The Daly Bread Mailbag returns with Stephen "Breadman" Edwards tackling topics such as the career of heavyweight Larry Holmes, Terence Crawford vs. Manny Pacquiao, rising welterweight Jaron Ennis, cruiserweight champion Lawrence Okolie, and much more.

Bread,

If I told you there was a underrated champion who fought nearly 30 years & held the ring lineal championship in his division for five consecutive years & defended it for 19 straight defenses and holds the only knockout  over an ATG, with a top five jab in history would you say Larry Holmes?

I want to get your opinion on who you think is the most underrated champion in history in comparison to Holmes. I also have to mention that he probably should have  broken Marciano's record if there were not gift decisions to Michael Spinks in both fights.

I think Holmes suffered in public opinion because he was not as articulate as Ali (and followed his reign) and he beat up Ali as well plus he was just kind of a boring personality. No one really talks about him as heavyweights go so I wanted to get your take on him and why he is forgotten as a great champ with a great chin (See Holmes vs Shavers, Holmes v Snipes) thanks for your time.

Aaron from Cleveland

Bread’s Response: I think Holmes is a wonderful fighter. I believe he’s arguably top 5 heavyweight history. And you’re correct he does have a top 5 jab in boxing history. He has a real case #1. You’re also correct again he does have 19 title defenses which is a staple of consistency. But to address you in context, I wouldn’t put high on his ledger that he’s the only person to stop Ali. Ali was sick by the time Holmes fought him and he really shouldn’t have been fighting at all. You have to give Holmes credit for every win but that was his easiest title defense. Ali was a shell of himself. Ali literally didn’t punch back.

You also brought up breaking Marciano’s record. I think Holmes hurt himself by some of his classless remarks after he didn’t break the mythical 49-0 record. He attacked Marciano who was dead and could not defend himself. Holmes didn’t get robbed in the 1st Michael Spinks fight. He lost. He does have a strong case for winning the rematch but he lost the 1st fight pretty clean in my opinion. So the myth that he got robbed carried up from the rematch. He would’ve lost his title anyway which would have had him at 48-1. Again context is very important. Also it must be noted Holmes had two highly controversial title defenses vs Tim Witherspoon and Carl Williams. Watch both of those fights closely. Both have stronger cases for beating Holmes than Holmes did for winning the first Spinks fight. Especially Witherspoon! 

So Holmes could’ve lost his perfect record before he lost officially to Spinks. Holmes had a razor close title win over Ken Norton that went his way. I don’t have an issue with him winning that fight. But many say that the fight was in balance going into the 15th round. If that was the case Norton won. Because Norton dominated the 15th round and Holmes came on in the last 30 seconds to hurt Norton. So while Holmes was a special fighter, he did get the benefit of doubt vs Norton, Witherspoon and Williams. So the first time a close decision didn’t go his way, he said some pretty nasty things and it was held against him. For the record I don’t have an issue with a fighter being outspoken because of an injustice. A man is supposed to speak up for himself. But he wasn’t robbed vs Spinks1. His case for being robbed was the rematch not the first encounter. 

I think most reputable historians rate Holmes in the top 5 in heavyweight history. I have seen ranked in the top 3 and being called the greatest living heavyweight. I don’t think he’s underrated. I think he’s not beloved which is different. The public and media were not mesmerized by him during his reign. He came after Ali. He came during the reigns of Leonard, Duran, Hearns and Hagler. The 4 Kings in the lower divisions outshined his shine. Then Mike Tyson came in 1986 the year after he lost to Spinks and had a destructive aura about him, where as Holmes was more of a technician. So he was sandwiched by some of the more engaging personalities and talents in boxing history. Some fighters are more or so great champions than they are Super Stars. I think Holmes unfortunately falls into that category of a great champion that is highly respected by not so much loved by everyone. Fighters want to be loved despite saying they don’t care. Everyone in this game wants attribution for their accomplishments and when they don’t get it, it makes them bitter. Boxing is so unforgiving.

Hi Bread, hope you are doing well.

We hear that the Pacman - Crawford fight is imminent. When Pac was fighting Keith Thurman, I thought that was going to be the end of his career. But he surprised all of us and won the fight.

Crawford looks like a bigger challenge, but after Thurman, I won't be surprised by anything...How would Pacquiao's place in history be re-evaluated if he convincingly beats Crawford? Would he surpass Mayweather then?

Thanks!

--Tigran Arzumanov

Bread’s Response: You know I don’t think Pacman can beat Crawford. I think Crawford is a great HOF fighter, who head to head matches up with any fighter from 135-147 ever. This would be a hard fight for prime Pac. Yet alone 42 year old, inactive Pac. I think if Manny Pacquiao beats Terence Crawford he would have a case for being the Greatest Fighter in History. No fighter in history would have a WIN over a fighter the level of Crawford, at his age. Especially not at welterweight. It would be quite an accomplishment. But before we get too crazy, the fight has to be made and then he would have to win it. There is a lot of room between the cup and the lip.

Bread,

I know longer have faith in Punch Stats. I’m a proud New Yorker and not that anyone cares about my opinion but I was studying future opponents for my new favorite fighter Edgar Berlanga. I watched your kid Kyrone Davis vs Anthony Dirrell again. And as Berlanga’s unofficial matchmaker lol, I would not fight your kid. Whoever did the punch stats, were giving Dirrell credit for hitting Davis’s gloves with his face. You haven’t cried over it so I won’t. But I wonder how many times that this has happened then a false narrative gets passed after a fight? Also what do you think of Berlanga and how would a fight between Berlanga and Davis play out of you got that call?

Bread’s Response: Punch stats are entered by a human being. So therefore you have to consider human error. I also observed what happened when I watched the fight later. But there is really nothing you can do about it. It’s boxing and no one really cares. You can’t play the victim. You have to change the narrative. I have wondered what the public opinion would have been had the punch stats been counted correctly and the announcers were more in Davis’s favor. But we were the B side and that’s the game. You can’t cry the blues, when you lose. Just grin, when you win. Berlanga looks like a monster and that would be a really hard fight. I won’t get into how it would go. But I am confident in my kid. We shall see..

Hi,

Bread,

So Jared Ennis trounced Lipinets Saturday.

You wrote in your last column that such a victory would make him even less discussed by top welters than he already is.

I noticed that BoxRec rates him and Vergil Ortiz in consecutive spots.. Could you see them fighting each other if no title holder offers a shot?

Who  would you favor in that match-up? Of course, one would lose the '0'.      

I agree with what you said about Bud needing to SHOW Ortiz that he's not ready.

A valiant loss to Crawford wouldn't be a disaster as Ortiz is still young.

If Bud wants Ortiz to have a couple more years of experience, Bud could be past his prime. Bud needs a fight and the other top welters are hardly pursuing him.   

I take the talk about Bud vs. Manny in the U.A.E. with a grain of salt.

I read that Manny wants $40 million and Bud would get $10 million.

Though this 80/20 split seems insulting, that would  be Bud's highest payday.

Manny, at 42,would go out with an almost certain loss but an enormous 'retirement fund'. The UAE is wealthy enough, it seems, to put this on. One article quotes Spence as saying he wants 70/30 to fight Crawford and MAY change it to 80/20.To many of us, it simply sounds like Spence does not want the fight, that he believes  he can't win. The whole situation is a drag. Who did you score the Smith-Vlasov fight for?

Is it right to doubt Smith's chances against Beterbiev? Is Ajagba worthy of a lower top 10 rating? He still needs experience and refinement, though the power is undeniable.

Thanks for the great read each Saturday!  

Terry - Warren, Pa.

Bread’s Response: Right this second I would favor Ennis over Ortiz. In these type of matchups, the fighter who is more twitchy and better defensively usually wins about 70% of the time. I think Ennis is 65/35 over Ortiz. But it would be a shootout and brutal because both are young and fierce. Youth makes these type of fights better. They won’t make a “silent agreement” between millionaires to not over push it. We have all seen that in big fights. When the big fights come between young killers. Pride and legacy are on the line. Nothing in this world as far as a physical engagement can outweigh PRIDE. If you don’t believe me, slap a man in front of his girlfriend, mother or children. You will most likely get the fight of your life, even if he’s not on your level physically.

I agree with you about Crawford and Ortiz. If Ortiz gets more seasoning. While he’s getting better, Crawford would be getting older….I think Crawford would take 10 million to fight Pacquiao. That’s a good number considering the circumstances. Pacquiao was a part of the biggest PPV in history. And he’s sold over 1 million PPV buys at least 5 times. Crawford is a great fighter but he hasn’t crossed over to that yet. Not even close. So if 10 million is the offer, then I think they would take it. But who knows what the offers are. We can all pass our opinion as the truth. I don’t get into too much because I honestly don’t know. Let’s see what happens.

I didn’t score Smith vs Vlasov. I was switching back and forth between ESPN and Showtime. And it wouldn’t be fair to either fighter to say who won when I didn’t watch 100% of the action. I think Smith with his punching power is live vs Beterbiev but I favor Beterbiev. In a fight with two violent punchers, the puncher with better technique and blue chip pedigree wins 80% of the time. In hypothetical match ups people always ask me about Hearns vs Jackson. Hearns would have clipped Jackson inside of 2 rounds. Just like Mike McCallum did. Look at Tyson vs Ruddock. GGG vs Lemieux and Stevenson. Tito vs Campas. Chavez vs Rosario. Hagler vs Mugabi. Tszyu vs Judah. The better “boxing” big puncher when each fight. Whenever you see this match up of two big violent punchers. The fighter with better technique. The fighter who had the more blue chip outlook to them. That fighter usually wins this fight. In fact they normally win it by ko. Again I respect Joe Smith. He has a great story. But he would be up against it vs Beterbiev. It would be a rare accomplishment for a fighter with Smith’s pedigree and style to beat a fighter with Beterbiev’s pedigree and style.

Efe Ajagba is definitely a huge puncher. I can see him in the top 10. But honestly he seems a little slow on the trigger and with his processing vs elite fighters. I think he’s dangerous but I think he will have fits vs anyone he can’t land his right hand against. A fighter like Otto Wallin would drive him crazy. So would Tony Yoka. As would Tyson Fury. I don’t want to sound overly critical. I like Ajagba as a fighter. But he reminds me of Deontay Wilder without Wilder’s quick twitch first step. People criticize Wilder because he’s a one trick pony. But they don’t realize how fast he is. Efe’s right hand seems to be as hard as Wilder’s. But he’s not as quick or athletic. That counts. I suspect Efe would be easier to DISARM. Hopefully the young man gets his shot. Maybe he has elite timing and he will still be able to land that big right hand. Let’s see. He deserves a big fight within the next year.

Hey brother!

I have to send a second email asking for a Lawrence Okolie summary/breakdown/evaluation on his career + ability shown thus far. I doubt you've had another boxer do so much in such a short time, with like a 90% KO ratio too, that was NOT asked about after a world title win. He deserves the spotlight!

And just to beef it up, some fantasy match-ups: Calzaghe vs Monzon at SMW, Vitali Klitschko vs Tyson Fury, Ricardo Lopez vs Roman Gonzalez.

Bread’s Response: I think Okolie is better than he looks. He’s tall and he seems skinny but he’s very wiry strong. He seems like he’s sturdy. He could be the best fighter in the division. I was very impressed with his last fight. I don’t get asked about Okolie often. It’s weird about 5 fighters take up all of the questions of the mailbag. But Okolie is worth a mention. I want to see him vs Breidis.

I have no idea who wins Monzon vs Calzaghe. Seriously that’s a killer fight. I also don’t know who wins Vitali vs Fury. I think Vitali is meaner and better than Wlad. Wlad is more talented but he’s not a better fighter. Fury beat Wlad but he was very cautious. I suspect Vitali would be more forceful under the gun. Vitali is very hard to outpoint. He’s never been losing a fight on points. Tough fight to call.You gave me the hardest hypothetical match ups I’ve ever had. Because I can’t pick any of them. Ricardo vs Choc is one master boxer going forward, vs one master boxing moving away. This fight is a smaller version of Salvador Sanchez vs Julio Cesar Chavez. I have no idea who wins. Unbelievable fight. 

Lubin vs Rosario was just announced. What shootout! Who wins and why? Very risky fight for both.

Bread’s Response: I was very impressed when I saw they were fighting each other. This is a real fight for 2 real fighters who don’t want to wait around for a title shot. Charlo and Castano are on a collision course for the summer. So if Lubin were to wait he would be waiting until 2022 for a title shot. So he’s being a real fighter. You have to respect that. Rosario was just kod. He’s coming right back in a fight where he would be the underdog in. Rosario’s career is on the line. That’s how serious this fight is for him. Two back to back ko defeats is tough in this era and in his division. 

Rosario is a GUN and he always has been. But I favor Lubin to win. Lubin is more talented. He’s more blue chippy. He’s a little quicker on the draw. And I didn’t like the way Rosario took a punch vs Charlo. Rosario was actually winning the rounds he wasn’t dropped in but his punch resistance vs Charlo was poor. He looked like a fighter at the weigh in who really struggled to make weight. So struggling to make weight then getting your equilibrium knocked off several times then losing by brutal body shot KO, was traumatic. I can’t believe people suggested that Rosario was faking. He was convulsing!

Rosario is clever at boxing going forward. He puts serious pressure on his opponents but it’s not frenetic. It’s imposing. He stalks you and walks you down but does give you time to think. Lubin can beat Rosario moving away or holding his ground. The key is not getting greedy and not letting Rosario build a head of steam walking forward. If you move away you have to turn him. Lubin is a southpaw so the turn will come natural. 

The key to this fight I believe will be Lubin’s straight left hand to the body. Rosario walks high with his hands up. With the way he’s built he can’t defend body shots well. Especially straight body shots. Once Lubin lands that shot I believe the right hook over the top will be the punch. Make no mistake Rosario is heavy handed and he can clip Lubin. But I feel like Lubin will be riding high. I feel like Lubin’s team will have him ready. Lubin has not won a title yet. Rosario has. Lubin is starving to be a champion and would feel letdown if he never won a title. I think this will be the deciding factor. This is a fight that can end in the 1st round or the 12th. It depends on Lubin’s temperament. I think he’s going to be assertive but smart. Rosario loses steam in the 2nd half. My guess is Lubin stops him between 6-9. Good fight.

What’s up coach? Great weekend of fights.

Do you think Spence & Bud Crawford feel a sense of urgency now to get their mega fight made? After Boots performance last night, & Vergil Ortiz the week before. Throw in Stanionis & Connor Benn. These young guys are going to mess the bag up for Bud & Spence.

I know it’s VERY premature as his accomplishments aren’t their yet, but I know what I see. I think we’re witnessing a run at welterweight the world hasn’t seen since SRR. That’s the only fighter I can even compare Jaron Ennis to. Between the size, speed, ferociousness, balance & footwork, the power. Not to mention he loves boxing. It really is incredible. That being said, could you breakdown a mythical matchup between Floyd Mayweather at WW vs Jaron Ennis? I think Ennis would be WAY to much for Floyd and probably stop him. I don’t think any boxer can pot shot with boots and win. Only way to beat him i think is to risk it all & just go at him for the KO and make it a war. Its going to take a certain WAR mentality mindset to beat him I think.

Thanks, Ed H

Bread’s Response: I actually do. I want to preface this with saying neither Spence or Crawford is ducking Ennis or Ortiz. But if the young guns keep ascending and picking off contenders and become mandatories then the media and public will start to clamor for the fight. Fighters know other fighters. I have listened to Spence and Crawford talk. Both are smart fighters. They know Ennis is talented. They also know he’s 23. Both are complimentary of Ennis. He can simply do things most fighters can’t. His talent is different. It doesn’t mean he’s better but his talent looks different. 

Spence and Crawford can see that. So fighting each other makes more sense than fighting a fighter equally as dangerous but much younger with much less wear and tear. I tell people but they often don’t listen. A fighter should want to take their big fights in their 20s. I’m not suggesting you’re over the hill in your 30s. But if you have the option take them in your prime. Go to any gym. Watch a 30 year old spar. Then watch a talented 21 year old spar. The reflexes are different if the talent is equal. Look at Ray Leonard vs Tommy Hearns in 1981. Then look at them in 1989. They weren’t shot in 1989 but they were different. Fighters age better today but aging is a real thing. I actually think Crawford and Spence will fight now. I don’t think either are scared of Ennis. But both have bigger more established names. Why not just fight each other? If they wait, don’t fight each other and don’t fight Ennis or Ortiz that wouldn’t be a good look legacy wise. I think Spence and Crawford both care about their legacies and we will see some big fights from both in 2021 or 2022.

I’m not going to match Floyd Mayweather vs a 23 yr old fighter who hasn’t fought for a title yet. It’s disrespectful to Mayweather. I’m not suggesting Ennis wouldn’t be competitive. He would be. He’s a super talent but I just don’t like doing it. Let’s see him beat Ortiz, Ennis and Crawford before we get into all of that. 

Breadman,

Love the mailbag, thanks for teaching us something every week.  The question I have is about mitt work in training.  It seems like these days we see a lot of fancy mitt sequences on social media all over the place.  A lot of guys imitating Floyd and throwing 8, 9, 10+ punch combinations with a series of slips, catches and parry’s thrown in for good measure.  Given how rare it is to see that many punches thrown in combination in a fight, I’m wondering how relevant that stuff is to actually preparing for a fight? I assume fighters get a certain amount of conditioning work and coordination work from those types of sequences, but is there any real strategic value to those patterns? Do you use long sequences like that or do you prefer to use mitts in ways that a fighter will actually throw punches in a fight?

One other note on ring walks. The passing of DMX (RIP) made me realize that a huge percentage of my favorite ring walks have included X’s music.  When Tyson came out to DMX against Lewis I was convinced he was going to win (I was 20, forgive me for being naive).  Anyway, what are some of your favorite ring walks of all time? As an observer (gambler?) can you ever glean any information from watching a fighter walk to the ring?

Stay safe out there.

JH;

Bread’s Response: DMX has plenty of get hype songs that will be great for ring walks. He has a song with Drag On that kills it. Can’t remember the name right now. Ring Walks can get you hype but I try to stay in my logic. I’ve seen plenty that  have moved me. Gerald McClellan was my guy and when Nigel Benn came down in that smoky arena in the UK I was so worried. Benn was zoned out that night. He took it ALL in order to get the win and was never same. He put it all out. That’s a dangerous look he had. I’ve seen many more but that one just popped in my head when I read this question. 

I never knock a trainer’s pad routine. They are all meant to work. Some are more applicable. A sequenced routine can work if the fighter sees that sequence in a real fight and can think quick enough to apply it. Think about that. So I don’t knock anyone’s work. I think some trainer’s pad work is better than others but all of it is meant to work. I have some cardio drills I do to stay sharp and warm up. Then I have some fight specific stuff I do. I also have some drills I do. But the best work I do is when I work impromptu and I actually make the fighter feel like he’s in a fight. I move around. I move him around. And I show him shots on the pads he has a split second to take just like he would in a real fight. We sort of walk through the fight. This works best for me. 

I like all type of pad work. I love Emanuel Steward’s work. He does moves. He throws real punches. He does technique. I like Derrick James’s work. He has his guys throw proper constant shots. They fight at the same rhythm they hit pads at. I also like Freddie Roach rapid fire. Tom Yankello does drill and flow work. Pedro Diaz’s uses fight specific stuff. Everyone is different and there are some things you can do with some fighters you can’t do with others. The most chemistry I have with a fighter on the pads is a kid named Romuel Cruz. He only has 5 fights but we flow on the pads. He’s not the best fighter I’ve ever had but our chemistry is A+ for some reason. But I rarely put stuff out because if I’m preparing for a fight then I don’t want opponents to get tipped off. 

Breadman,

I know this may be late for the 4/17 mailbag, but just saw the news and had to ask: is Mario Barrios too long and big for someone of Gervonta’s stature and length.   I think his power will carry to 140  but is most impactful at 130.   Who do you pick with Nery vs Figueroa and which one is the tougher fight for Stephen Fulton?

Boots was phenomenal.  Thanks for the insight on his range and punch release.  I think his ability to switch hit is more impressive than Terrence Crawford and Andre Ward because he has no discernible weaknesses from either side.    I can box from each side and switch fluidly but some punches are more fluid, accurate or powerful from either side and on one side my defense is better.  What he is doing is hard.  Who are you type 5 switch  hitters over the last 50 years and have you seen anyone as fluid and sharp from both sides as Boots?

Billy Bomaye

Bread’s Response: It remain to be seen if Barrios is too long and too big for Davis. Barrios is much taller than the 5’10 he’s listed at. He’s much closer to 6’1. He doesn’t have freaky long arms, but they are proportioned to his height. He’s a big 140lber.I think Tank is the more talented fighter but fights aren’t always won on natural talent. Barrios is skilled. He’s motivated. This is a far different fight than Leo Santa Cruz. I know Barrios struggled in his fight on the Spence vs Porter undercard. That was against a southpaw and he ate some big shots. So the probably assumption is if Tank can land those same shots, then he knocks Barrios out. Well Barrios may have improved. He may be a better fighter for Tank. We have to see. I think Tank will open as a favorite but I think this is a real fight. If Tank wins, it’s a real win. And if Mario wins I don’t want to hear that Tank was too small. They picked Mario for a reason and he’s the underdog for a reason. So if he scores the upset no one should take credit from him.

Boots is an even handed switch hitter. Who is even defensively from both sides. He’s very elusive despite being violent. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen that before but I want to see him vs the top level before I get carried away. The 5 best switch hitters of the last 50 years. I’m going to surprise you with my list. Terence Crawford is the top guy as of now. I put him at the top because I feel like he stays right handed more than Hagler did. Hagler stayed southpaw more often than he stayed orthodox. He switched smoothly but Hagler was southpaw from what I studied 75% of the time. Crawford is a right handed fighter, who actually switches to score KOs which is rare. It’s hard to tell which side he’s better on. Hagler was better on the southpaw side. So #1Crawford, #2Hagler. After them I would say Mike Tyson. Yes Mike Tyson. Tyson was often a southpaw on the inside and he was deadly at it. The announcers missed it because he was on the inside and he rarely did it outside so everyone could see but Tyson was a monster southpaw inside. #Tyson. #4Naseem Hamed. Hamed could knock you dead from either side and didn’t seem to lose much on either side.#5 Andre Dirrell. Dirrell was as smooth as Boots is at switching. He was very athletic and very quick from both sides. But he was never able to get over the hump at the top level. If Boots does his switching at the top level he's going to be on the list very soon.

I’m high on Stephen Fulton as you know. I would favor him over Figueroa. Nery looked like an awesome P4P fighter a few years back. But he had the positive PED test, inactivity and weight struggles. So without making any accusations let me get back to you on Fulton vs Nery. I want to see a few things before I make a prediction.

What up Breadman. So I was reading an old article from Gabe Rosado and he was talking about how when he was coming up in the Philly boxing world that he would have to basically fight instead of spar with other boxers in sparring sessions in order to maintain his and his trainers rep.

I've also heard fighters like Bennie Briscoe and Meldrick Taylor were known for the wars they would get into when sparring. Everyone who knows boxing well knows that Philly in general has a reputation of gym wars but why is that? Is it because it's a tough city because places like Detroit and St. Louis are very rough also but I have never heard of the whole city having a reputation like that when it comes to boxing. Also isn't it true that too much hard sparring takes away from a fighter's performance on fight night. I find it strange that a place that is known for its boxing knowledge and producing trainers like Bouie Fisher and George Benton would practice things that may be counter productive to improving the fighters ability. Is Philly still a place where gym wars are common in 2021?

My second question is could a high level superstar boxer like Canelo or say Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua petition/pressure the fight commissions and the 4 major boxing organizations into bringing 15round title fights? I have heard the argument about 15 rounds causing more brain damage due to increased dehydration but to my knowledge no actual scientific studies were performed to show this statement as a fact. I do know that reducing the rounds to 12 made it very convenient for broadcasting networks to fit the main event into a very neat 1hour window (36 minutes for the fight + 11 minutes of rest between rounds which leaves 13 minutes for pre fight introductions and the ring walks).Pryor vs Chavez at 140 pounds.

Sameeh

Bread’s Response: The sparring is tough in Philadelphia but it’s tough in other places also. I think it may get a little overblown. A good trainer will know when to allow his fighter to turn it up and he will know when to turn it down. From my perspective it’s just work. I have seen the same level of sparring in DC. New York. Cleveland. The Bay Area. And Vegas. I personally think you need hard sparring to compete at the top level. Just like you need some technical sparring to work on things. Again a good trainer knows when to bring in hard work. And he knows when to bring in less threatening fighters. 

I don’t think fights will ever go back to 15 rounds. Fighters struggle too much to weight in this era. 

I usually pick Pryor when I think of this fight. But Pryor made so many mistakes, and Chavez was so smooth with his boxing going forward I can see him really hitting Pryor with some nasty counters and dropping him once or twice. It’s a toss up. But today I say Chavez. Next week I may go back to Pryor.

You were spot on when it came down to Boots Ennis. You even mentioned that he was a gunslinger and gunslingers get clipped. Lipinets landed some good shots but Ennis ate them. I bet it would be hard for you to train fighters who can’t take hearing their flaws because you state both the good and bad. I think Ennis is going to be world champion but am I off for thinking he’s going to get KO'd like Lubin did once he steps up. 

Bread’s Response: Your opinion is your opinion. I don’t like to speak in ABSOLUTE terms when it comes to human beings. We are all flawed and it can be humbling to speak in those terms. Ennis is a super talent but greatness is not attained on projection. It’s attained from accomplishment. Let’s just see how his career plays out. 

You’re correct I can’t train just any fighter. And it has more to do with character than it does talent. Some fighters may think you’re attacking them if you tell them the truth, when in fact you’re just being honest and trying to make them better. In reference to Ennis, I wasn’t picking him apart at all. I think he’s fantastic. But violent KO artist, get clipped every once in a while. It’s just how it is. If you look at the better ones of the last few decades. Wilfredo Gomez. Thomas Hearns. Terry Norris. Mike Tyson. John Mugabi. Julian Jackson. Nigel Benn. Zab Judah. Kostya Tszyu. Manny Pacquiao. All of those guys were violent type of attacking fighters, who got clipped. They all were great but if you get hit dead on while you’re punching, then the punch gets accentuated and it’s easier to be KO'd. I’m not suggesting Ennis will be KO'd. I’m just saying he puts him self on the line fighting the way he does. He may never get KO'd. Who knows. Sugar Ray Robinson was violent as they come and he was stopped once in over 200 fights due to heat exhaustion. But he’s the TOP DOG ever. So he’s more of the exception. GGG and Canelo are both violent fighters but they have iron chins. Neither have been KO'd. We need more data on Ennis. But right now he’s very fun to watch. He’s also very impressive which is rare. 

I don’t like the Joe Smith decision. More people think he lost than think he won. Vlasov won that fight Bread. He’s not the market fighter. Top Rank seemed to be building up towards Beterbiev vs Smith and no one is outraged that Smith won. But if you go round by round, there was really no way that Smith won 7 rounds. That was a corrupt decision Bread. That was more than incompetence. Who did you have winning and don’t give me that stuff about you not scoring fights with a pen and pad?

Bread’s Response: Well if you want me to tell you the truth then don’t put a caveat on it. I didn’t score it with a pen and pad. I was switching back and forth. In the rounds I saw Vlasov was getting the better of it. But that doesn’t mean he won. It just means he was getting the better of the action I saw. You’re making some strong accusations. I don’t want to go there. However, I will say that most people I talk to had Vlasov winning. Tough game we are in.

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