The Daily Bread Mailbag returns with Stephen "Breadman" Edwards tackling topics such as Mike Tyson's Punch-Out for the NES, Oscar Valdez testing positive for a banned substance, Canelo Alvarez vs. Caleb Plant, and more.

Mr Bread,

I think we are close to the same age, and if so then the following question should apply: Were you capable of beating Mike Tyson in Punch-Out? Was thinking about the game the other day and it brought up a different question for you as well. In the game, all of the opponents have various "tells" to let us know when they are about to attack. What are some of the more famous "tells" in boxing? I know of the one Max Schmeling used in the first Joe Louis fight, but are there others as famous?

Mario

Bread’s Response: Yes I was able to beat Mike Tyson. I used to play the video game Punch-Out in the arcade and I was pretty good. So when Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out came out, I was already well versed. People would be surprised at how video game hand eye coordination works. It’s very similar to boxing. But you can lose it if you don’t practice. I was a very addictive little kid and I would play a game all day and night in order to conquer it. After about 2 months I was able to beat Mike Tyson on the regular. Brings back memories. 

Mike Tyson actually has a tip off and reset in real life. He usually breaks to his left when he’s about to attack. Evander Holyfield would extend his left arm and lock up Tyson’s right shoulder in order to keep him in place. But honestly every single fighter in history has a tip off. It’s like your signature or finger print. Everybody has one. From Pacquiao’s stutter step. To Floyd Mayweather bringing his head over his knee on purpose so he can bait you into jabbing, so he can do the pull counter. Marquez and Maidana sat on the moves. Marquez clipped Pac and Maidana almost got Floyd in the 3rd round of their rematch. I always say that every fighter may not have a weakness, but every fighter has tendencies. Great question but it’s sort of general because every fighter has them. 

You’ve distinguished between best wins and best performances in the past. Ali’s best win was either Liston or Foreman IMO (I lean more toward Foreman, but Ali’s legacy as we know it doesn’t exist without the Liston win), but his best performance was against Cleveland Williams. For me, I use that term for the peak performance of any boxer (This was his Ali-Williams fight).Which brings me to my question… if I give you this short list of boxers, could you tell me what you think were/are their Ali-Williams fights?

My list:

Riddick Bowe

Julio Cesar Chavez

Ricardo Lopez

Vasyl Lomachenko

Terence Crawford

Errol Spence

Deontay Wilder

Azumah Nelson

Sugar Ray Leonard

Oscar De La Hoya

Greg K.

Bread’s Response: Great way to distinguish. Ok. 

Riddick Bowe’s is Holyfield 1.

Julio Cesar Chavez is Edwin Rosario

Ricardo Lopez is the most consistent fighter I have ever studied. He almost never had a bad night. But let’s say Ala Villamor.

Vasyl Lomachenoko is Nicholas Walters

Terence Crawford is Felix Diaz

Errol Spence is Lamont Peterson

Deontay Wilder is Bermaine Stiverne II

Azumah Nelson is Wilfredo Gomez

Sugar Ray Leonard is Bruce Finch

Oscar De La Hoya is Julio Cesar Chavez 1

What's up Breadman,

I hope you and you loved ones are well. I had a random question I am curious about. How important and consistent is a second or third wind during a fight?

Can you predict when it will happen based off of the experience of your fighters habits and training ? Can you rely on it when putting together a game plan? Which fighters in history have the best second wind and why do we get a second wind?

Finally, how do you rate Josh Taylor's chances against the following fighters at 147?

Shawn Porter, Keith Thurmam, Ugas, Errol Spence, Terence Crawford. I know these are mythical based off the fact they are likely.

I read an interesting story of when Josh Taylor put Ugas down in sparring and sent him to the hospital. Do you set guidelines of what is and is not permitted within you gym? Thanks for your time knowledge.

Brian, Glasgow

Bread’s Response: A 2nd wind is a real thing and fighters who can stay calm and trust their conditioning to get their 2nd wind are better off for it. It’s very important.

Yes I know when my fighters hit their first wall and I know when they get it back. Yes I can put a game plan together considering a 2nd wind. Listen if two of my guys are sparring and they are not the same size I tell the bigger fighter to be mindful but work. If they are the same size or close to same ability I tell them work. If someone gets dropped they get dropped. It’s work. The only thing they don’t do is go for ko after one is wobbled. If it’s an opposing fighter that I don’t train I feel the same way but if the fighter gets FRESH or his coach is ignorant I let my guys get busy and if they can score a ko if possible. Most times I’m a gentleman and I hold them up if it gets ugly. 

I would favor Taylor to beat Ugas and Thurman. I can’t call Porter because his style is tough and I haven’t seen Taylor deal with that. I would favor Spence and Crawford as of right now to beat Taylor.

Did you see Caleb Plant’s rants on twitter? I know you are higher on Plant than most but do you think he’s looking for an excuse after Canelo destroys him. I just don’t see him beating Canelo. 

Bread’s Response: I don’t think he’s looking for an excuse. I think Caleb is speaking his mind. He’s saying openly what many say off the record. I think Caleb knows Canelo is a great fighter but he doesn’t view Canelo as a super hero like his fans. He doesn’t feel Canelo is invincible. Why are people offended because Caleb doesn’t seem to be intimidated? My goodness. If he was scared you guys would call him a coward. But he’s brash and open about his beliefs as far as Canelo and that irritates you guys also. Canelo went on his best career run after testing positive for a banned substance. It's practical to be suspicious of him. 

My goodness Caleb is an 8 to 1 underdog and you guys wanted him to fight Canelo with 7 weeks of testing. I respect the kid. If Caleb beats Canelo you guys are going to lose your minds. 

Another Reynoso fighter has tested positive in Oscar Valdez. We also have Canelo Alvarez and Julio Cesar Martinez. Andy Ruiz has seemed to cut fat and put on lean muscle. And Ryan Garcia looks much more physically enhanced. On top of that Garcia wins an eliminator to fight Devin Haney and then takes of citing mental health issues and everyone buys it but he basically ducked a title shot. How is this stable not red flagged?

I know you can’t say much but what do you think of the ruling to let Valdez fight, and the suspicion surrounding Reynoso’s stable?

Bread’s Response: I didn’t know Julio Cesar Martinez tested positive also. Or at least I didn’t remember. 

Listen I’m really tired of talking about it. People used to get mad at me and call me a hater. Now those same people tell me I was right off the record. 

You make valid points. It’s nothing else to really say except your points are valid. 

Here is the thing about letting Valdez fight. What if he really hurts the opponent? Liability! I wouldn’t be surprised if the opponent was made to sign something releasing Top Rank of liability in case he gets seriously hurt. 

I’m not going to act like I know if Valdez ingested something banned on purpose. But I will say it shouldn’t matter. Testing positive and being positive an athlete took something on purpose is not the same. We are now enabling fighters who test positive because every single one of them says the same thing. They didn’t know what was in whatever they were ingesting. If Valdez was drinking a tea and it contained a banned substance. How about he tells what brand and where he got the tea from. Allow researchers to measure the substances in the tea. Even still, culpability is very hard to prove. But it shouldn’t have to be proven at all. Just because an athlete doesn’t know he took a PED, that doesn’t mean he doesn’t benefit from having it in his system. 

Allowing Valdez to fight, puts money over morals. I get it, it’s boxing. But Andre Ward was right with his statement. We will never know if Valdez did it on purpose. But what we do know is a banned substance was in his system. 

I keep hearing the trace amount excuse. That’s ridiculous and here is why. I’m going to give a common and scientific example of why that excuse is ridiculous. Most cheaters, cheat well. So if there is only a trace amount in their system it’s because they MICRO dose and they aren’t going to allow anything to be in their system heavy. So that excuse holds no weight. Here is the common sense angle. 

I hope I don’t offend anyone but I’m going to get graphic. If your women tells you it’s not cheating if she slept with another guy for 1 minute. You’re a dam fool. She cheated. It doesn’t matter if it was for 1 second or 60 minutes. Trace amounts mean nothing. Either you test + or -.

The only thing I care about is Positive or negative. Oscar Valdez is a very nice, likeable kid. And I think this played a factor in the decision but it shouldn’t have. If you test positive you should be suspended and stripped. If you can prove your innocence, do so but not before you go through due process. There is nothing more to say.

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