylor. But he was better than him on the night they fought. Catterall won that fight.
I don’t care if he faded or not. If you win 7 rounds of a 12 round fight and you aren’t knocked down twice you win the fight. Catterall won at least 7 rounds and he scored a knockdown. People can say this wasn’t a robbery because it was close. Well a close fight can be a robbery if you can’t find 7 rounds to give to a fighter. I tried very hard and I couldn’t find 7 rounds to give to Josh Taylor. I feel horrible for Jack Catteral because official results count. He may not ever be that good again. Taylor would probably ko him in a rematch because now he won’t be caught by a surprise. Ben Davidson and Lee Wylie will make adjustments and most likely Taylor would win. That’s why Catteral deserved what he earned.
Now Just because Josh had an off night doesn’t mean he’s not the real deal. I wouldn’t favor him to beat Terence Crawford. But Teofimo Lopez is a different story. That’s a very good fight. Lopez maybe struggling coming off of an official loss. He was beat up pretty bad by Kambosos. Mentally he may not be the same. We have to see.
As for Taylor saying he want to move up to 147lbs. I have always said he looks like he struggles to make 140lbs. I don’t care how easy a fighter says they make weight. There are certain signs that a fighter has when he barely makes weight. It doesn’t mean he can’t fight at 140lbs anymore. It just means that making that weight is a push. Josh has the height of a middleweight and he fights at 140lbs….You have to understand the language of a fighter. When a fighter loses or performs poorly they need to rationalize WHY. It’s how they are wired. Most times they blame it on weight or their trainers. So Taylor saying he wants to move up is just how fighters rationalize bad nights. Let’s see what he does after his emotions level off.
What’s up Bread,
I hope you are doing well.. I have always been fascinated by how a trainer and boxer come together with so many good trainers out there. What is the most common process for a boxer and trainer to come together ? Also, is there ever a written contract or is it just a verbal agreement . I have read your column in the past where you stated that you never seek out a fighter so how does it really work?
Additionally, have you ever walked away from a fighter that you agreed to train for some reason or are trainers hired to be fired like NBA coaches? Also, why does no one ever talk about Gilberto Ramirez . He held the WBO super Middleweight championship from 2016-2019. He is undefeated and impressed me against Sullivan Barrera but no one ever calls his name out to be the next opponent..
Take Care,
Aaron from Cleveland
Bread’s Response: Logistics is the most common way a trainer and fighter hook up. A fighter can’t help where he was born or raised. And the best trainer in his area when he starts fighting usually gets to train him. As the fighter progresses and becomes more resourceful he can start to look on a bigger scope but it still comes down to logistics. The fighter has to either go where the trainer is. Or the trainer has to go where the fighter is. Logistics still is the #1 reason. After logistics chemistry and accomplishments. Fighters need to have chemistry with trainers. And they usually pick trainers who have done good work with other guys.
Yes I have walked away from fighters before for several reasons.
I have no idea what happened with Gilberto Ramirez. He was a solid champion at 168lbs. I feel like he could’ve easily got a title shot once he moved up. I don’t understand why he lost his momentum or why he hasn’t made a big challenge at 175lb. This era is so weird. You have an undefeated fighter in his prime, who moves up one division and waits and waits and waits. Ramirez and Munguia seem to be doing the same thing. Both undefeated champions. Both move up. The WBO installs you as the mandatory if you want it. But neither has yet to challenge for a world title. I literally have no idea what happened or why it’s happened.
Breadman -Roman Chocolatito Gonzalez holds a special place amongst die-hard fans. It’s a shame he’s not made more money or is not more popular as he has fought all of the best fighters of his era with exception of Inuoe. How do you see this fight playing out and I can’t imagine this fight hurts or enhances his legacy regardless of the outcome? Martinez is as hot of a fighter as there is at the moment so it’s in my opinion that on bravado alone Gonzalez’s legacy is enhanced for taking this challenge.
I commend Usyk, Lomachenko, Postol and the Klitschko brothers for being relentless fighters in the ring and out of the ring. May you and your family continue to be blessed. Let’s spread peace and love during these difficult times in Eastern Europe.
Richard
K.p.s. I think UO would be a great fit for your daughter . Tracktown USA has the best facilities.
Bread’s Response: I would love for Ava to go Oregon University. But she’s 11. There is a lot of room between the cup and the lip at this point. Let’s see how she does this season. Thank you.
Choc! War Choc! Special, Special fighter. GUN. Top 10 ever from 122lb and below. Top 10 ever of the last decade. Top 2 ever from Nicaragua. Top 5 ever at 105 and 108. Best pressure fighter of the last 2 decades.
You can always gain something by winning a fight. You also can lose something if you lose badly. It’s very hard for me to pick against Choc but he has a tough challenge in front of him. Very, very tough. My heart says Choc by decision in a FOY candidate. But I hope it doesn’t come to that. He’s over 50 fights in and eventually his brutal schedule will be his undoing. Eventually he’s going to step on the gas and it won’t be any left in the tank. I hope it’s not Saturday night. War Choc!
I also commend Loma, Usyk, Klitschko Bros and Postol. What they are doing is bigger than boxing. They are fighting for their lives. Stand up Guys!
Hello Bread.
I was reading the Sunday Telegraph here in Australia last weekend and saw an article on the front page saying how the WBC is going to reverse the decision of Jeff Fenech-Azumah Nelson 1. Only took them 31 years to realize how the Marrickville Mauler was robbed on that amazing night in Las Vegas. I know you’re a huge fan as you mention him regularly. What a fighter he was! World champ after 7 pro fights. Fought an up and coming in Jerome Coffee who was highly touted, beat a future world champ in Daniel Zaragoza and then best Olympic gold medalist Steve Mcrory. That’s murders row for a guy who had less than 20 fights. He was a relentless pressure fighter with extraordinary stamina and not sure if you know but he had very brittle hands he broke almost every fight. His performance against the great Ghanaian in Vegas is as good as you’ll see from a super featherweight in the last 30 years. Boy what a fighter.
I believe he’s life and death with anyone who lived from Bantamweight to super featherweight he was that good and I believe he could more than hold his own against the great Sal Sanchez. Could you please share your thoughts why you hold him in such high regard and now you rate him historically? Outside of his adoring Australia I just don’t believe he is spoken about with the greats.
Bread’s Response: Wow I didn’t hear they were going to reverse the Fenech vs Nelson 1 decision. I hold Fenech in high regard because he deserves it. I know what he was and that’s a monster. I also believe he holds his own with the greats from 118-130. He was strong, relentless, mean and his fitness level was absurd.
The one thing I know about is getting a fighter in shape. I know about getting the human body in shape. My kids are as fit as they can be while still being kids. Some fighters get in boxing shape. But when a fighter wants to be in CRITICAL shape, what he does is becomes fit then he gets in boxing shape. It gets his boxing shape to the next level.
Fighters should be able to do things like a run a mile in a certain amount of time. 6 minutes or less. Run a 400 in a certain amount of time. Approximately 65 seconds or less. Push ups, 50. Pull ups, 10-15. Core 100 per clip. There fitness level should be up regardless if they have a fight or not. Some fighters don’t have high fitness they can just fight.
Fenech I can tell without knowing him had both. There is a look and a performance level that you see in fighters who had both. Fenech was one of them and I respect it because it’s not easy. Getting in shape and staying in shape is the hardest thing for a fighter to do.
I love Jeff Fenech. And yes he would have given Sanchez all he wanted. It would have been a great fight. Actually he would have had a chance to beat Sanchez because not only was a Fenech a great fighter. But by the time the fight would have been viable, Sanchez would have been about 60 fights deep into his career. Fenech would have been fresher and more vibrant by the late 80s.
What’s up Breadman,
I’ve been reading your mailbag for the last few years and I must admit, it’s definitely my favorite article here on BoxingScene, I look forward to reading them every week! Your knowledge of the game is second to none. I’d like to get your thoughts on Kell Brook’s performance. I think he looked great and has a couple of fights left. His jab is phenomenal, his timing and accuracy is great and he uses it to do damage, not just to keep people at bay. I doubt he can beat the top guys at 147 but fights with Danny Garcia and Thurman intrigue me.
Also a UK dust up with Connor Benn would be great, I actually want to see Benn in with someone who can punch. How do those fights play out? When you say Boots is the best fighter you’ve ever seen in the gym that holds a lot of weight. I think he will be the best of all the newcomers but I have a feeling he will be avoided like the plague even if he does get a belt, similar to prime GGG. Do you think he will eventually become a superstar and get the fights he deserves?
Lastly, how do these mythical matches play out? Loma vs Marquez @130Hatton vs Maidana @140, Holyfield vs Usyk @ 200.
Thanks educating all us fans with your mailbag, it’s refreshing to hear someone who knows the sport inside out talk about boxing the way you do without being biased.
Peace out,
Martin from UK
Bread’s Response: Brook always look good to me. He rarely has an off night. I saw him perform poorly vs a 154 pounder a few years back. And I saw him struggle vs Carson Jones in their first fight. But besides that he always looks good. He looked excellent vs Amir Khan. He beat Khan up, badly. I love Brook vs Garcia or Thurman. Those are evenly matched fights. I also love the Conor Benn fight. I don’t like the Eubank fight. Too much weight difference when Brook has makeable good fights circa 150lbs.
Yes Jaron Ennis is the best fighter I’ve ever seen in the gym. I’ve seen him spar for the last 8 years and I have seen only one fighter best him. I’ve never seen him have what I call a bad day. And recently I haven’t even seen him have an off round, yet alone sparring session. He’s extremely focused in the gym while having fun at the same time. I don’t know if he will become a superstar but I do think he will become a world champion. Politics may keep him from being a superstar but he’s in the right division. The world’s best welterweight is usually very highly regarded throughout history.
Ssup Bread,
Is it even possible for someone to replace SRR as GOAT when they fight so little? I guess it is possible in heavyweight division because heavyweights always fought less than boxers in lower weight classes. For example, if we look at SRLs career, he started losing to smaller guys in his 39th bout itself. I am afraid to think what would have happened to him if he had fought as many times as SRR. It might have been physically impossible for SRL to reach that mark. Hell, I think if he had fought 106 times like Jake Lamotta, Jake Lamotta would have a much better record than what what I think SRL would have accumulated considering how poorly he performed against Norris (only his 39th bout).A few days back, a guy wrote on Twitter that he has Floyd higher up than SRL in his ATG list even though he believes SRL wins a mythical matchup with him. He is also a reader of your mailbag and says that when record is close, being undefeated matters. A bit like when you say, Floyd should rate higher than Pacquiao as their records are very similar and Floyd has a win over him.
While SRLs wins against Benitez, Kalule, Hearns, Duran and Hagler are much better than Floyd but at the same time SRL had 2 very bad losses to smaller fighters (Norris and Camacho). Also, Floyd has 10 more bouts than him. SRL had a humiliating exit and Floyd retried undefeated. A per him SRL is like Mike Powell and Floyd is like Carl Lewis. Powell made the record in 1991 and it stands till date but he almost always lost to Carl Lewis before and after that 1991 championship. Difference being that at least in case of long jump, performance can be clearly measured and mythical matchups in boxing are speculative. Personally, I ignore just 10 more bouts for the quality of opposition. 10 bouts is not a large number. We do the same when we rate Ali above Louis in heavyweight rankings but Ali and Louis had similar ends. And SRL was a shot fighter when he lost to Norris. What are your views on both these points?
Regards, Saurabh
Bread’s Response: I can’t tell you how to think but I can tell you I don’t agree. Floyd fought Manny and they are from the same era. It’s a difference. Floyd and Leonard aren’t from the same era. They didn’t fight. Ask yourself who would win if they fought on their best nights.
Ok I won’t argue with a Mayweather fan who says Floyd had more longevity than Leonard because he does. And I won’t argue with a Leonard fan who says Leonard had a higher peak and he beat better fighters because in my opinion he did. It’s subjective. Some people will take longevity, others will take peak value. I like both but peak weighs more for me.
As for the Lamotta comparison and when the losses took place, the concept is just so flawed. Leonard turned pro in 1977. By 1982 he had 33 fights already and only 1 fight in 1982. So that’s about 6 fights per year. He only lost once to an ATG. He was 25 years old. Lamotta had 4 losses in his first 30 fights. And 14 losses by the time he was 30 years old. The reason you can’t compare fighters the way you do because unless you state context it’s not valid. Lamotta fought more often so you have a chance to lose more often. Leonard was a very active fighter for his era early on before his 1st retirement. He was better when he was more active the record shows that. But after his retina detached and he had drug addiction issues his schedule went down greatly.
After his last welterweight title defense he literally fought 7 more times over a 15 year span. That’s 1 fight every other year. So when you say he started losing to smaller fighters in 39th fight, you say it out of context. Terry Norris is roughly the same size as Leonard, Norris just didn’t weight jump because he had durability issues. He was also 10 years younger and active. Leonard was off 6 years when he fought Camacho. A 40 year old fighter coming off of a 6 year lay off is INSANITY. So yeah he lost.
I won’t say a bad word about Lamotta I’m just telling you the logic is beyond flawed. Lamotta did get to fight against many fighters smaller than him. Sometimes he won, sometimes he lost. He was a light heavyweight as an amateur and a big middleweight as a pro who often fought in the 170s. So you just have to be careful with the analysis.
In 40 career fights, half of Leonard’s opponents were world champions or rated in the top 10 by Ring Magazine. By any metric. Eye ball test. Or advanced analytics he’s a top 20 fighter ever. Lamotta is great but he’s not that. There is no reason to believe that if Leonard fought in the 1940s and he was an active elite fighter who often fought non title fights. That he could have compiled one of the best records of the day like Willie Pep and Ray Robinson. Remember when he was active, he fought 6 times per year and he was the best fighter in the world. He retired at 32-1 for the first time and he was 6-1 with 6 kos in title fights. Leonard may have the 4 best scalps by any one fighter in history in Benitez 38-0, Duran 71-1, Hearns 32-0 and Hagler 62-2-2.
What’s good Breadman,
Do you have any analysis as to why Taylor struggled vs Catterrall from a tactical standpoint? Is hard for a southpaw to box another southpaw? I know the lead hands (jab hands) are on the opposite side of each other does that play a factor? Was it the height difference and did Josh have a hard time getting under Jack or was it the fact that he kept overshooting his punches? His distance was off, it was an ugly fight on Taylor’s behalf. Why was he getting hit with the same 1-2? What adjustments should he have made to defend against it and have a cleaner fight? Lastly can you offer insight on how to fight orthodox vs orthodox, southpaw vs southpaw and southpaw vs orthodox?
Peace & blessings,
Bread’s Response: Southpaws vs Southpaws are a blessing for the southpaws because they don’t cancel out each other’s jabs. Erislandy Lara is murder vs other southpaws. Did you see his fight vs Austin Trout. He was perfect.
I don’t know what was going on with Taylor but I do know Catterall fought a good fight. Sometimes the other guy made you struggle. This could be the case.
Taylor was over shooting his left hand but maybe Catterall was defending it well. Again sometimes you have to give the other guy credit.
I think Taylor looked anxious. That can happen. Sometimes the mind can betray you.
Technically Taylor is excellent and he has an excellent corner. I think the punch he was trying to land wasn’t there. I think the left hand to the body was there more and a short right hook was there. When a fighter leans away you should hit the closest thing to you and reach past a spot to hit another spot. I think Taylor was trying to land the punch he SAW. But he was in the ring and that’s how he saw it. From the my point of view I felt like a left hand to the body and right hook to the head were easier shots to land.
But listen it’s easy to Monday Morning QB after the fact. Catterall is a world class guy and he was ON.
Taylor kept getting hit with the 1-2 because he wasn’t countering it. When you counter a shot, it makes the throwing fighter hesitant to throw it. But he rarely countered it and that’s why Catterall kept throwing. I can’t say what he should’ve countered it with because everyone has a favorite shot to counter certain shots with.
Bread Man,
Gary Antoine Russell seems like one of those rough and tumble dudes—the power running back you hate to tackle, the dude in the post that punishes you on the block, or the dude in the street that beats people down he seems to love to pounce in and maul cats However it seems that style is susceptible to a sharpshooter that can box. Also, I can’t tell if it’s a comfort thing, habits from a great amateur career, or if he has short reach which makes him prefer the short game. I see someone who is maturing before our eyes and has the ability to fight at various ranges. Can he beat the best at 140 by fighting predominantly at short range or would it behoove him to diversify his ranges? If he fought Mikey Garcia, Teofimo Lopez, or Rougarou who would you pick and why? Lastly, he looks like he has above average physical strength for 140lb. What do your eyes see?
Billy Bomaye
Bread’s Response: Gary Antuane Russell is as strong as an ox. He reminds me of a southpaw Shawn Porter but he may have better punch selection. However I would like to see him vs the top level because Shawn did it at the elite level. If Shawn Porter and James Kirkland had a baby it would be Antuane Russell.
I think Russell is ready now. I’m not saying he beats everyone at 140lbs but he’s ready to challenge the best. He’s a very good fighter.
Dear Mr. Edwards,
I’ll get straight to the point. Do you think it’s possible Top Rank (as Josh Taylor’s promoter, though not the lead promoter last weekend) interfered with the judging and or refereeing in Taylor vs. Catterall? This is pure speculation on my part, however there are parallels to the Teofimo Lopez situation from which maybe they learned a lesson and decided to avoid losing another unified champion at all costs – unknown and undefeated mandatory, coming off a career best win, layoff, weight issues, and looking ahead to future opponents.
You are always very measured and respectful in your responses, so I hope you will at least consider giving this some thought.
Thank you for the continued work.
Bread’s Response: No way! I don’t believe judging gets interfered with like the general public thinks. I think the judges themselves take it upon themselves to bend over backwards and score for the fighter they think the promoter wants to win.
Hey Breadman,
I hope you and your family are healthy and are doing well, especially during this difficult time in this world. Every few months Canelo has to decide who he gives the Willy Wonka golden payday too. Recently, one of my boxing friends brought to my attention a post he saw posted on social media and I couldn’t agree more. If he (Canelo) fought Charlo, he ducked Bivol. If he fought Bivol, he ducked Charlo. If he fought Beterbiev, he ducked Bivol. If he fought Benavidez, he ducked Charlo. If he fought Charlo, he ducked Beterbiev. If he fought Bivol, he ducked Beterbiev. If he fought Beterbiev, he ducked Charlo. If he fought Benavidez, he ducked Beterbiev. If he fought Bivol, he ducked Benavidez. If he fought Charlo, he ducked Beterbiev. If he fought Benavidez, he ducked Bivol. If he fought Beterbiev, he ducked Benavidez. As a boxing fan, I think it’s fair to say we want the best challenges and fights, we want to see History! Every boxer has made mistakes personally/professionally and Canelo has made his share as well. However, Demetrius Andrade can’t sell out a phone booth. Benavidez who has a bright future, has only himself to blame after not making weight by 3 lbs. and testing positive for cocaine. Jermall Charlo who was recently arrested for the second time for physically assaulting a family member. It doesn’t matter if you’re with Golden Boy, DAZN, Top Rank, or PBC, the promoters work for the fighters. Therefore, it’s important for fighters to realize that unless they start fighting each other and taking 50-50 fights, they will have no one to blame for their careers except themselves.. Any truth or you think I’m being too harsh Breadman? As always thank you for the weekly mailbags and knowledge!
Kind regards, Eman
Bread’s Response: I agreed with everything you said until you put down Demetrius Andrade. Sometimes fans put down other fighters to justify why their favorite fighter didn’t fight them. Bivol is not a ticket seller. He doesn’t have an engaging personality. He’s actually been criticized as boring. He’s been the distance 6 times in a row. But Bivol got the fight because Canelo wanted to fight him that’s why. It’s that simple. It’s not because he outsells Andrade. Or he’s more exciting. It’s because that’s who Canelo wanted to fight. Period. And I’m ok with that. Bivol is equal to Andrade as a fighter and he’s bigger. I’m just not ok with the justification and put down of Andrade. I do think Andrade should fight other candidates and eliminate them. He’s about 34 years old. He can’t keep waiting on Canelo. He has to pick off Canelo targets before Canelo gets to them.
What happened to Chris Colbert? He looked horrible. He literally gave up and was just content with going to distance. I didn’t realize he wasn’t a champion. This fight was for an eliminator, and they treated him like he was reigning defending champion. I saw Shakur Stevenson’s Instagram and he was right about Colbert. Stevenson said he didn’t even try to win. What are your thoughts on his performance? And why did a 16-0 contender get such star treatment? Colbert has been very critical of other fighters and to behave like that in his first tough fight was not a good look.
Bread’s Response: I don’t want to pile on Colbert. When a young fighter loses like he did, social media can be brutal. But I also won’t justify what happened. You can see a big difference in Josh Taylor and Chris Colbert. Taylor was having a bad night. He was knocked down. But he pushed until the very end and even though most people thought he lost, he never stopped trying to win. What Taylor did was he gave himself a case and the judges rewarded him.
Colbert was also having a bad night. He was also knocked down but he didn’t seem to show the determination Taylor did to turn the fight around. I don’t know why. I don’t want to give him an excuse because he didn’t give himself one. He took his loss and he didn’t make any excuses so props to him for that.
Maybe his opponent was a really good fighter and he hit hard. His punches seemed to bother Colbert and it’s not easy to turn a fight around when the fighter who is losing is being hurt and he’s not a big puncher himself. It’s why Tim Bradley is a Hall of Famer in my opinion. Bradley was not a big puncher. He rarely stopped fighters at the top level. He was losing a few fights. He was dropped or hurt by Provodnikov, Holt and Pacquiao early. But Bradley CLAWED like an SOB. He didn’t accept the other fighter’s WILL. He didn’t accept defeat. He may have lost 2 fights but he never accepted it. Being an elite fighter is not just about talent. It’s about maturity. It’s about determination. It’s about adjusting. It’s about will power. It’s so much that it entails. Colbert can come back. He’s just going to have to rely more on character than talent. I assume this taught him his character and mental toughness will get him through more tough spots than his talent.
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