Should Deontay Wilder ever fight in the United Kingdom ever again? I say no. I thought he comfortably defeated Derek Chisora. I thought the referee did everything possible to make it close. I thought there was a judge who was determined to give Chisora the fight regardless of what happened. If I was Wilder, I wouldn’t go back.
Bread’s response: It’s a tough question because money talks. But I certainly wouldn’t allow the same referee that worked Wilder’s fight against Chisora. The referee allowed Chisora’s team to push him back in the ring, which is illegal. He also called a knockdown against Wilder that should’ve been a slip. It was not a good performance by the referee so that would be my request if I was Wilder. But money talks and Wilder may not be in the position to turn down money fights in the UK… but he can certainly request better officials.
Hello Stephen,
People always say Meldrick Taylor was done after the Chavez fight but I saw that he completely outclassed a huge fighter in Aaron Davis and take his title after that. When he boxed like that it was a thing of beauty to watch. I think he probably had the fastest hands I’ve ever seen in boxing. How do you think he would have done in fights against Sugar Shane, Floyd Mayweather and Pernell Whitaker?
Bread’s response: Meldrick Taylor is very close to being an all-time great fighter without being one. I think he could give all three serious trouble. I wouldn’t pick him to beat Mayweather or Whitaker. But I think Taylor and Mosley is 50/50 and it comes down to who’s having their night. I may favor Taylor below 147 and Mosley over 147.
Hi there, Breadman,
Just read your mailbag as usual. I’d just like to add Justis Huni and Teremoana Teremoana to the list of serious threats in the heavyweight division. I’m sure you would know of Huni with his unfortunate late stoppage loss to Wardley after winning every round up to Wardley’s shot. If Huni has learnt anything from the Wardley loss he may just win a strap with his boxing IQ and Skills. As you mentioned, future heavyweight champions have been KO’d before grabbing a title before. We’ll find out next weekend when he challenges Clarke on the Fury card. Fans are going crazy over Itauma and why not? He’s a breath of fresh air right now. But I’m more high on Teremoana Teremoana. I am not sure if you have witnessed him yet. If you have seen Teremoana what are your thoughts and opinions?
God bless,
Steven
Bread’s response: I haven’t seen much of Teremoana or Huni but I will definitely be on the look out for both. If they’re as good as Itauma we will have an exciting near future in the heavyweight division.
Hey Bread,
Big thanks. as always. I’ve just been into boxing the last couple years. Now that I’m getting more familiar with modern-day styles and fighters I’ve been spending time reviewing older fighters. I just spent time watching tape on Marvelous Marvin Hagler. I’m honestly shocked. His boxing was beautiful. The movement; power; the leaping punches; his physique; his rhythm and bounce. I feel like you’ve written about his accolades before. But in terms of his skill and style as a boxer what sticks out to you that made him elite?
Alex Sanchez, LPC
Bread’s response: I believe that Hagler often gets put in the wrong category as a fighter. Because of the Hearns performance he’s looked at as a relentless attacker. And while I believe that’s one of the greatest strategies ever implemented for a big fight, that wasn’t the usual Hagler. Hagler is more of an all-round hybrid fighter/boxer/technician. He boxes his way to knockouts. He’s defensibly responsible. He’s always in position to take a punch. He’s impromptu with his approach while remaining fundamentally sound. Meaning he has no issue leaping in with a gazelle shot. Then going back to his fundamentals. Hagler has a case for the best chin ever. Best rematch fighter ever. And one of the best finishers ever. We always watch Hagler’s fights against Leonard, Hearns, Duran and Mugabi. But look deeper. Watch him against Cyclone Hart, Bennie Briscoe, Willie Monroe, Boogaloo Watts, Alan Minter, Mustafa Hamso, Tony Sibson, Caveman Lee and Fulgencio Obelmejias. Those fights will show you Hagler’s layers. You will see how elite he boxed. How he has arguably the best southpaw jab ever. How nimble he was on his feet. He wasn’t fancy but he was very effective. Hagler was a great fighter and he could do almost anything in the ring he wanted. I actually think his all-round ability cost him on his biggest night against Ray Leonard. Sometimes it can be flaw to be so well-rounded because the fighter gets decision anxiety as far as choosing what style to apply. Hagler decided to try to outbox Leonard instead of outfighting him and it cost him. Nevertheless Hagler was special.
We have big spring coming up. What fights are you looking forward to the most? And what are your predictions?
Bread’s response: Off the top of my head, Inoue vs Nakatani is approaching and I like Inoue by decision but I believe he gets pushed.
Ramirez vs Benavidez – I like Benavidez. I won’t say by KO but I like him.
Resendiz vs Munguia – I can’t call this fight because Munguia has tested positive for drugs before and I don’t know how long testing has been done for this fight. But it should be a war.
Foster vs Ford – This is a tough fight for me to call. At one time I would strongly favor Ford. But at the moment Foster is hot and Ford is the challenger. Get back to me on this one but this fight has “draw” written all over it.
Big ups, Bread,
If Shakur were to never fight again, would he be HOF worthy? I hope he does indeed fight again as I believe he can go on a generational run but I think what he’s accomplished so far gets underappreciated because his fights aren't the most exciting. My brother and I watched some of James Toney’s highlights. What a phenom! My brother said his style reminded him of Terrence "Bud" Crawford. Both throwback fighters who are poised, in the pocket, and like to go for the kill but could box from a distance if need be. Do you see any resemblances between the two? Mythical match-ups – who do you got and how? Toney vs Hopkins. Toney vs Ward. Toney vs Calzaghe. Toney vs Hagler. Toney vs RJ in a rematch at 175. Toney vs Hearns at 168. Toney vs David Benavidez at 168
Bread’s response: Yes I do believe Shakur Stevenson is a HOF. Shakur is a four-division champion and he’s remained undefeated up until this point. No fighter in history who has went undefeated through four weight class titles has not been a HOF. The only possible exception is Adrien Broner but let’s see what happens when he becomes eligible.
I don’t really think Crawford and Toney fight alike. Both are mean. Both are great finishers. Both are master counter-punchers. They just fight totally different.
Toney vs Hopkins, drawish type of fight. The earlier Hopkins would not have beaten Toney. But the one who beat Tito is special. That B-Hop and Toney would be a pick ‘em.
Toney vs Ward is another tough fight for me to call. I really can’t call it. Some days I think about the Montell Griffin fight and I give Ward the edge. Then I see Toney vs Nunn or Barkley and I take it back. Another pick ‘em fight.
Toney vs Calzaghe, some think Calzaghe is all wrong for Toney. But I saw James Toney vs Michael Nunn. Watch that fight very closely. Nunn was not dominating Toney. Toney was losing on points but he was laying the foundation for a late KO. I go back and forth on this but today I say Toney wins a close fight.
Toney vs Hagler is a tough one. Two of the best chins ever. I think Hagler’s jab and work-rate may be the slight difference.
Toney vs RJ rematch – RJ all day.
Toney vs Hearns. Another razor close fight. Hearns’ jab would drive Toney crazy. But Hearns is always violent and he’s going to launch his right hand. The right hand is the one punch you shouldn’t try to hit Toney with because of how he rolls back on a right hand, with his own right hand. Toney is also more natural at 168lbs. Flip a coin…
Toney vs Benavidez – it’s hard to be a volume fighter on Toney because of his fearless counter-punching ability. I suspect this fight looks like Toney vs Jirov. But in fairness to Benavidez his career is not over yet. Let’s see how Benavidez’s career plays out to get a better gauge.
Sup Breadman,
You often get asked about developing young fighters, but I’m curious about the other side of it. Have you ever trained a fighter who was clearly past his physical prime? How does your approach in camp change when working with a fighter in his 30s, compared to someone in their mid-20s? What adjustments do you make in terms of conditioning, recovery, and overall workload? When you’ve worked with fighters over a long period of time, what are the signs of physical decline that stand out the most? Also, from a trainer’s perspective, how do you handle the situation when you feel a fighter may no longer have it physically? Have you ever had to train someone you believed shouldn’t be fighting anymore – and how do you make that call?
Respect.
Bread’s response: I came into this game 16 years ago and my fighters were young and aspiring kids trying to turn pro. Now 16 years later some of the fighters I get are not young aspiring kids anymore. So yes, I have trained fighters who were past their best.
I understand that it takes longer to get into shape when you’re older. So I’m patient with camp. I also know that older fighters need more recovery and recovery time. So I train accordingly.
I have never trained anyone that shouldn’t be fighting anymore. That’s different than someone who is past their best.
The sign that I observed the most when it comes to a fighter who is slipping is his ability to pull the trigger on openings. When a fighter is consistently not taking clear openings, you know he’s slipping. But you have to be patient with your judgment. Every bad day is not slippage. Every time the fighter has a birthday it doesn’t mean he’s slipping. But overall, if he’s consistently not pulling the trigger, it’s usually a sign of him not being able to pull the trigger.
Hi Breadman,
Over the past couple of years, I’ve been working on a project trying to quantify aspects of boxing – specifically how styles, opponent quality, and fighter evolution interact in match-ups. It’s turned into a working system that produces structured fight predictions and breakdowns. I’m not reaching out to promote it – I’d genuinely value your perspective as someone who understands the sport at a deeper level than most. I’d be curious what you think a system like this could get right – or completely wrong – about boxing, especially when it comes to styles, temperaments, and how fights actually unfold. I appreciate everything you’ve shared over the years – your insights were a big part of what pushed me to explore this in the first place.
Best,
Robert
Bread’s response: I’m not an analytics guy but I respect analytics. I can’t say what my opinion is yet because I would have to see if your program matched my common logic. For example, if you come up with a program that says Rocky Marciano would beat Muhammad Ali I probably would think the program is flawed… However, I do think context gets overlooked. So if you could come up with something that quantifies styles, evolution, etc, I would be very interested in it.
Did you know that Xander Zayas was that tall? He seems at least 6ft 1ins to Boots’ 5ft 10ins. Xander also seems huge compared to Boots. Now that you have seen them two together have your feelings changed about the fight?
Bread’s response: You know, I was surprised at Xander’s height. But I didn’t see what type of shoes Xander had on. You guys know I’m a context guy. The young guys wear shoes with thick soles these days. So until I determine the type of shoes Xander had on I can’t say what’s going on with their heights. Xander does seem bigger than Boots but they may not look like that in two months.
I don’t think the size bothers Boots. I think Boots likes fighting bigger fighters. My feelings about the fight are pretty much the same. I feel Boots wins. At one point I felt that Xander may be able to go the distance. But after watching their videos side by side. Boots is considerably more talented. He’s faster, he hits harder, he has better reaction time; I believe he’s stronger and he has much better defensive reflexes.
The critics talk about how much Boots gets hit but Xander gets hit easier and cleaner than Boots and he doesn’t have Boots’ firepower to offset getting hit with good shots. I suspect that Xander won’t be able to sustain his stamina in the second half of the fight. Xander is not going to be able to stand his ground without taking huge shots. So his other alternative is to stay on his bike all night. But by doing that, it’s depleting his stamina. I now think Boots stops him at some point regardless of what style Xander decides to fight.
Send concise questions and comments to dabreadman25@hotmail.com
