The Daily Bread Mailbag returns with Stephen "Breadman" Edwards tackling topics such WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, Canelo Alvarez vs. Dmitry Bivol, Shakur Stevenson, Terence Crawford vs. Errol Spence, and more.

Hello Breadman ,                            

Valdez was dominated by Stevenson . I scored this fight with the sound off . Ten rounds for Stevenson and two rounds even . Valdez did not win a single round . The size difference between the two was noticeable . Stevenson looked like a Super LW . Just bigger faster and stronger . For Stevenson it was twelve rounds of sparring . Just a game of cat and mouse . Makes me wonder why Team Reynoso would want this fight , knowing they could not win it. It looked a lot like Spence versus Mikey Garcia . The Canelo Bivol fight is next . There are two blueprints to beat Canelo .

The Mayweather fight . And the first GGG fight . Both involved jabs . I think the Bivol Team will study the GGG fight , and try to fight him that way . On the outside boxing him with a jab . I agree with you all the way that Bivol does not want the hard contact . Canelo is short , with short arms . I dont believe that he overcomes and has evolved so much .  I think he is just more talented than the guys he is fighting . The last four or five opponents he has faced , there are no HOF wins on these guys records . Bivol is in this same category . Canelo will win easy , it is a 80/20 fight . He has superb matchmaking . Looking at great fighters records , it is the three to six fights against elite opponents that count . Jermall Charlo may be a mean dude , but he would not last six rounds with Hagler . The class difference is just too far apart . Jermall Charlo is still facing second tier fighters . I have always thought P4P was a joke . It is neither subjective or objective , just cynical opinion . But long ago a friend of mine had a board game called Title Bout from Avalon Hill . A simple but well researched game that assigned attributes to the greatest boxers , allowing you to simulate matchups between the best fighters in history . One of the best boxing wins of all time is never talked about or mentioned . When Schmeling knockout Louis in their first fight . Schmeling was a huge underdog . Of course Louis won the second bout .      

Thank You                                                                                      

J.B.

Bread’s Response: P4P is not a joke. It's a relevant way to articulate who are the world's best fighters regardless of weight. Otherwise heavyweights would be the best in in literal terms because of their size. The only issue I have with P4P is that people make up their own meanings and when you don't agree they get mad. They exclude heavyweights. Or make up other ridiculous things to satisfy their subjective preference. It's simply who is the best based on eye ball test and resume if everyone were the same size with their dimensions relative to where they are at their current weights.

Stevenson looked fantastic. He has filled out nicely in his body. And while not being a huge puncher, he does seem pretty strong and opponents just can’t run up on him and bully him. That was a big time performance considering it was a unification among undefeated fighters. Stevenson is one of the ten best fighters on the planet at this moment!

The reason why Reynoso wanted the fight is because he believes in himself and in his fighters. As a trainer I can tell you, you have to be an eternal optimist. You have to believe you can win, when no one else does. Sometimes even the fighter himself doesn’t believe as much as you. Reynoso did nothing wrong, some people in this era still believe in legacy. If Reynoso wins THAT fight, he would have a case for being not only a great contemporary trainer, but a case for being one of the greatest trainers ever. Stevenson is no joke and his style is a puzzle.

Something tells me Bivol doesn’t like it in a hot kitchen. I also like Canelo to win. But we have to see Canelo do it. Bivol does not want to lose his 0 and he has a high skillset. If his self esteem is high, then he can make a fight of it.

Schmeling vs Louis 1 was a huge win. Especially considering what Louis went on to become.

Breadman,

Hope you are good. In regards to spence vs crawford you have two of the top fighters in the game and if they matchup it will be greatly anticipated.  Usually when you have fighters that are that good you can make it a 60-40 fight or even a closer percentage(50/50) in which one fighter has a certain skill set which will possibly enable him to win and the other has a different skill set which will enable that fighter to win.  Maybe one has much more power or the other is quicker or has more stamina or one has a better jab or the other goes to the body better or one has more heart one fights inside better. etc. But looking at these two fighters they are very similar including both are southpaws and it seems like crawford is just a little better in almost all categories so even though they are both undefeated and the odds may be close how do you see spence beating crawford.  What category or categories is he actually better than crawford at to make it fight he can win? Even though spence is great I find this a very tough match up for him.I agree with you that Joshua is the one fighter who could possibly give Fury all he can handle.  But he needs to get back to the Joshua pre ruiz.  Its almost like to do that he needs to be willing to go out on his shield to knockout Usyk to regain his mojo.  Do you think he can get it back??  Have you told a fighter before he fought someone that to win the fight you must be willing to go out on your shield in order to make him more aggressive or is that a negative way to inspire a fighter before a fight?

Thank You

Rich Mathews

Bread’s Response: Just because a fighter checks more boxes, it doesn’t mean his sum total outweighs his opponent’s. I agree with you Crawford probably does check more boxes but that doesn’t mean he’s guaranteed to beat Spence. Let’s look at the boxes that I think are most important. 

Speed: I say Crawford has the edge. He’s just faster. You can see it. 

Quickness: Quickness is different than speed. Speed is how fast the body moves. Quickness is how fast the mind processes. Someone can be faster than you but if your mind processes faster, then you can still do things faster than them. Spence is quick because of how he’s trained and how he punches, he stays in position. But I say Crawford is slightly quicker. I think it’s evident because of his kos. Spence sort of beats you down with accumulation. Crawford hits you with shots you never see because of his processing ability.

Strength: This one is tough for me. Everyone assumes Spence is stronger because he’s bigger. But I think Crawford is extremely physically strong. Most athletes with elite wrestling backgrounds are strong. Until they get in the ring, I will call this a push.

Endurance: I also believe they are equal in this. Both have some of the best set of lungs around.

Punch Resistance: I also think this one is even. They both have been buzzed at times but both recover well. Punching 

Power: Punching power is overrated in my opinion because in a fight the puncher is the one who takes the better shot. I think Spence hits harder for one shot, but Crawford is more of a ko artist because of HOW he hits you. But until we see how they respond to each other’s punches it’s hard to say.

Boxing Ability: This will surprise some. Crawford is perceived as the better boxer because he shows more moves. But Spence is actually harder to win rounds against in my opinion. Spence is super busy and forceful.

Clutch Gene: Again it’s even. Both come through when they have to. 

Defense: Neither is a great defensive fighter but both are extremely competent defensively. Crawford is the better counter puncher and Spence understand how to overwhelm so the opponent’s offense is drowned out. Again it’s another close one. 

Athletic Ability: I think Spence is a deceptively good athlete. I suspect he can run, jump, pull etc and possibly play other sports at a high level. He just doesn’t brag about it. He also doesn’t fight in a style where it showcases his athleticism. I can remember talking to people who knew Andre Ward and they talked about how good of an athlete he is but he doesn’t always show it in a boxing ring. I believe Spence is like that. I also know that Crawford is a tremendous athlete and ex wrestler. Today I will say it’s a push because I would have to see them do certain things to know for sure.

Talent: God given ability. I say Crawford has the slight edge. 

So Crawford does check more boxes but all of them are extremely close. And sometimes a fighter’s determination and ability to rise the occasion is something that can’t be measured. I never break fights down like this by the way. I just did it to answer your question. I don’t break fights down like this because a fight is simply won on who is the most effective at doing what they want to do. And who can land the better more effective punches. 

Spence fights in a way where he can give up certain advantages because his approach is so simple. He gets in punching position and he attacks at a hard cadence trying not to let you rest. He’s a southpaw a sledgehammer just breaking up rocks when he’s in attack mode. So it doesn’t matter to him who’s faster etc. He’s trying to get into his groove, so he can start the snowball rolling. 

The one thing I respect and realized about Errol Spence many years ago is he has IT. When the 2012 Olympic class came out, Raushee Warren and Marcus Browne appeared to be more talented. But for some reason Spence was the GUY. He just has a way about him to get the job done. He doesn’t always “look” the best but he is for the most part. In the PBC stable they have about 6 stand out fighters who were born in 1990 who became world champions. Charlo Twins, Julian Williams, Tony Harrison, Jarrett Hurd and Spence. If their careers stopped today, Spence would be rated the highest. 

The PBC has been in control of the welterweight division for many years. Danny Garcia, Shawn Porter, Yordenis Ugas, Robert Guerrero, Andre Berto, Devon Alexander….Errol Spence is the guy. When a fighter is consistently that guy you have to take note. I’m taking note. I don’t have a winner of the fight. I’m not making a pick. But I’m taking note.

I’m not sure where Joshua is mentally but if can get back to his Dillian Whyte days, he would be tough for anyone. 

I have never told a fighter, he has to be willing to die to win. I would rather let him tell me that. But I don’t think it’s a negative way to motivate a fighter. Whatever a trainer feels will work, is fine by me. We aren’t picking fruit or sewing blankets. This is the hurt business that we all signed up for in some capacity or the other.

The old school fight fans over told me boxers never lifted weights because added muscle mass slowed a fighter down. Looking at some of the old school boxers, I could believe that was a train of thought at the time. Some of them did not have that body builder muscle tone back in the day. Today, I believe almost all the boxers are doing heavy lifting. Even the guys weighing in at 130 have massive biceps. So I ask you, what is the proper way to weight train if you’re a boxer? I assume there was some truth to the old school thinking. I know Tyson Fury brings it up a lot. That being said, I also assume that there is serious weight training when super featherweights have muscles on top of muscles.

Thank you so much for your insight, as always.-Chris

Bread’s Response: I believe weight lifting can be beneficial to a boxer but it has to be in moderation. I think whatever plan a trainer can come up with that doesn’t slow a fighter down or screw up their back. I would suppose lighter weights with faster motion and higher reps is productive. But there are some experts who know how to do heavier weights. I’m very careful with weight work. I also like the kettle bell and resistance bands but I keep my workouts simple because I don’t want to get a fighter slower. I’m not willing to sacrifice speed for strength. The main thing I do to build strength is running hills. And the main thing I do for building explosiveness is running sprints. Full blast short sprints effects the whole body in a positive way. Have you ever seen a world class sprinter, take their shirt off. They’re built similar to boxers in fact.

Dear Bread, I'm a faithful reader of your mailbag; I admire people who stand out for their wits and wisdom, and you sir, are most certainly one of them. Moreover, witnessing how the mastery of your craft enables you to perceive certain details and patterns that are not noticeable to the untrained eye, is a testament to the importance of preparation and consistency. I was curious about a subject you brought up a couple of weeks ago regarding weight bullies, specifically as it relates to Miguel Berchelt. The biggest take away was that certain fighters are able to dominate weight classes below their natural weight, but once their bodies force them to move up, their lack of skills beyond imposing their size on smaller men is exposed. Who are some of the most famous weight bullies in boxing history?

I enjoyed watching Shakur Stevenson dominate Valdez last Saturday, what a special talent he is. What do you think of Shakur having a considerable lack of knockouts at 130? They showed a comparison with Floyd's record at Shakur's age, and Floyd was a killer at the lower weight classes. Shakur looked so much bigger than Valdez, I would assume he's having a hard time making the weight. How will his lack of power affect him as he moves up in weight? Finally, in a crazy scenario where a still once-defeated Canelo was to move up to cruiserweight and beat Usyk (assuming Usyk beats Joshua again), how will you rank him in the all time list?

Thank you, Bread. Keep up the amazing work and God bless.

Mo

Bread’s Response: Thank you. 

I don’t know who’s famous for being a weight bully. I actually don’t like the word but I get what you’re saying. I can’t say who is throughout history. Because same day weigh ins prevented that even though guys like Roberto Duran and James Toney walked around heavy. But I can’t call them weight bullies because they moved up and kicked a$$. Recently I would say Antonio Margarito was not the same fighter above 147. Luis Nery also was not the same fighter above 118. Billy Joe Saunders over 160. I’m sure there are more. I just can’t think of any off the top of my head.

As history moves along, we will realize just how great Floyd is. He was a special fighter. Look at him next to guys like Shakur and Tank. He’s bigger, longer, more athletic and fought at the same weight. And those guys are studs, but imagine them being the best welterweight in the world for a decade after starting at 130lbs. Floyd was just extra, extra special. So it’s tough when the comparisons come in. I don’t think it’s fair to the younger fighter who’s being compared. Floyd had more kos than Stevenson because he’s a better puncher and he’s more vicious. Floyd was also a more active fighter. Floyd was 18-0 when he was 21. Stevenson is 18-0 at 24. So Floyd was able to fight intermediate fights and learn to get kos, where as Stevenson is less active and fought championship fights earlier in terms of number of fights. 

Again that’s why I don’t like to compare because Floyd was brought along differently. As for Stevenson’s lack of kos. I don’t think they are an issue. He’s strong, he’s accurate and he punches hard enough. All punches hurt and no one is walking through him. He’s just fine.

Sup Bread,

Are we overrating Tyson Fury based on his performance against one boxer, Deontay Wilder? If we go back ten bouts I see slightly above average performances. He fought five lesser known heavyweights (Otto Wallin, Tom Schwartz, Francesco Pienata, Christian Hammer, Sefer Seferi ) an aging Vladmir Klitschko in his second to last fight, and Dillian Whyte who posed no threat and succumbed to an k.o. uppercut for the third time in his career.

There is no way to ignore his incredible performances against Wilder but he is beatable against everyone else. Is this a case of a very good boxer having another great boxer’s number like Marquez v Pacquiao or Frankie Randall vs Julio Cesar Chavez ? I would welcome your thoughts on this since people are trying to say he is already an ATG. A few trainer questions: When you are the head trainer like you were with Zachary Ochoa v Brandun Lee fight ,do you bring your own crew to handle the cuts and have your own second or does each fighter you train have  a team? ( I also loved the fastball instruction you gave to Ochoa especially since it worked . The right to the body /left hook clean up combo was nice even though the Showtime team only commented on Lee’s punches )In the Shakur Stevenson v Oscar Valdez  fight (Lee v Ochoa as well) one fighter looked clearly larger than the other fighter on fight night. Do they still weigh in the night of the fight or is that a thing of the past ? I remember HBO would always show how much they hydrated and I always found the weight gain fascinating. Does everyone connected to the undercard get tickets to the main event?

Take Care,

Aaron from Cleveland 

Bread’s Response: I think Tyson Fury is a great fighter but I don’t know if we are overrating him. There are a handful of big fights that will let us know where he is historically. Let’s see if they happen. As a head trainer, I recommend my cut man Mike Rodriguez because we started out together and I think he’s the best in the business. Sometimes a fighter has his own guy but most times they take my recommendation. 

As far as a 2nd assistant I wish I did have a steady one who I had great chemistry with and they could work with all of my guys. I would be forever grateful. But I don’t….and I don’t complain. I have a high work capacity and I’m disciplined so work is work to me when I’m in training mode but it is a luxury to have a good 2nd assistant.

Sometimes they have a 2nd assistant they are comfortable with from their hometowns. Kyrone Davis, has a capable 2nd assistant that he’s used for his career. I get along great with him. But that’s just one fighter. With Julian Williams we didn’t hire a 2nd assistant until his 20th pro fight and we didn’t hire a Strength Coach until 2019. With other fighters it has changed throughout the years and for the most part maybe 85% of the time, I do things alone and then a fighter will have his own strength coach and I usually do that also to a degree because I feel like boxing conditioning comes first and the Strength and Conditioning Coach is for extra conditioning but what you do in the gym is your base and it’s most important.. 

I actually don’t mind the work load. Because often times egos play a part and the 2nd assistant starts to get into the fighter’s ear and it creates a rift that will surface after a loss. So I’m very careful at this point who I bring around my fighters. Building a fighter takes time, but screwing things up can be done in an instant. It’s like building credit. And as the head trainer, everything that goes wrong is always your responsibility even if it’s not your fault.

Fastball is not a specific shot, it’s a specific speed. Zach couldn’t go punch for punch with Lee. Lee is too big and dynamic but we were trying to clip him. Lee was the A side. I didn’t hear the broadcast but that doesn’t bother me. Lee deserves the accolades, the network has to promote who they believe has the higher up side. It’s how boxing works. I thought Zach boxed well but Lee won fair and square.

Lee was bigger than Zach because he’s just bigger. Zach was moving down to 135lbs. We had just made 135lbs in the stand by bout for Davis vs Cruz. But when you get a big call you take it. Zach has fought at 140lbs before. The Lee bout was at 143lbs so we were giving up size. But it’s part of the game. We rehydrated well but Lee is just more dense and has bigger bones. 

As far as Stevenson vs Valdez, Valdez moved up from 126 just like Stevenson. So I assume he couldn’t make weight anymore. But he’s shorter and less muscular. So, I don’t know. Maybe it’s just a genetic thing where as Stevenson is bigger but they can make the same weight. What I know about boxing is just because you make the same weight, doesn’t mean you will be the same size. But, there is no times for excuses and both scenarios can work for or against you.

What did you make of Eddy Reynoso’s comment that African American fighters are difficult? I’ve heard you make similar comments but coming from Reynoso who’s not African American has a different sound.

Bread’s Response: I agree with him. It’s well a known thing that not everyone chooses to say. Mexican fighters especially have a difficult time with black fighters. It’s no big deal for me to say it because it’s just a reality. Matchmaking is an art and there are certain styles that you don’t usually match if everything is even. Honestly black fighters don’t get matched with more athletic black fighters either if you want to know the truth. You don’t see fighters in a rush to fight Demetrius Andrade and Jaron Ennis do you?

This has been going on for years. It doesn’t have to be spoken on, you can just see it in the matchmaking. Canelo gets super props because he’s fought tough black fighters when he didn’t have to. He may have struggled at times but he’s fought them. Austin Trout, Floyd Mayweather, Erislandy Lara, Danny Jacobs…..Tells you all you need to know about Canelo and Reynoso and their confidence. And for the record I’m not suggesting that black fighters are superior. It’s just a difficult style for a slower, less twitchy fighter, especially in a 12 round fight where if you lose 7 rounds you lost the fight. 

I will give you a quick example I was just talking about the other day. In their pro debuts. Michael Carbajal fought Will Grigsby and Evander Holyfield fought Lionel Byarm. Watch those fights. I watched them both as they happened. Carbajal needed a knockdown to win in my opinion. And Holyfield won 4-2 on one of the official scorecards. Both were extremely tough fights for pro debuts. Both stand out Olympian fought black fighters from urban cities with some athleticism.  Main Events and Top Rank did a great job with both but those were some risky pro debuts. This part of matchmaking is no myth guys. This is a real thing that no one talks about openly.

Dear Mr. Edwards,

From a trainer's perspective, do you have any comments on Taylor and or Serrano's respective trainers and how they did last Saturday?  I don't think I've seen much written about the trainers of female fighters.  I've been a subscriber to Ross Enamait's excellent books on strength and conditioning.

Bread’s Response: I think both trainers of Taylor and Serrano did a great job at getting their fighters to that point of A SUPER FIGHT. I don’t know how long each trainer as been with either but to get the head job of such an important fight is an accomplishment. I don’t criticize trainers. The job is too hard and just because a fighter doesn’t do something, it doesn’t mean she/he wasn’t trained or asked to do it. It’s a fight at the end of the day and often times the fighters can’t execute or remember everything. 

I thought both ladies fought excellent. They put on a show. But I do want to say something that I observed. I kept hearing cries of robbery because Amanda Serrano hurt Katie Taylor and because she out landed her overall on the punch stats. If you want to give Serrano the fight, that’s fine. But don’t recite overall punch stats. Here is why. 

Serrano had a huge round 5. But that’s only 1 round. Round for round punch stats are more telling than overall punch stats if one of the fighters was hurt. In this case Serrano had a huge round. But other than that Taylor, out landed her in more of the rounds. 

I also keep hearing that Serrano was coming forward. She was, but here is what I saw. I saw Serrano walking forward at the same speed, and Taylor pretty much breaking even with her in terms of punches landed. I saw Taylor landing a great counter right hand over and over. I saw Serrano putting on some hard pressure but it was the same pressure. I’m not debating on who won. Scoring is subjective and both ladies had a case for winning 6 rounds. Actually a draw would have been fine because it was that close. But it was far from a robbery. 

So let me go back to what I saw. I saw Taylor boxing well early and Serrano catching up to her around round 4. I saw Taylor get seriously hurt and Serrano try to ko her but Taylor survived. Then in the very next round, I saw Taylor land some nice counters and I saw Serrano get tired. She tried to hide it but I know what I was looking at. She wasn’t a spent bullet but Taylor’s resistance fatigued her. Then Taylor instinctively kept landing her counters because Serrano was coming in the door the same exact way at the same rhythm. 

I believe Serrano would have knocked Taylor out if she would have feinted Taylor towards the ropes, made Taylor punch first, then opened up. Taylor was fighting on instincts after round 5. Her legs weren’t always there. She showed tremendous heart but she was ready to be kod. But Taylor got away with it because she knew where Serrano was going to be.

I’m not blaming Serrano’s trainer in any way. I have no idea what they worked on and what he asked for. But this is just what I saw. Finishing is a skill and a gift. It’s not just power. It’s punch selection and IQ. Because of Serrano walking towards Taylor at the same speed I saw a hurt, bleeding fighter boxing on even terms with the bigger puncher. 

I don’t judge blood. I don’t score carry over effect. I score round by round on who’s being more effective in terms of Clean Punching, Effective Aggressiveness, Defense and Ring Generalship. This was pretty much an even fight and I have no issue with Taylor getting the decision.

 I believe if they fight again Serrano wins by ko because I believe she will better the next time she sees Taylor’s pedigree. I also believe the adjustment is minor. Last but not least while both ladies gave their all. I think Taylor spent more of herself with the performance than Serrano had to. Your central nervous system can only go through that but so many times. Especially a woman in her mid 30s. If they fight again after seeing them both and studying them, I’m fairly confident Serrano would win by late ko but Saturday was ruled Taylor’s night. She earned everything she got with the fight and survival of her life. Props to both. I’m a fan of both now after that performance.

What up Bread, Now that it looks like we are getting Spence vs Crawford wanted to write in about it. As much as people talk about their physical gifts and advantages over the other I think this fight will come down to their mental intangibles. IQ vs EQ. Some observations you've highlighted really stand out to me and I want to touch on them and add-on. Starting with Crawford you mentioned during the Porter fight that he had more tools in his toolbox and it got me to thinking why...? Years back you mentioned how using your non-dominant hand forces your brain to make new connections... When Bud was young I read that he almost lost his right hand/arm due to an infection and instead of taking time off he just trained with his left hand only and that's why he's so good in the Southpaw stance.... Bud, Loma, Ward, Stevenson... all fight inverted from their dominant hand.

As High as his Ring IQ is I think he has a low Ring EQ and that would concern In the Porter fight Shawn stood him up and knocked him to the ropes several times. What I noticed was almost every time he got rocked it was a 2nd or 3rd same punch that did the damage never the first and if you watch closely you'll see it's almost like he gets mad he got hit the first time and want's his get back right then and he stands there to fire back and ends up getting rocked again. In the corner Bomac told him "don't get into a firefight with this mfer" and he ignored it and in the Mean Machine fight Bomac asked him to stay Orthodox and stubbornly he fought Southpaw. Winning covers those things up but I'm wondering how it plays out against another elite. Now juxtapose that with how you say Spence fights at the same pace he trains. No matter what's going on he has a very high EQ and no matter what the opponent does he stays on mission. Porter pushed him all night long and he stuck to the game plan and fundamentals and pulled it out in the clutch. I don't know which will come out on top but I'm looking forward to seeing how it plays out. I really get the feeling this might need 3 fights to work itself out.

Peace, DB

Bread’s Response: This may be the best question I have ever received. Wow! First let me explain to the audience the difference between IQ and EQ. IQ is Intelligence Quotient or cognitive intelligence. IQ is knowledge of the world, fluid reasoning, working memory. EQ is Emotional Intelligence. The ability to control one’s own emotions. The ability to read emotions. Perceiving how other’s feel. Relating to others.

Often times we conflate IQ for EQ. I don’t even want to comment too much because you’re break down was brilliant. What I will say is I don’t know if Crawford has low EQ.  Often times the end results determine the criticism. But again you hit some great points. Your points were so revealing.... I always knew the difference but I never took the time to explain it how you did. I will actually do a better job of explaining it to my fighters because often times their EQs are in question and not their IQs. I have one fighter in particular that if his EQ was higher I think he would have HOF consideration. I’m going to do my best to work on in and get better myself with articulating it and hopefully it makes them better. Thank you! 

Breadman, Carver S, from Canada. I'm a longtime reader of the mailbag, thanks for doing what you do. My question relates to training. I'll provide a little context. Using a baseball analogy: It is often said that the pitcher tries to make his "release" look the same when delivering every pitch. In this way the batter is made to see fastball 90 times a game when in reality an off-speed or breaking ball is being delivered.

Over many years of training combat sports & sparring I've noticed that this can be applied in certain ways. For example from a southpaw stance I'm able to easily disguise my cross. Opponents can't judge whether it's coming to the head/body or an off-speed setup shot.

Or throwing hooks from the hip Roy Jones style. Sparring partners clearly don't see those shots coming until the last moment and they can't tell if it's upstairs or downstairs based on the release. They tell me the same. So my question is: Do you use this principle in training your fighters? If so, how do you go about teaching it. And what are some good examples of this you would like to highlight from fighters past or present?

Thanks as always.

Bread’s Response: 100% I teach it. I actually teach it everyday. It’s hard to say how I teach it, it’s something I would have to visually show you. 

The best examples I’ve seen was against the same opponent one of my favorite fighters. Diego Corrales. When Floyd Mayweather fought Diego Corrales, Mayweather kept stabbing him with a jab to the belly. Round after round. In what I believe was the 7th or 8th, instead of a jab to the belly, Mayweather threw a lead hook to the head but it looked like a jab to the body until the hook turned at the end. Corrales went down and the fight was pretty much over. 

4 years later Corrales fought Jose Luis Castillo. Castillo kept throwing the same stab to the belly to Corrales that he saw Mayweather throw. In the 10th round instead of a stab to the body, he threw a hook to the head and dropped Corrales. He didn’t stop him because of the legendary comeback but the move worked. In their rematch he threw the same shot and kod Corrales. In Diego’s mind the body jab was coming. His mind framed the same shot, over and over. But both Mayweather and Castillo saw that Corrales was bracing for the body jab and they both brought a hook over the top and scored big kos. This is the best example I have because two different fighters did it to the same great fighter. 

Many years later Marcos Maidana hit Adrien Broner with the same exact shot in the 2nd round of their fight and scored a knockdown.

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