The Daily Bread Mailbag returns with Stephen "Breadman" Edwards tackling topics such as the Jermell Charlo vs. Brian Castano rematch, Jaron Ennis, Canelo Alvarez vs. Dmitry Bivol, Mike Tyson, Tyson Fury vs. Dillian Whyte, and more.

Hey Bread,

They fixed your email I see. You yourself know a lot of times when a fighter underperforms they could be entering the ring with a training injury, without the option of postponing the fight. Many fighters go into the ring on fight night less than 100% because of this. Regarding judging, I don't know if they're doing this or not but judges should be rotated thru the various judges stations during a fight so they can see the fight from all angles and positions.

Boots Ennis is in a similar spot as Mayweather was in at 24 years old. Floyd called out Casamayor, Mosley and Freitas but got Chico Corrales. Only difference is Floyd was a high risk champion. I don't think Ennis gets a Crawford or Spence fight, unless the money is right, because Ennis is an up-and-comer without PPV credentials. He's self promoted so even getting on the undercard of a big PPV event to widely show his skills will be tough for him. Ennis is making his own way in boxing that's how its gonna be for him. A great fight for him would be Virgil Ortiz Jr. if GBP is willing to make that fight and receive minimal considerations? But like you said, "Boots is coming!"

Taylor clearly lost that fight to Catterall, and did everything he could to keep from getting KO'd. Catterall was quicker and slicker, making Taylor miss a lot and countering with clean shots. Thurman looked good against Barrios but he had a tougher time than Tank Davis. Thurman has to proceed with caution and mainly take money fights. Thurman says he wants Crawford next, he might get his wish! Last but not least, Canelo is boxing's cash cow and can fight whoever he choses. I knew he wasn't going to fight Jr. Makabu, Makabu is a tough, tough fight for Canelo. Bivol is also a very tough fight for Canelo.

Bread’s Response: Great point. When fighters are fighting once every 8 or 9 months, it’s very hard to postpone a fight. Especially for a 7 figure fighter who’s next up in the rotation.  I’ve been in that position before as a trainer. But I don’t want to give Taylor an excuse that he didn’t give himself. 

I agree about the judges. But I’m telling you we need 5 judges. 4 on each side of the ring and 1 on a monitor. 5 judges! 

I don’t believe Ennis will fight Crawford or Spence either. If they haven’t fought each other I don’t believe either will fight Ennis. I don’t believe they’re scared of him, I just understand how the business works. He’s too high risk to fight at this point. And by the time he proves himself, they would be long gone. Ennis would have to literally walk up to one of them and start a fight in order to get into the ring with them and he’s a very nice kid and that’s out of his character. 

In other eras a fighter like Ennis would have already fought for a world title. Tito was 20 years old and 19 fights in by the time he fought for a title. Hearns was 21 and 28 fights in by the time he fought for one. Leonard was 23 and 25 fights in. There were all pros for less than 4 years. Ennis is 24, he has 28 fights and he’s been a pro for 6 years and he’s at least 2 fights away from a title shot. It just takes too long these days. And he’s already down to a 2 fight/year schedule and he hasn’t fought for a title yet. 

The difference in the Mayweather situation is him and Diego were the same age. Diego was also a champion in his division. Ennis is 7 years younger than Spence and 10 years younger than Crawford. They don’t really need to fight him. They can choose to fight him but they don’t need it. Ennis will make his mark vs fighters like Ortiz and Benn. Not Crawford and Spence.

I thought Taylor lost too, but I don’t think he was really in danger of being kod. I think he was just outboxed and out foxed. 

I think Thurman dominated Barrios more in terms of round for round performance. He didn’t get the stoppage like Davis did but other than that I think Thurman did better. 

I love Crawford vs Thurman. They both sort of need that fight at this point and it would be a very nice payday for both. I was very impressed with Thurman to come off of a 2 year layoff and look that good. I think he would give Crawford some issues. Maybe not win but tough moments.

Canelo is the guy at the moment and his potential opponents are making 2 big mistakes. They’re not only waiting on Canelo to give them a lottery ticket but they’re inactive while he’s fighting 3x/year and getting better. So Canelo would be the favorite over all of his potential opponents. And he’s more active, fighting better competition. It’s really counterproductive if you think about it. It’s why he’s outperforming them. 

Bivol is a respectable talented opponent. But I favor Canelo to knock him out or make him submit and go into survival mode. Canelo has turned into one of the more intimidating fighters in all of boxing.

Hello Breadman, Been following your BOXINGSCENE column for many years and this my first time asking a question. (1) Who wins in a dream HW matchup between a prime Mike Tyson and prime Muhammad Ali? I grew up on the Dynamite Kid and played MT's PunchOut all the time, so I grew up thinking that a prime Tyson was almost invincible. How do you think Ali deals with Tyson's speed and power?(2) Who wins in a matchup between a prime Sugar Shane and a prime Floyd Mayweather at 147 lbs? I always thought that Shane when he ascended to 147 was a wrecking ball. Like Mike in my previous question, I don't think there's anyone who could be able to handle that kind of speed, accuracy, and power. Thanks for your time, good sir!  

--Jumane Redway

Bread’s Response: I love Mike Tyson. The Tyson of 86-89 is a top 10 heavyweight ever. He’s also one of the more talented fighters to ever fight at heavyweight. But he can’t beat Ali. Tyson knows it. He’s said it several times. It’s a tough match up for him. Ali revels under pressure. He’s a late round killer. Tyson is not. Tyson also accepts clinches too much and Ali would wear him out physically in the clinches squeezing and leaning on him. The biggest problem Tyson would have is Ali would take his punches. Ali had a chin of granite and will of a soldier wanting to get home to see his newborn whom he hasn’t met. 

I’m not even talking about the technical aspect of Ali’s spinning jab, stamina and ability to punch on the move. People liken Tyson to Joe Frazier. But their pressures are different. Tyson is a bomber who tries to land big shots and overwhelm his opponent. Frazier is correctly named after a Smoking locomotive. He’s like a train. He’s patient with his aggression. And impatient person is not enjoying what they’re doing. Tyson was an impatient fighter. Anxiousness means you live in the future trying to get it over with. Being at peace allows you to live in the moment. Frazier was more sure of himself and more at peace in a boxing ring. Tyson may have been the more talented of the two but Frazier is harder for Ali to deal with. 

I got Tyson’s punch Out for Christmas in 1987. I was good at the game. Within a few months I was able to beat Mike Tyson. But it’s a skillful game. If I didn’t play everyday I would get rusty. Timing and dodging those big shots are no joke.

I know Shane was well past his best day when he and Mayweather fought in 2010. But I didn’t like how Mayweather was the tougher and more physical fighter when they fought. Shane got to a point in that fight where he was trying to be Floyd’s friend and tap gloves constantly. It surprised me but I know what I saw. I believe the Mosley of 2000 would be more competitive but going by what I saw, Mayweather would have still beaten him. Mayweather just didn’t out box Shane with skill. He out toughed him. He was too mean for him. That’s a big deal at this level of boxing.

Hi Bread, thank you for all the entertainment and for sharing your expertise over the years. Now that Tyson Fury-Dillian Whyte is signed, what do you make of the fight? I like Fury by mid-rounds stoppage; he's bigger and better and even if it ends up being a dogfight, he has shown a huge amount of heart and exceptional self-belief. If Fury retires after fighting Whyte, as he has been talking about doing, how would you rate him historically? You could say he's leaving food on the table with Usyk but who knows what will happen with Usyk's career because of the war in Ukraine. Do you think Deontay Wilder will come back? Who would you favour if he fought Andy Ruiz or Anthony Joshua? Finally, who do you like at heavyweight once the current top guys retire?

Bread’s Response: I favor Fury over Whyte. But he may not be just fighting Whyte. He may be fighting the remnants of the brutal 3rd fight with Wilder. Wilder lost by ko but people forget how close Fury was to getting stopped. Fighters often have let downs after their Super Bowls.

Look at Teofimo Lopez. Look at Josh Taylor. Fury is human and he’s struggled before with lesser opponents. I would not be surprised if he struggled with Whyte. Whyte also has a very good left hook. A left hook is Fury’s least developed punch. He has to be very careful “hooking” with Whyte. 

If Fury retired after Whyte I would say he’s a HOF. I would say he’s a great fighter. But he wouldn’t be on Mt. Rushmore in my opinion despite retiring undefeated. His resume is just too shallow.

Yes I think Wilder will come back. But I don’t know how he will look. He packed on several pounds of muscle to fight Fury and he was kod brutally. So I don’t know if he would keep it on or let it go.  I am curious to see what approach he would take into his next fight.

Hi Bread! Long time since I've reached out (sorry for the late entry)! Was hoping you could answer a few questions for me.1 - I'm interested if you can share whether a trainer knows when his boxer is likely to lose a fight. I understand it's unlikely that a trainer would ever publicly admit that his fighter hasn't trained well in camp or is battling an injury or is just flat out worse than their opponent... was just wondering when trainers know this and how they deal with it? Hearing Brian McIntyre pump Amir Khan up and then watching the fight unfold the way it did, it's likely that McIntyre would've speculated that Khan was in for a tough fight, no? How do we know when trainer-speak is just to pump their fighter up vs. when they truly believe their fighter can achieve what they're pumping up? 2- quite a few mailbags ago you touched upon the type of fighter GGG has become in his older age.

I believe that you called him a "clipper," or as you described what that means, a fighter who has slowed down but still has enough power to do some serious damage and, therefore, focuses on defense and timing until an opportunity to change the fight w one punch arises. I've seen that you think GGG is in for in this trilogy fight with Canelo... I tend to agree. Canelo is as on as hot of a streak against legit competition as I've seen in a while. He's in his prime. Faster. Potentially even stronger now, at 168. More active.

However, GGG seems to have picked a trainer to focus on exactly what you suggested he become (a clipper) - i.e. more sound defense + better timing. I'm interested if you think GGG stands a chance clipping Canelo and changing the course of the entire fight or if the change in style came too late for him and he's primed to get walked down and beat up for the entire fight.3- to follow up on ggg... wasn't he at 165 as an amateur? I vaguely remember (when he was in his prime) that many boxing reporters speculated that his BEST weight class was not 160, but actually 168 where HIS power was most lethal. Interested to hear if you've heard the same and whether the rise in weight for this Canelo trilogy may actually benefit him...Thanks as always!

Bread’s Response: 1. I can’t speak for all trainers but trainers know if they are in a tough fight or not. They also know what there chances are. They know if they are the A side or B side. And they know the likelihood of them winning or losing. But good trainers are also optimist. They have to be. They have to believe they can win even if the odds are against them. I personally always feel as a trainer we can win every fight. But I’m not a fool and I understand some fights will have to be perfect or my guy will have to fight over his head to pull it off. 

2. I can believe GGG can clip anyone that he hits correctly. I know fighters who have sparred him personally and everyone to a man has told me he’s the best puncher they have ever been in with. The problem for GGG vs Canelo is GGG doesn’t seem to be able to hit Canelo with shots he’s not braced or prepared for. Therefore Canelo can feel his power but he doesn’t have to worry about getting kod by it. He can see what GGG is about to do to him. That’s why he can’t visibly hurt Canelo. GGG also doesn’t hit Canelo to the body because of Canelo’s counterpunching prowess. That’s a big deal in a fight like this. 

3. He fought at 165lbs in the amateurs, but I believe 160lbs is his best weight and if it’s not he shouldn’t have waited until his was 40 to find out.

Say what you will about the Klitschko brothers, if anyone is watching the news, it will become quite apparent that these guys have certain qualities most celebrity athletes don't. These guys are athletes with MONEY and they could easily find a way to avoid conflict. I always wondered about Wlad being gun shy, but hearing about him enlisting makes me think I was wrong about him. Maybe he just didn't like getting hit but was willing to face the danger anyway (that's a different kind of bravery than being convinced you aren't vulnerable). He is planting his feet in the most "at risk" city (Kyiv) in Ukraine, and courting certain/likely death. A high profile guy  like him will be a target, just like his older brother, the mayor of Kyiv, Vitali, certainly is.

Seeing this, and hearing about Usyk and Lomachenko too, makes me wonder what people in North America would do. I think we are too entitled. We whine about rights, but we aren't willing to sacrifice or lend kindness to our fellow man (especially if they are different in opinion, race, etc.). If a country like China, or wherever declared war on the U.S.A., I think Americans would refuse the draft, rather than willingly enlist (Canadians are not the exact same, but similar enough that you would see the same entitlement). I think they'd be complaining about their rights, more than what their country needs from them. The country and the man in it should have a two-way street relationship. Wouldn't you agree? Do you know many people who would enlist for their country if war was declared on it by a real power? People forget the old expression: if this country is good enough to live in, it's good enough to fight for. The Klitschko brothers really showed what character and integrity are and how rare it is in the world these days. People like to feel brave with their words, but are too often cowards with their actions.

What are your thoughts?

Jay

Bread’s Response: First off I want to give major props to all of the Ukrainian athletes who have enlisted. Loma, Usyk, Wlad and Vitali. This is a serious. Very serious and they’re in the line of fire. They’re targets and they can be killed. Wlad was known as a fighter who wasn’t quite a killer in the ring. He wasn’t viewed to have Holyfield or Ali level heart as a boxer. But there are different types and levels of heart. I know who people who will drive fast in a car but they aren’t violent. I know boxers who have heart to box but they won’t play tackle football. I know people who will fight for their lives as soldiers and they won’t street fight. I know guys who will street fight but won’t box. I know guys who won’t street fight but they will kill you. 

There are so many different types of courage and heart. Wlad has heart. He’s may not be willing to walk through a fire in a boxing ring, but the one thing I always respected about him was he was willing to fight ANYBODY. He also responded well to being kod. The ko losses didn’t bother him. He kept fighting. And he suffered 3 bad kos in his prime and he still persevered. I look at things through a different lens. Wlad has plenty of heart. 

Here in North America and in the US being in the military is not cool anymore. So I’m obviously not speaking for every athlete but lots of them don’t view the military in a positive light because military and police are closely associated. So I don’t believe that the US in particular would have the same type of patriotism that some of the Ukrainian athletes are displaying. Because of the injustices that people of color have had over in the past, for some reason I don't think it would be embraced to fight for the US like they're fighting for the Ukraine. I think the line of thinking would be, why are we fighting another country, when our country does not treat us right.

I'm not saying that this is my exact train of thought although it has some merit. Personally I respect the military. My grand father, father, sister and nephew are all veterans. I respect the police. How can we not? When there is trouble the police are the first people we call. I don't like officers like Derek Chauvin but he doesn't represent every officer around the country. 

I think it's unfortunate that officers and servicemen sort of get clumped together with a few bad apples. But it's a reality and something needs to be done about the bad apples.

Hello Mr. Breadman,

Late email but being as everything is going on at the moment with the Ukraine and the undeniable iron will of the mayor of Kiev...Vitali Klitschko, I would like to get your fantasy match up with a man I hold in high regards.  How would you judge a match between the current Tyson Fury with the Vitali Klitschko anywhere between his comeback fight in 2008 and his retirement in 2012.  I believe those were his prime years cuz he never really lost many rounds (maybe due to his activity or the landscape of the time).  Much respect to you, this is my first time writing in.  With regards to the current situation in the Ukraine and my own personal "eyeball test," I'd like to get your opinion on how this match up plays out in your eyes.

Thank You!

V/RChuco Chamuco

Bread’s Response: Vitali Klitschko is a HARD man. I respect him. I really do. I can remember people questioned his heart when he resigned vs Chris Byrd. I even did, I couldn’t understand why he quit when he was winning the fight and he could’ve played keep away for the remainder of the fight. But sometimes fighters and people in general do things without realizing the implications. I don’t think Vitali has a lack of heart, I think he had poor judgment. He didn’t know he would be judged so harshly. I feel the same way about Roberto Duran in No Mas. But that’s a story for another day. 

Since that day Vitali has proven to be one of the hardest men to ever grace a boxing ring. He was willing to fight with his eye in jeopardy vs Lennox Lewis. And everything he’s done outside of the boxing ring has been STAND UP. I was listening to an interview of his a few days ago and he casually talked about killing 6 people “last night”. From my personal observation military and law enforcement make up a large percentage of the boxing community. Vitali is another example. Fighting for their LIVES brings a different mindset. The whole boxing world needs to revere Vitali at this point.

Vitali vs Fury is an even fight. Vitali has the size, mobility, jab and meanness to give Fury hell. Vitali is very close to being an undefeated fighter. I’m not saying Lewis or Byrd got gifts they earned the wins. But Vitali was winning both fights until freakish injuries caused him to lose. Vitali won the WBO title and the WBC title twice. He has double digit title defenses. I always thought that Wlad was the more physically gifted out of the two, but Vitali was the better fighter. Vitali was the one you would bet on to win you a fight. I still believe that. Tyson Fury is a great fighter and not many heavyweights can beat him head to head. But I really don’t know who wins this fight. It’s that close.

Breadman - The little big giant won and won big! It's too bad he's not made the kind of money those other fighters with less fights, skills or hunger have made. I would like to see him fight Inuoe and then retire. There's really not a lot left for him to do and I think if he had made more money already, he would be done. The battle @ 140 lbs was much of what we expected. Jose Ramírez appears to get hit too flush. I'm not sure if a move to 147 would help him either as you have some talented folks - Crawford, Spence, Ugas, Thurman, Danny Garcia, Ennis and Ortiz. I'm not sure I would favor him over any of those fighters. If he fights Regis Prograis @ 140 lbs I don't think he wins that fight either. He may have some tough outs going forward. Again, no disrespect to Pedraza. He's been high and low. The Davis fight he looked terrible. Against J Rodriguez he looked good.

The fights I want to see right now that'll pay the participants are:118 lbs - Chocolatito vs Inuoe.126 lbs - Vargas vs Navarette & GRJ vs LSC.135 lbs - Kambosos vs Haney.147 lbs - Benn vs Brook, Spence vs Crawford & Boots vs Ortiz.154 lbs - Lubin vs Tszyu for the winner of Charlo vs Castano. No disrespect to Fundora, Lubin should win. 160 lbs - Mall vs Andrade & Munguia vs GGG, winner fights each other and eventually fights Canelo.168 lbs - Benavidez vs Canelo.175 lbs - Beterbiev vs Bivol, in Russia if this war would end. Surely they would be compensated in their home country. Some of these fighters are already booked for one or two fights. I just think these are all fun, exciting fights that and fights that would compensate the fighters. Any fights you're looking forward to? When can we see you in the corner again?

Blessings my friend.

Richard K.Oregon

Bread’s Response: Choc! Man I thought Choc would have a tougher night but he’s something. Choc is just so special. A presumed clean fighter. 54 fights in. 4 division titles. And he literally turns nothing down but his collar. Very rarely will you see a fighter like this. I believe he’s top 10 ever from exclusively 118 on down. I can’t think of 10 fighters better than him who exclusively campaigned in those weight divisions. 

The underrated thing about Choc is his defense. He has the ability to STAY in front of you without getting hurt too much. His body is supple and alert. He blocks, parries and rolls shots without giving up his offense. That’s why his pressure is so good because as soon as his opponents expend energy, Choc attacks to the head and body in combination punching. Choc is a mix of Julio Cesar Chavez, Eder Jofre and Roberto Duran. Maybe not better than them but that’s the mix of fighters I see in him. 

He’s actually better than I ever thought he was and when Andre Ward was inactive and Mayweather and Pacquioa both seemed retired in 2015, I thought Choc was the best fighter in the world. Not GGG. Not Canelo. Not Loma. Not Crawford. But Choc. Remember what he did in 2015. He beat Edgar Sosa and Brian Viloria on his HBO debuts and with his credentials and eye ball test at the time, I was super impressed. He started to run cold shortly thereafter and in 2017 he lost to SSR so it looked as if he was overrated and an HBO creation. But all that really happened was he ran a murderous schedule because the networks are the real matchmakers and he needed to regroup. 

Choc was really one of the top 5 or 6 fighters in the world for 5 years before HBO ever caught on. And everything he did after 2017 has proven it. He’s the only fighter in history to win titles from 105lb-115lb. Put him in the HOF already.

I like Jose Ramirez. I like him a lot. But moving up is not for everyone. He may lose his physicality at 147lbs. At 147 the weight jumping slows down. Ramirez is a very good fighter, but you have to be a great fighter to be equally as good at 140 and 147. Manny Pacquioa, Floyd Mayweather, Miguel Cotto and Oscar De La Hoya are great fighters. That’s why they didn’t have a big drop off from 140 to 147. Ramirez is excellent but I don’t know if he’s in their league. Time will tell. The one thing about Ramirez is he’s a hard nights work for everyone. 2 knockdowns are the only thing that separates Ramirez and Taylor and Taylor is considered a top P4P fighter.

I’m not so sure Regis Prograis beats Ramirez. I think it’s a 50/50 fight and they have to decide it in the ring. Prograis is probably more naturally talented but he’s inactive and for some reason he’s been sort of out of the picture.

I don’t want to see Choc vs Inoue. Inoue is too big for Choc. I don’t care that they are only 3lbs apart on the scales. Inoue is younger, has bigger bone density and he’s just too explosive. That’s too much to ask even for a great fighter like Choc. This fight would be similar to Oscar vs Chavez.

I like both fights at 126lbs

Kambosos vs Haney is an excellent fight but I don’t believe we see it.

I love all 3 fights at 147. Perfect matchups but I don’t believe we see them all. And I don’t think Boots vs Ortiz will happen before they fight for titles.

I love Lubin vs Tszyu. That’s a great match up. 

I love the match ups at 160 but I don’t think they will play out like that. For some reason Andrade is always the odd man out. 

Benavidez vs Canelo or should I say Canelo vs Benavidez is an instant classic. I really believe their styles mesh so well. Both are high contact, offensive fighters, who punch in a flashy but hard sequences. Neither are scare to get hit. I really don’t see how this fights MISSES.

Beterbiev vs Bivol is a nice fight. 

I know you’re big on PEDS. In fact you have been the most outspoken trainer in boxing on PEDS. Recently Jermell Charlo did an interview and he spoke about PEDS in reference to Brian Castano. I’m curious as to your thoughts about Charlo’s claims of lack of testing and also his comments about Terence Crawford needing to deal with the fighters at 147 before he moves up? Who do you like in both match ups Charlo vs Castano and Crawford?

Bread’s Response: I’m glad Jermell spoke out about PEDS. That’s a good thing. Jermell is an A side fighter. And A side fighters determine the terms of the testing for the most part. Anyone who is offended by PED talk is suspicious. PED testing should be transparent. If you’re clean and someone accuses you of PED use, it’s a compliment not an insult. Because it means that they are impressed by your performance so much that they think it’s unnatural. Jermell Charlo is an articulate and charismatic guy, I wish he talked about PEDs more and sooner. 

As for his comments about Castano. Let’s see how Castano performs with the microscope on him. Let’s see if he looks the same. I love it. I love when fighters are challenged to be clean. I love talks of early testing outside of the normal testing window. I love talks of more testing. It’s crazy that some people turn this into a bad thing. How can it be? In my opinion it’s a joke when a fighter waits and waits to announce a fight. Then they start testing after the fight is announced. They’re basically deciding when the testing starts. If the fighter has resources which every A side fighter has, it’s almost impossible to catch them. For all we know they could be cycling off then clearing their system before the start of camp. No one ever challenges these tactics but those who know, know. 

Charlo vs Castano is a tough match up for Charlo. I’m going to assume Castano is a clean fighter until proven otherwise. Castano can box well going forward. He must be stronger than he looks because everyone moves away from him. No one has backed him up. He was a better amateur than Charlo so he knows how to score points. He’s busier than Charlo. If Charlo can’t hurt Castano it’s hard for him to score enough points and outbox him. But Jermell is a master sucker puncher. He’s a CLIP specialist. He just has a clutch gene where he knows how to hit guys on the chin and ko them. I can remember he did it to Denis Douglin many years ago in a prospect fight. And he’s still doing it today. He doesn’t have the best ko%, but he has some of the best kos in boxing out of today’s champions.

So the fight is either Castano by decision or Charlo by ko. I suspect Charlo has Castano timed but right now I don’t have a pick yet.

Jermell Charlo vs Bud Crawford is a great match up. I feel that Crawford is the world’s best fighter but 154 would be his 4th division. I don’t know if he’s the best fighter at 154 yet, we have to see his work there. If they were same size I would give Crawford the advantage but they aren’t. Let me see if Crawford can handle big welterweights like Spence or Ennis first before you ask me this question. I just don’t know how he will take Jermell’s punches and Crawford gets hit especially early. Great fight because of the X factor!

Errol Spence recently echoed your comments about gaining too much weight in between fights and how he’s maintained his weight for this fight. Spence seems to be a smart guy, who wasn’t as disciplined with his weight. Do you think we will see a difference in his performances? I can remember you saying that he looked almost unbeatable vs Algieri and Peterson but lately he’s turned into more of a boxer. Maybe the weight gains explain it.

Bread’s Response: When Errol fought Algieri I knew he would never get a voluntary title shot. I knew he would have to be a mandatory. He was a power punching, volume puncher, with a great jab and a great body punching. To top it off he was a southpaw. But over the last few years, he’s sort of settled more into a boxer who can punch, rather than a killer who can box. I didn’t hear or read his comments but maybe that explains the change. It takes more energy when you’re in a wrecking ball mode. So who knows, let’s see how he performs vs Ugas.

In fairness to Spence, maybe his lack of kos lately come from the opponents. Mikey Garcia had never been stopped before. Danny Garcia had never been stopped before. Shawn Porter had never been stopped before. It’s very hard to stop a world class fighter at the elite level who has never been stopped before. So competition level also determines that. I’m looking forward to Spence vs Ugas. I think it’s an excellent match up and not only the result but Spence’s performance will determine the future match ups.

Hello Breadman ,                            

This is a question about sparring . It seems that everybody spars everybody else . So the fighters know each other, how much does this help or hurt when preparing for a fight . It seems Boots Ennis spars a lot , sparring as much as twelve rounds, everybody in the gym . Is this too much , I know he is young but could this burn him out . At this point I hope we dont get Crawford Spence . I hope we get Ennis versus Crawford and Spence . How do you see those two fights going . I agree one hundred percent that Canelo picked Bivol for a reason . This is an easy fight for Canelo , it might not be easy, but Canelo will win easily . Canelo is smart and has that good ring IQ . He can figure out boxers like Saunders and Plant and turn them into punching bags . Bivol is not much better , he cant get a decision , and he cant ko Canelo . I think Canelo will stop Bivol . The only way to beat Canelo is to knock him out . His stamina has improved , he must be very strong . He makes life hard for fighters that cant really fight . To push him , back him up and run him hot , only two guys can do that . Beterbiev and Benavidez , and Canelo will avoid them . Smart businessman and fighter .

Thank You                                                                                      

J.B.

Bread’s Response: How much a fighter spars is always a topic for debate. It’s no set answer because it depends on the fighter. A fighter like Ennis can spar 15 rounds a session because he doesn’t take heavy punishment. He barely gets hit clean, so he can work on new stuff, timing etc without being damaged. A fighter who is not as defensively proficient or is struggling to make weight can’t spar as much. The last thing you want to do, is have a fighter who gets hit clean and is cutting over 20% of the weigh in weight, sparring heavy rounds. That’s how a fighter burns out. You also don’t want a dehydrated fighter, who has to cut a huge amount of weight, getting beat up in the gym. His organs don’t have the fluid or fat in them to protect them and being beat on in that state, burns out the central nervous system. So everyone is different. 

But here is the thing. People are too squeamish about sparring. In order to get ready for a real fight, you need intense sparring. It builds up your coping ability. It builds up your punch resistance and reflexes. It’s the best simulation of an actual fight, so it’s a must. How much depends on the fighter, his conditioning and his style. The trainer will determine that. But it’s needed. Any fighter will tell you that, they need to get hit in order to get ready for being hit. If you don’t take a punch for 6 months and you go back in the gym, it takes a little time to get adjusted again. The medical people who micro critique boxing don’t get that. But the people in the gym that are with boxers everyday understand that.

I don’t think we will see Ennis vs Spence or Crawford. In today’s boxing, Ennis is just too young and not proven enough to get a fight with either of them. If we do get the fights, I will gladly discuss them but I just think it’s highly unlikely.

What's up Bread,

Why does it seem like Canelo is getting a pass for missing a group of fighters?  I know there are misses in boxing and no fighter fights every great and/or difficult opponent in or around their weight, but Canelo's misses based on style of fighters are head scratching.  Andrade, Charlo and Benavidez can't all be deemed as misses that the media doesn't criticize him for.  Charlo and Andrade were at 154 and 160 with him.  He was offered the fight with Andrade at 164 for the WBO belt and he turned it own only to fight for the same belt against Liam Smith after Andrade gets stripped. Andrade was the WBO champ at 160 and again Canelo refused the fight when he could have been undisputed at 160.  He can't say it's about being undisputed at 168 but not 160, that just doesn't make sense.  Charlo was his WBC mandatory for almost two years, but he missed him? Charlo was calling for the fight at 154 when he didn't have a belt.  Someone might say yeah but he went and won the Ring championship at 160, which would be a fair miss.  The problem was he went back down to 154 to fight Liam Smith...that's crazy to me.  

I don't know if the loss to Floyd and debatable win with Lara has him 2nd guessing fighting certain style boxers but the opponents he's chosen don't lie.  It's a European style fight field day with Canelo. GGG, Fielding, Kovalev, Smith Yildrim, Saunders, Bivol and potentially GGG again. He turned down two offers to fight Benavidez when he was still champion. He says Benavidez and Charlo should fight each other to deserve a fight.  With the exception of GGG who did they fight to deserve a their fights?  He's a talented fighter and has won a lot of belts but who he beat for those belts should matter when Canelo is compared historically against other all time great fighters.  His toughest opponents Floyd and GGG he lost and had two debatable decisions.  It should be hard for the media to give this guy a pass for these misses/ducks for multiple opponents and multiple weight classes on top of getting popped for steroids.  I am trying not to call them ducks but it's hard when his choice of opponents are who they are and his on trainer talks about the difficulty of fighting the "African American" style fighter.  I believe that's something you commented on as well European style, Mexican Style and African American style fights against each other.

Bread’s Response: You make some interesting points. I don’t have an issue with Canelo’s choice of opponents. But I do find the reasons behind choosing certain opponents to be contradictory. Canelo has an excellent resume, especially for this era. But make no mistake. It’s not an Oscar De La Hoya,  Manny Pacquiao, Evander Holyfield, Muhammad Ali or Sugar Ray Leonard level resume. It’s a notch below that but still great.

I actually would like to see Benavidez, Charlo and Andrade fight each other and start to eliminate each other to create the super opponent for Canelo. I love the idea. But the reasons are contradictory because no one else had to do it. Caleb Plant didn’t have to fight BJ Saunders, Callum Smith or David Benavidez to get a shot at Canelo. Callum Smith didn’t have to fight, Saunders or Plant to get a shot at Canelo. And Saunders didn’t have to fight Plant or Smith to get a shot at Canelo. Dmitri Bivol was not made to fight Artur Beterbiev to get a shot at Canelo. 

So while I love the idea of fighters have to fight big fights to create bigger fights. I don’t get why Charlo, Andrade or Benavidez are being asked to do it and no one else was. It’s a fair and legitimate question. If we go by that prerequisite then Liam Smith would have never got a shot at Canelo. Neither would Yildrim. Actually besides GGG and Kovalev who are HOF, no one in the last 7 years has, the last fighter being Miguel Cotto who was the lineal champion and legit HOF. And presently Artur Beterbiev is more deserving than Dmitri Bivol. 

The truth is Canelo Alvarez is the A side superstar and he can fight whoever he wants from Middleweight to Cruiserweight. And his choices have more to do with who’s available than it does about merit. And in boxing there is no need to be a victim and feel sorry for yourself. The fighters that Canelo is choosing not to fight. They are making a mistake by continuously waiting. Because Canelo is smart and observant. And while they are waiting, he’s keeping a busy schedule and actually improving. Eventually those guys will start to rust and turn in bad performances. And then they will be ripe to get knocked off. Fighters need to be fighters. And they do need to start fighting each other and picking off potential opponents for Canelo, to eliminate the excuses for not fighting them.

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