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The Daily Bread Mailbag returns with Stephen “Breadman” Edwards tackling topics such as Saul “Canelo” Alvarez to cruiserweight, Terence Crawford stopping Shawn Porter, Stephen Fulton vs. Brandon Figueroa, Teofimo Lopez vs. George Kambosos, and more.
What’s up Breadman? I write in about the Crawford vs Porter fight, man what a high level fight that was I was excepting Shawn to be on his A game, and he was for sure. The first time I discovered Porter was when he fought Kell Brook. I watched footage of him training and I was really impressed by his footwork. But in that fight Brook was able to neutralize all his attacks, and Porter was spending too much energy throwing punches unnecessary and moving too much. It’s amazing to see how I grew up since then, fight after fight to become more efficient and use the ring better. He is the perfect example of a humble and teachable fighter !He can be proud of his career, his evolution, and enjoy his retirement. He will have regrets for sure, but every time he fought he gave his best and never stop trying to win. What did you think about the performance of both guys?
Thanks for you time!
Max from France
Bread’s Response: I was very impressed with both Crawford and Porter. Porter was fighting a multi layered fight. You can tell he studied Crawford. Porter tried his best to not fall into the traps that Bud sets when he’s in counter punching mode. Porter also used his faster feet to step in and surprise Bud on some sneak attacks. And when Bud was in attack mode Shawn would turn him out. That was the best I’ve ever seen Shawn perform. He was really ON.
I don’t think Crawford was performing his best but you have to give credit to Shawn for not allowing him to. You also have to credit Crawford for not having his best night but still delivering a stoppage on a game elite fighter. Crawford is so sharp and on point mentally it literally burns fighters out mentally who are in the ring with him, just to stay sharp and perform at the level. He’s operating at a master’s level at this point. Crawford, Canelo, Usyk and Inoue are operating at this level and at the same time close enough to their physical peaks or in it. It took Crawford more time than usual to get his rhythm and find shots. The 1st shot he really found was a left hand to the body from the southpaw stance. That shot started to slow Shawn down almost imperceptibly but over a few rounds you could see he was about 90% of where he was when the fight started. That’s all Crawford needs because Crawford doesn’t really fatigue. So the same left hand that was landing to the chest and solar plexus, landed to the face and score the 1st knockdown. I was impressed with both fighters. That was an excellent fight.
Hey Mr. Edwards,
It is beyond argument. Terrence Crawford is the best pound for pound fighter in the world. Tough as nails as Shawn Porter is, I predicted a late round stoppage. There was never a doubt in my mind. I said an early stoppage would come only if Porter hurt Crawford early because hurt Crawford and you unleash a primeval beast. All props to Porter. He’s in the HOF. Mr Edwards, but for the den of cowards known as PBC, these were going to be my predictions:1. Bud v Errol Spence Jnr. Bud by late stoppage.2. Bud v Danny Garcia. Bud by late stoppage.3. Bud v Keith Thurman. Bud by mid-round stoppage.4. Bud v Yordenis Ugas. Bud by late stoppage.
Of course, there’s also the late entrant to PBC, Manny Pacquiao. I’m glad Pacman was kept away from Crawford. A legend like Manny deserves some protection. Crawford is a Killer. In my view, he has no peer among today’s welterweights. It might shock most but I think he’s competitive with:1. Ray Robinson2. Ray Leonard3. Tommy Hearns4. Floyd Mayweather Jnr.5. Roberto Duran.He might have to run it back a few times with the two Sugar Men. He might best the last three decisively because they have tended to show certain vulnerabilities Crawford could exploit. Hearns’ chin was not the best, Floyd never really carried his power to the weight and Duran sometimes would not show up.
Of course everyone else he beats without a doubt. Benitez would be tricky but I think Crawford handles him. Palomino, Gavilan, Napoles, Curry, De La Hoya and all these other guys he handles too. Pound for pound, only Ali, Hagler, Monzon, Pryor and Jones best him. The first three because they could go where no other man has gone before. Crawford could also do this but we don’t know because of the cowards at PBC. Jones’ speed and reflexes were something else and Crawford might lag him slightly. Louis was too vulnerable around the temple, Lewis had too many lapses in concentration, Pep had no pop, Tyson was too limited. Can’t pick between him and Holyfield. Holyfield was too enigmatic. On occasion he looked like the best fighter that ever lived. Sometimes he looked just like a contender. And then there’s Canelo Alvarez. I like Canelo. But there’s no way he ranks above Crawford. People look at who he beat. But Moseley was no longer with us. Cotto was too small. Even Mayweather was past his peak but won every round against Alvarez. Where Canelo trumps Crawford is in the paycheque area. But that’s not a yardstick for greatness. Pound for pound, Crawford is all bad for Canelo. He’s Mayweather with pop. Canelo would only offer chin. He’s too flat footed to stay with Crawford. Canelo does the limited things he does at an elite level. Crawford does the myriad things he does at an elite level. There’s the difference. And Canelo has too many disputed wins. I can’t think of one for Crawford.
Let’s appreciate Crawford while we still can. He’ll be gone soon enough because of his age. We may not see his like for a while. PBC cheated him out of a richer legacy. But they have not diminished his greatness. And to all those discrediting his win over Porter, just shut up already. Kenny Porter is as tough a man as his son. But, he knew what was coming. Porter has given us so much of himself. He deserves to take some of it away for himself. It wouldn’t be fair to allow a killer like Crawford to strip him completely. Happy retirement Showtime. You couldn’t have gone out in better fashion.
Welcome to the Crawford home run. It’s going to be spectacular. Oh, by the way, Ennis and Ortiz must just fight over Crawford’s water bucket. Bud can’t risk a reputation as a child abuser. These two kids must just stay on the playground. MMLarry Holmes v Lennox Lewis. Looks like if Holmes gets up from a Shavers punch, he can get up from the Lewis right hand missile. I don’t know if Lewis gets up from Holmes’ chopping right had, though. Memories of Rahman and Mcall.
Best regards Mr Edwards.
Katlholo Johannesburg, South Africa
Bread’s Response: I think Crawford is the best fighter in the world. I’ve said it for a while. I’m not going to say he has NO peer. Just because you’re regarded as the best that doesn’t mean you can’t lose or someone doesn’t have your number. Errol Spence, Jaron Ennis and Vergil Ortiz are all real fights for Crawford. Very real and each fight would legacy defining. I also agree that Crawford would be competitive with Robinson, Leonard, Hearns, Duran and Mayweather. But I’m not sure if he could beat any best night vs best night. Mayweather bested Canelo because Canelo could not hit him clean. If Crawford and Canelo were the same size I would give Crawford the slight edge but I believe it would be a super tight fight because Crawford is easier to hit than Mayweather. Canelo would hit him and clean and he could match him offensively. Canelo is actually better defensively. I think where Crawford separates himself is Canelo still gets tired. Crawford literally shows no fatigue in fights. He concentrates perfectly as the fight goes on and he would be a peer of Canelo where Canelo breaks other fighters down.
I don’t think Ennis or Ortiz are kids at all. I think fighters hit their peaks much earlier than we acknowledge and both would provide stiff challenges for Crawford. I think Crawford would beat Ortiz as of now in a really good fight. And I actually have no pick in Crawford vs Ennis. I believe both are special fighters. Crawford is a master at catching opponents at some point in fights with punches they don’t see and can’t recover from. But Ennis is actually better at winning rounds. Ennis is faster and taller and has slightly better reflexes. He’s also more active. He doesn’t lose rounds. It would come down to if Crawford can lull him into a trap and clip him or hurt him. If he can’t I don’t think he can outpoint Ennis. I have no idea what would happen.
I can’t call Holmes vs Lewis. Some days I favor Lewis. Some I favor Holmes. I think Lewis would be considered the puncher in the fight but I’m not so sure Lewis can take Holmes’s punches better than Holmes’s can take his. Holmes may be the puncher in this fight. The Holmes of 1978-82 vs the Lewis of 96-00 is a great, great fight. I assume they would have to fight a few times to settle it.
Hello Breadman ,
This fight didnt look right . They are friends they admit that . After the fight Porters dad says he didnt train right. Was this a cash out fight , with the retirement afterwards . Neither fighter has a mark on them , even the accident head butt wasnt much. It certainly did not look like Crawford was trying to kill him . He has been through much worse without throwing in the towel. The betting line was 10.5 rounds , which the large majority took . How ironic his dad threw the towel in at 1:21 of the tenth round . Nine seconds before the half way point . Just irony I suppose. Did you see the fake Rittenhouse Trial , even the roiting is fake . The protesters are bused in , the police are there to protect them . The streets are blocked off so real protests cant get in there . None of it is real . Fake Trial , Fake Protests . You be the judge.
Thank You
J.B.
Bread’s Response: Wow! Are you suggesting the Crawford vs Porter fight was fixed? You’re entitled to your opinion but that may be a reach. Sports in general brings about strong emotions of all levels. Geez! That left uppercut Crawford landed was real. The chopping right hand to Shawn’s ear was also real. Those shots, Jolted Shawn’s head and neck on the slow motion replay.
I did watch some of the Rittenhouse case and I didn’t like the feel of several things. But I don’t think the trial was staged. I think he really killed 2 people. I think he really shot another. Just like I think Bud and Shawn threw real punches. I think the trial was manipulated. But not fake. I think Crawford vs Porter was a real fight. It just ended unexpectedly.
Hey Bread, hope all is well.
First off, props to Bud Crawford for his victory. I’ve been a tough critic of Bud’s resume since he arrived to WW. I can’t say anything now lol. Here’s my question: Despite Bud’s rep as a top P4P guy and the fact that he was taking on a top Welterweight, that fight apparently drew less than 150K buys. Yes, being on the ESPN app didn’t help but even then, those numbers are atrocious. How much bargaining power does he lose due to that vs Spence and should he fight on network TV to increase his popularity? Bud vs Boots please!
Regards, Lance.
Bread’s Response: The ESPN APP was sort of complicated that night. I had a membership before and it wanted me to subscribe again before I ordered. So I just went to the casino and watched. I didn’t understand why I couldn’t just order. Nevertheless Crawford doesn’t have big PPV numbers. But sometimes you need a fighter like Crawford to sell because of his ability. I don’t want to negotiate for either fighter but I think Spence vs Crawford would be a big PPV. It would draw over 500k. Maybe even 750k. Even though Errol has better PPV numbers than Crawford, I believe Crawford would be Errol’s biggest dance partner in terms of potential buys. I think Errol is a slight A side to Crawford. But not huge. If both want the fight, it’s not difficult to make. Both would get career high paydays in my opinion. Both have potential to get 8 figure purses. Super Fight! But it will be outdated sooner than later if they don’t fight in 2022.
I’m glad you brought Boots up. Let me say this. I think Ennis will play a part in making Spence vs Crawford. Here is why. I think they would rather fight each other than fight him. If they keep waiting Ennis will be one of their mandatories. He’s only 24. He’s bigger than both. He’s faster and has more god given talent. I’m careful, I didn’t say better or he could beat them both. He has to prove that in the ring. But fighters and their teams know what’s up even if the public doesn’t. If you have to choose between a freaky, 24 yr old kid with those reflexes. And a 31 yr old and 34 yr old fighter. You choose the guy in their 30s. There is a difference. Ennis will most likely have to wait his turn. I can see him fighting Ortiz or Staniuious before Crawford or Spence.
Hey Bread,
What are your thoughts about Stephen Fulton Jr? I think he’s one of the most technically sound fighters this side of Guillermo Rigongeaux.
Bread’s Response: I’m very high on Stephen Fulton. I’ve been watching him in the gym since 2010. He’s technically sound but he’s different than Rigo. I think Fulton is a hybrid fighter. He’s a high output, quick thinking, hybrid. He’s not exactly a cute mover like Rigo. Although he can do that. He’s not exactly an infighter or pressure fighter. Although he can do that. He’s a kid that layers his game accordingly. He has a quick mind. Superior conditioning and very fast hands. He gets the job done. I think Fulton and Figueroa will be a great fight. Possibly fight of the year.
What’s up Bread,
I apologize if it sounded as if I was taking your opinion out of context with Benavidez and Boots. What I meant was I believe you think Boots will be top 1- 3 p4p type fighter in a couple years and Benavidez being the same age I didn’t get the same vibe of you thinking that. Would you place even odds at them both becoming top on p4p lists (whatever they’re worth) in a couple years time, or do you feel as though Boots has something more special that David hasn’t shown to you. I may have sounded like it, but I wasn’t trying to say you didn’t appreciate his skills, I’m wondering if I wasn’t seeing something on my eye ball test that someone I think of as a smarter boxing mind such as yourself sees.
I had Crawford picked to get a corner stoppage of Porter. It’s hard to criticize a fighter who gets a stoppage but I thought Bud could have looked a lot better. I feel like he could have pushed the fight a little more and ripped the uppercut when Porter tried to come back. I had the 6th round targeted as the time Bud would use an aggressive jab to go inside and rip with the uppercut then right hook repeatedly on Shawn and start really breaking him down. He started doing better during the 6th/7th but he didn’t take over and dominate like i thought he could and should, was that Crawford’s lack of aggression or Porter stopping it from happening and Crawford was smart to slowly get the stoppage later? He’s my favorite fighter but I don’t think the look of the fight puts Crawford back up as #1 p4p over Canelo, what do you think?
I thought Kenny would stop the fight because Shawn was getting brutalized and instead that turned out to be one of the oddest stoppages and interviews after I’ve seen from a trainer. I know you don’t call out or like to criticize trainers, Kenny may love his son a lot but he seems to want to insert himself as the main story instead of his son. If a fighter you had wasn’t able to execute a plan you think would work and he’s never been stopped and shown to have a great chin and he’s still in the fight, more upset than injured from a knockdown, would you take it in your own hands of your fighter not listening enough to you in training camp to stop a fairly close fight? Kenny was so spiteful that even if Shawn wasn’t doing the gameplan or some work during training camp it didn’t matter because Shawn was doing pretty well in the fight the whole time. Maybe not winning but doing as well as any version of Shawn Porter could have vs a guy as dynamic as Crawford. Feels as though this stoppage was an “i told you so” moment he wanted to have over his son. This isn’t about letting a fighter go out on his shield, it’s about stopping a fight because the game plan wasn’t what you liked and the first sign of trouble it was stopped by someone not in the ring. I’ve seen Porter hurt worse than that numerous times and not been close to the towel being thrown in.
What are your thoughts?
Thanks, Jake
Bread’s Response: Honestly I don’t get asked about David Benavidez as much as I get asked about Boots Ennis. I can only answer what I’m asked. I think Benavidez has a chance to also be a top P4P guy. I think he has a chance to win titles at 168 and 175. I think Boots may have slightly more natural ability but Benavidez is close enough. Benavidez is a natural fighter. I was really impressed seeing him up close. He has IT.
So you think it was an “I told you so” moment on why the Crawford vs Porter fight was stopped. I won’t argue and I won’t agree because I don’t know.
Here is my take…. I respect myself and boxing too much to publicly criticize a fighter and/or his team for making a decision. Rarely will you see me do that. Besides criticizing Billy Joe Saunders who quit against Canelo, I respect the game too much to put fighters down. And the only reason I criticized Saunders was because he thought it was ok to say publicly that Daniel Duboise should have went out on his shield for an injured eye. Then as soon as his eye was injured, he quit and didn’t even attempt to finish the fight, where as Dubois tried for several rounds to fight through his injury. Saunders got his comeuppance.
As for Kenny Porter, he made a decision and that’s that. Kenny and Shawn have to live with it. This is such a hard sport and you make split second decisions that everyone gets to take their time and criticize. It’s tough and it’s easy to be the CRITIC in the situation. I won’t go into what I would have done or if he was right or wrong. Because it’s subjective, there is no right or wrong. It’s a matter of judgment.
I will however tell you what I thought was happening and initial impressions are the most important to me. I thought Shawn looked terrific. I can’t speak on what happened in their camp. But on fight night Shawn was sharp and seemed well prepared. He was fighting a great fight. He was turning Crawford when Crawford attacked. When Crawford was trying to set traps to counter punch, Shawn was aware and he limited Crawford’s success. I have seen fighters have bad camps but execute good fights. Maybe this was the case. In retrospect this probably was the case.
This was the best I have ever seen Shawn Porter look. So maybe at 34, he didn’t go his usual full blast in camp, so he could save something for the fight. I think he eluded to that in an interview. But not going full blast may have put him at odds with his father/trainer. The trainer is the boss in the gym. So going by Kenny Porter’s comments maybe he was expecting Shawn to not look so good and do so well. He sort of eluded to that in his comments also. So despite Shawn doing well, when the trouble spot came. Maybe Kenny Porter pulled the plug because of the poor camp they had.
Now here is the thing in the actual fight. Shawn was fighting better than he ever was before and Crawford was sharp but he wasn’t on his A+ game. I’ve seen Crawford better. Maybe Shawn did that, or maybe Crawford wasn’t having his best night. It happens.
Nevertheless Crawford is the sharper and more talented fighter and Shawn was holding him even at worst in my opinion. So I think it became MENTALLY FATIGUING to Shawn to fight so well. If you notice special fighters have a way of pulling away late in fights. It’s not always their pace. It’s their mind sharpness. The opponent just can’t concentrate as long at it fries their brains. See Mayweather vs Judah. See Usyk vs Joshua recently. Even though Joshua and Judah are talented and excellent fighters, Usyk and Mayweather have that special lock in ability where they never get mentally fatigued.
So to Crawford it’s another fight. And to Shawn, it became exhausting to be at that level. Shawn has fought at a high level before, but Crawford makes you pay for the slightest mistakes on a consistent basis. So as the fight is moving along, Shawn is doing well as far as winning rounds. But Crawford is finding shots, the left hand underneath and gaining momentum. He’s mentally computing and class shows over time. Crawford hurts Shawn and drops him twice and the fight is stopped. Again I won’t get into what Kenny Porter’s thoughts were because we don’t know, it’s pure speculation. But I believe Crawford’s reputation as a brutal finisher played a part. And again Shawn’s poor camp may have played a part.
Now here is the contrast and Devil’s Advocate point of view. I hear everyone saying Crawford’s has this reputation as a lights out finisher and he does. But what about Shawn’s reputation as a resilient competitor that had never been stopped in 13 years. Shawn finished 100% of his fights. Crawford has not stopped every single opponent. So there is more than one way to look at it. So for everyone who says, it’s a guaranteed fact that Crawford would have finished Shawn. A Shawn Porter loyalist who didn’t like the stoppage can say, Shawn always finishes his fights and he deserved a chance to finish that fight. He was hurt but he wasn’t helpless. He seemed more frustrated than hurt. No one knows for sure what would have happened. Both have earned their reputations.
As I was watching the fight, I was getting calls and being asked who I thought was winning. I thought Shawn was winning early and I thought Crawford got into a groove after the 6th to start closing the gap. Obviously I wasn’t alone, someone told Crawford he was down on points while he was in the corner before the 10th round and he stepped it up. That’s basically the fight I saw but I didn’t have a pen and pad…When the fight was stopped I didn’t understand what was happening. At first I thought Shawn spit out his mouthpiece and he was going to the corner to get it cleaned. Then I saw Crawford celebrate. So then I realized it was a corner stoppage.
I was surprised because not knowing the official scorecards I figured the fight was still up for grabs. I didn’t hear the post fight interview right away because I was at a casino but again I got calls. I pulled my car over leaving the casino just to listen. All I can say is it’s obvious they weren’t on the same page in camp. That can be frustrating to a trainer. We are in a business where we are obligated to talk to the media. It was an emotional moment for both Kenny and Shawn. But Some things you may want to keep in house or off the record. A wise man who is an attorney told me once, there is a difference between being HONEST and being CANDID. Other than that, I thought both guys gave us a great show. I really enjoyed that fight.
Being from Philadelphia, I am sure you have read “Thirty Dollars And A Cut Eye” by J Russell Peltz. I just finished it and was surprised a boxing promoter would divulge facts and figures like he did. Although I do think he underestimated the value of money back in the 1970s and 1980s compared to today. Money used to double every 7 years but now it’s more like every 10. Therefore, Peltz underestimates what fighters like Cyclone Hart, Bennie Briscoe and Tyrone Everett If Briscoe got $40,000 plus to fight Marvin Hagler, that would be worth close to $900,000 today. Without any television other than a small closed-circuit hookup back to Boston. It seems like he had a ball, hanging out in his 20s with some of those Philly legends while promoting all of the big fights in Philly in the 1970s. I remember watching this fights on USA from the Blue Horizon in the 1990s. All wars. Take no prisoners. Unlike most promoters who look to protect their fighters (investments) until a major payday arrives. Meanwhile, fans suffer. What’s your take on the book?
Bread’s Response: You know something. I was not sure if I would have been able to make it to Peltz’s book signing. So I left the gym after training and I went to Russell Peltz’s office and bought a copy of the book just in case. Russell Peltz is a man I consider a mentor and friend and I don’t have many in boxing. I’ve always been attracted to wise souls and he’s one of them. He may not know it but he’s taught me a lot. He’s not everyone’s cup of tea in our city but he’s always been good with me.
Quick story before I get into the book. In 2012 I was looking to take Julian Williams to a new promotional company. We weren’t happy with our promoter at the time. I contacted Peltz because I saw his work with Mike Jones and Gabe Rosado. And I reached out to a rep for Al Haymon. Peltz and I had dinner and we talked. Peltz had things set up to buy Julian out of his contract and move forward with his career. It was very important because Julian literally was thinking of going to college and giving up boxing. Obviously I went with Al Haymon and the rest is history. But Peltz never held it against me. He never treated me different. And he even put other fighters of mine of shows afterwards. I never told him but I always respected him for not acting petty because we went in another direction.
As for the book it’s literally awesome and it’s the best boxing book I have EVER read. The way it’s broken down, it’s easy to read in this age of short attention spans because it’s a plethora of short stories. While reading the book I learned that Russell and I lived and grew up in the same section of West Philadelphia. I actually called him about it last week. The book is so good, I haven’t even finished yet and I still say it’s the best I’ve ever read about boxing. I read a few chapters on the plane to Phoenix a few weeks ago. I usually sleep on planes or watch movies but this book had me. It’s really good and it had to be to keep my attention. I’m more of an article or magazine reader these days. I suggest you read it. It’s candid. It’s real and very detailed. It will teach you a lot about the art of promoting before License Fees and Casino Site Fees. It will also teach you how the game has changed and how Russell stood 10 toes down in the midst of change. Thanks for the question. I usually get typical questions about the past week’s fight but this right here was perfect considering I just started reading the book 2 weeks ago.
Happy Thanksgiving Breadman,
With Canelo entertaining a fight at Cruiserweight , this opens up a whole genre of MM fights . This is a big jump , thirty two pounds of jump , or twenty five pounds if we consider his fight with Kovalev at LHW . Canelo seems to be the sole fighter who can go up and down the weight column with success . If a fighter does not drug test year round , uses peds in between fights , then cleans up during camp , how much does that help . Also if a fighter goes to a higher weight class on peds , then comes back down to a lower weight class , how much strength is gained. Does he increase his performance at the lower weight class . Canelo and his team are great at managing and picking opponents . He will pick the weakest opponent at CW . And give himself all the advantages he can . Can a correlation be made with Rocky Marciano and Canelo . Both are short . Both have short reach . Both apply pressure . Canelo must be awfully strong to impose on the boxers he faced . Marciano did the same with boxers he faced.
MM Fights – Canelo VS Rocky Marciano 185lb, Jack Dempsey 188lb, Michael Spinks 175lb, James Toney 168lb
Thank You, J.B.
Bread’s Response: Canelo caught the boxing world by surprise by announcing his next opponent will be at Crusierweight. I think he wins by ko. I don’t want to get into the PED stuff anymore. You guys know how I feel already. It is what it is at this point.
You’re right Canelo has underrated physical strength. He’s literally a tank these days. His opponents feel his energy and it offsets them. Canelo is a terrific puncher, with physical strength, special skills and elite defense. He’s a complete fighter. He will most likely be the first fighter in history to win titles from junior middleweight to cruiserweight. I think if a smallish heavyweight wins the belt, he’s going to fight them.
I do think Canelo loses all of the mythical matchups except for maybe Dempsey. Dempsey’s style is not in the modern form and it’s hard for me to tell certain things. I do believe he was a huge puncher and had a great gas tank but it’s hard to compare some of the crude styles of the 20s to a style today. I just can’t tell. I believe everyone else would beat Canelo.
Rocky Marciano is better than you guys realize. He may not be able to beat a 250lb great heavyweight. But a man roughly his size and dimension he’s tough for any man in history. Canelo would not boss Marciano around. He also wouldn’t back him up and Marciano’s gas tank is full at all times. It would be a brutal fight but I’m confident the Rock would win.
Michael Spinks has a case for beating every fighter ever head to head at 175lbs. He’s criminally underrated. He would beat Canelo and it wouldn’t be super close. Just watch Spinks vs Qawi. Spinks’s jab and movement would be murder on Canelo. If you think Kovalev scored points, you have to imagine the 1983 version of Spinks. Spinks is too big, too long, too mobile, too much pedigree and Canelo would have to respect his power, Spinks was a huge puncher at 175. Wide UD for Spinks.
James Toney and Canelo would be closer than people would like to admit. Toney is an all time great fighter but he was held close too often to think he blows Canelo out. Toney didn’t really blow out his better opponents. I would pick Toney to win because Toney is just as tough as Canelo. Just as mean. An equal counter puncher. An equal chin. But I believe he has better late round stamina. And I believe his hands are faster. He also jabbed more. In a super competitive brutal fight, I take Toney.
Do you have a pick in Teofimo Lopez vs George Kambosos? I’m thinking upset.
Bread’s Response: I actually think Lopez wins by early ko. I think Kambosos is too wound up. He’s too hyped up. I watch him on the pads and everything is tight and rigid. He may be fit but in boxing conditioning you don’t want that. Anything can happen in a fight but I see an early night. I expect this fight to end before the mid way point. If Lopez doesn’t clip him in the first two rounds, I think Kambosos will burn out in the first half just being so tight and get kod. Lopez is the real deal you don’t want him hitting you clean early. Kambosos is a good fighter. I just think he’s letting Lopez’s father rile him up. And with his busy in your face style, I see Lopez picking him apart.
Crawford or Canelo. Make a case for both being #1 P4P?
Bread’s Response: Ok quick and easy.
Case for Crawford: He hasn’t had one controversial win. In every fight you knew he was the better fighter leaving the ring. His level of separation in common match ups among elite fighters is the best in boxing.
For example Victor Postol, Shawn Porter, Felix Diaz and Yuriorkas Gamboa. Postol is a guy who held both Jose Ramirez and Josh Taylor to close decisions. Crawford fought him first and dominated by a much bigger margin. You can’t do the triangle theory in boxing but Crawford’s level of competition always gets criticized but Postol was an undefeated champion when he fought Crawford. Felix Diaz most likely beat Lamont Peterson and I’m a Peterson fan. Diaz begged for the fight and he was a Gold Medalist. Crawford completely undressed him and stopped him. Diaz couldn’t win a round and Gold Medalist are experts at winning rounds. Yuri Gamboa was undefeated when he fought Crawford. He won some rounds and hurt Crawford but he got brutally kod and stopped. Gamboa fought Crawford about 7 years ago. Recently he fights Tank Davis and Devin Haney, two awesome fighters and he goes 12 rounds with both. Shawn Porter is a litmus test. He’s the fighter you have to beat in this era to be a great fighter. He’s Juan Laporte the featherweight of the 80s. Or Oba Carr the welterweight of the 90s. Porter fought Crawford better than he fought any of the other stand outs of this era and was stopped in 10.
Crawford outperforms everybody, every time.
Crawford has never failed a PED test.
My eyes tell me Crawford is slightly better.
Case for Canelo.
Canelo has simply beaten and fought better fighters. Miguel Cotto, Floyd Mayweather , Erislandy Lara and GGG are better than everyone Crawford has faced. Danny Jacobs, Austin Trout, Caleb Plant and Callum Smith are as good as anyone Crawford has faced. Canelo has won real titles from 154 to 175. Kovalev was old and past it but it was a real title win. Kovalev was a legit champion at the time who had regained his belt and coming off some wins. Only two other fighters in history have won titles at 154 and 175. Thomas Hearns and Sugar Ray Leonard.
Canelo cleaned out the champions at 168 and beat 3 undefeated champions to unify. Smith, Plant and Saunders were all undefeated and in their primes. That’s a big deal. Not sure if anyone else can say that. Roy Jones, James Toney, Andre Ward or Joe Calzaghe never fully unified 168.Canelo came back after a year lay off and suspension and beat GGG and tested clean. If we talk about the positive test, we have to talk about his performance while being on strict VADA. On paper Canelo is better or at least more accomplished.
I saw your comment about Munguai avoiding the Charlo fight. It seems as if Eddie Hearn is doing every thing to make people believe that Jermall has no options on PBC but Hearn has not delivered GGG, Canelo, or Munguia to Andrade? Specifically speaking on Munguia, he’s ducking the Andrade fade. I saw that Hearns petitioned the WBC and WBO to make Andrade, Charlo’s mandatory. If Andrade becomes Charlo’s mandatory who is your pick and why?
Bread’s Response: First off I love what Eddie Hearn is doing. He’s a great promoter. But it’s pretty obvious that Munguia does not want to fight Andrade. Andrade is begging for opponents and he’s the champion which is not how boxing is supposed to be. Munguia is his #1 contender and it’s bizarre that he’s fighting non title fights when Andrade is the champion looking for challenges. Two fighters on the same platform. Undefeated and one is a #1 contender and the fight still hasn’t been made. Munguia is getting a huge pass from the media on this fight not happening.
Charlo vs Andrade is a great fight. Man, I would probably fly out to that fight if it ever happened. They’re both very similar to the same size and dimensions. Both undefeated. Both have similar records. One from the North. The other from the South. I’m helping the promoters with the billing, I need a consultant fee.
This fight is hard for me to figure out. Jermall holds his ground and has a very hard jab. I feel that Jermall is very physically tough with a hard chin. Jermall is more sound fundamentally and he has better balance. His feet are always under him. On the days I think Jermall can win, I look at the Liam Williams fight. I believe Williams hurt Andrade and his power and physical strength was giving Andrade issues but Andrade showed up, when he needed too. He responded like a champion.
Andrade is not as good as Jermall technically but he doesn’t have to be. He’s an impromptu fighter. He does things on the fly. Jermall is more programmed. I think this favors Andrade. I think Andrade thinks a little quicker than Jermall. He also was a much better amateur. On the days I think Andrade can win, I think of the Matt Korobov and Austin Trout fights. This is a very hard fight to pick.
My best analogy for their styles is Jermall is a rapper who writes his raps down. His flow is nice but it’s all memorized and on script. Andrade is a rapper who is a freestyle flower. He can do things off the top of his head. The fight would come down to Jermall’s game plan and camp because Demetrius will flow accordingly. But if Jermall has his game plan and his adjustments down pact in camp, it doesn’t matter that Demetrius is a better freestyler. Jermall will have to plan accordingly. I don’t have a winner today. I believe both will show up super determined. Demetrius will throw looping shots, from all angles. I also believe he would try to back Jermall up. Jermall is great at holding his ground and throwing hard straight punches. However, he does have trouble with southpaws. I don’t even know who would back, who up.
My biggest questions would be how Demetrius would respond to Jermall’s punches. I think I know how Jermall will respond to Demetrius’s punches. Anyone can be clipped but my instincts and eyes tell me Jermall has one of the best chins in the game. I’m not saying Demetrius has a bad chin but he hasn’t had to prove it as much and Jermall is a hard puncher.
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