Question: God bless Breadman. Finally we have a title fight signed and delivered for Boots. Let's give credit to Xander for not being afraid and taking this fight. Vergil Ortiz must be feeling really low after hearing this arrangement. That's what happens when you listen to your manager instead of your promoter who treated you very well over the years. I see Boots winning this fight by unanimous decision. Also, I believe Boots and Xander will fight a second time at middleweight in the future. I say this because Xander always mentioned he wasn't staying at Jr. middle for too long due to his body out growing the weight. I believe that's why he took this fight. Win or lose he's moving up in weight after this fight. What are your thoughts?
Bread’s response: I think Zayas versus Ennis is great for boxing. Maybe more fighters will follow suit. Maybe more top guys will risk their 0 while still in their twenties. Young fighters follow the blueprint of the fighters before them. So if the young fighters see what Xander and Boots are doing then they may follow suit.
I also love that they are fighting in New York. Often you will see that fights are misplaced. But a fight between a Puerto Rican who has fought in New York several times and a Philadelphia fighter should be in New York. So they got that right too.
I also want to give Eddie Hearn and Matchroom their props. They haven’t been able to secure Boots this type of fight in the past and things weren’t looking good after the Vergil Ortiz negotiations fell apart. But they pulled it together and got it done. Also props to Top Rank for allowing Xander to take this tough fight. They usually don’t make this kind of fight but they did for this one and I respect it.
Last but not least props to Xander and Boots. They’re behaving like real fighters. I am very happy about this. This is the boxing I grew up on.
Question: Peace and blessings to you. My name is Anthony from the Bronx. I grew up going to Fort Apache gym where the great Wilfredo Benitez used to train and work out. I’m a big Boots fan and I believe you are as well. Two things. Do you think Boots will get credit for fighting and beating Zander Zayas if the fight is made? And what do you think about Yoenlis Hernandez whom you and Kyrone Davis fought against saying that when he sparred Canelo and Boots he felt Jaron Ennis’ power with 16-ounce gloves on but not Canelo? He said Boots can crack.
Bread’s response: Boots has to get credit if he beats Xander. Xander is good enough to be a unified champion in a division that Boots just moved to. So if Boots beats him he deserves credit and vice versa. This is an excellent fight.
Hernandez is a talented fighter. You have to respect his opinion. Kyrone Davis also sparred both Boots and Canelo and Kyrone says that Boots’s power is elite. Boots can really punch. He’s heavy handed, sharp handed and hard handed. There are different types of power and Boots has multiple types of power. He’s one of the best punchers in the world.
Question: Hi, Breadman! I love your column. Composure & Panic. I agree with your previous composure opinion regarding AJ. Wladimir Klitschko had a similar problem, back in the day, resulting in losses that he shouldn’t have suffered. He had the physical gifts, but seemed to let the mental ones wear him out as we watched. Emanuel Steward was largely credited for overcoming that issue. His gift was taking tall, chinny boxers & turning them into feared wrecking-balls. As we know, fighters are all across the spectrum… Some need to be yelled at, some just need a smack to the face to light the fire. Many coaches are former boxers. Many former boxers were (are) terrible coaches. What trainers do you look up to (if any) and why? Also, are there any fighters from the past that you see suffering from the lack of composure/panic that could have done better? How would you attempt to fix it, assuming you saw something great in them? God Bless. Ben.
Bread’s response: There are several trainers I admire. Emanuel Steward is one of them. Eddie Futch, Georgie Benton, Nazim Richardson, Virgil Hunter and Angelo Dundee.
More fighters than anyone will acknowledge suffer from anxiety attacks which causes panic. Of course I have tried to fix them. We do breathing exercises. We talk about it. We suggest medical and psychological help. Sometimes they get through it. Most times they get through it. But sometimes they don’t.
Question: I would love to hear your opinion on Richard Torrez. What do you make of him currently and his development as a pro? Do see him as a future world champ. What chance would you give him against Itauma? What’s your prediction for Ennis vs Zayas. What round and result? I think it’s possible Zayas can outbox Ennis in spurts and win some rounds but doubt he can end the fight or win a decision. Biggest difference for me is Ennis can KO Zayas. My prediction is Ennis to finish him in Rd 6-9. I think this will be a chess match until the end and I’m thrilled to see this matchup. Best regards, DM.
Bread’s response: I like Richard Torrez. I think he’s on a good schedule and pace. Top Rank is bringing him along just right. I think he can be a player. I see him as a future world title challenger. I can’t say world champion yet because that depends on who he has to fight. Right now, Itauma is too advanced for Torres but things change. Let’s see what happens.
I predict a very intense tactical fight between Ennis and Zayas. I think Zayas will box on his toes and move in and out and laterally. Zayas is a winner and winners consistently try to find different things in a fight they can take advantage of. I think this fight comes down to how comfortable Zayas gets offensively. If he settles down and tries to put hurt on Boots, I believe he gets stopped. If he moves constantly, I believe he can go the distance.
I think the difference in this fight is Boots’ talent. Boots’ talent is so off the charts, I think he will be able to hit Zayas with shots he’s never been hit with before. Zayas is an excellent all-around fighter, but he’s not super hard to hit. I think because of Boots’s offensive fire power, Zayas will have to move more than he likes which could cause fatigue in the second half of the fight. At some point Zayas will have to make up his mind how much he wants to win. He will have a choice. He can either decide to keep moving and go the distance and get a moral victory like Hector Camacho. Or go out on his shield like Felix Trinidad. I don’t know Zayas well enough to say what he will choose but those are his choices. Hopefully he chooses Tito Trinidad and he goes for it and we see a great fight. Either way I predict a victory for Ennis. But I can’t predict how because I don’t know enough about Zayas’s mentality.
Question: Is Mr. Gary Russell a what-if story?
Bread’s response: Gary Russell Jr. won a world title and he held it for several years. He was a part of the 2008 Olympic class. He’s still around. I don’t think he's a what-if story. He had a very good career and he did what he did. I’m a little confused by your question because most what-if stories happen because of an abrupt end to a career. Russell has been a pro for 18 years. I do think he should’ve been able to fight Leo Santa Cruz. That would’ve changed his career because I think he would’ve won that fight. But it didn’t happen and that’s that.
Question: Dear Breadman, always glad to see your column, and it was fun seeing you get so much attention in Canada even though your fighter lost. The commentators' respect was gratifying. I have a somewhat off-the-wall question. Do you have any idea why American announcers have become so popular in the UK? They do seem to have plenty of their own but now I'm seeing yet another American announcer, Ray Torres, showing up. Best, Leslie Gerber, Woodstock NY.
Bread’s response: I didn’t see the DAZN broadcast of Shawn McCalman’s fight. Send it to me if you get a chance. I didn’t see Ray Torres in the UK. I don’t know. Maybe it’s because of the catchy phrases the Americans use. Let me look a little closer and answer you again….
Question: Good day. Towards the end of last year a couple of boxing outlets (ESPN and some others) posted their lists of the best 25 fighters of the century and if I remember correctly they all seemed to place Inoue above Chocolatito. As someone who never really followed the smaller divisions (and I’m sure I’m not the only boxing fan guilty of this), is this placement of Inoue relative to Chocolatito a case of recency bias? Placing to the side number of belts (which can at times be misleading as a big ‘money fighter’ will always attract more title opportunities), my question is which of these two actually fought and beat the better-quality opposition? Respect and best wishes to you and yours.
Bread’s response: I don’t have an issue with anyone who places Inoue over Chocolatito. Inoue never lost and Choc lost four times. I think Choc caught a bad break because I thought he beat SSR in their first fight. If he wins that one, there is no rematch that he loses. I thought he beat Estrada in their rematch super clean. If he wins that one, there is no trilogy fight. Choc’s four losses are to Estrada and SSR. But all in all, I think it’s fair to put Inoue in front of him at this point. Inoue was a little more dominant and again he hasn’t lost. Inoue has over twenty world title fights through several divisions. I think their competition levels are similar. Maybe Choc fought slightly harder but Inoue doesn’t have any blatant ducks. So let’s say Choc fought slightly harder but Inoue’s sustained excellence puts him slightly over Choc.
Question: What's good Bread. Tough to see Keith bite the dust like that. Shame he never fought his peers like Spence, Crawford or a Charlo, but I think based off his history (injuries, activity) the Fundora fight was a take it or leave it deal. Boots-Xander got my blood flowing again as the list of April & May fights are ok, but nothing needle-moving save for Inoue-Nakatani. I also would've preferred David fight Beterbiev over Ramirez. I favor Boots, but a lot of people sleeping on Zayas, I'm not sure why. He's young, hungry & in his prime. It harkens back to you saying take fights when you’re young (SRL-Hearns etc.) & got that fight in you. He could develop more, but no time like the present. I plan on attending. Vergil is on the outside looking in. He got some real bad counsel & is now on the shelf with lost momentum & leverage. Hope he gets back in the mix. I'm pulling for Boots to win, then fight Kelly & then unify with Fundora for all the marbles. He will have to go thru hell & back though. I will say if Lubin can give Fundora problems.... anyways be safe OG.
Bread’s response: I expected Fundora to stop Thurman. But I wish we could’ve seen if Thurman could’ve adjusted a little more down the stretch. It wasn’t a horrible stoppage but I think Thurman earned the right to fight a little longer. Thurman is the shorter boxer. When a shorter boxer is facing that type of height and reach disadvantage, he needs time to get his work down. Thurman wasn’t dropped. He wasn’t helpless. He was getting beat up and most likely he would’ve been stopped but that’s not how stoppages should work. Assuming a fighter will get stopped anyway and stopping a fight is not the same as stopping the fight when the fighter can no longer defend himself. I thought Thurman was losing but still trying to defend himself. I think he earned the right to a more definitive stoppage loss on his record.
I’m not sleeping on Xander. He has pedigree. He has lots of good wins in the amateurs. He’s well rounded. Sometimes well-rounded fighters need supreme fighters in front of them to show us what they have because their talent is in them winning not so much the eye ball test. I’m picking Boots but I’m not sleeping on Xander.
Vergil Ortiz is in a tough spot. It’s a shame he still hasn’t had a world title shot. Hopefully things work out for him. I’m a big fan.
I think Boots can unify. But he has to fight one fight at a time. Whoever comes out of this current junior middleweight division as the last man standing will most likely be a HOF.
Question: Hi Bread. I liked your list of the top 15 welterweights. I was a little surprised not to see Charley Burley. Of course I know it was 'off the top of your head' and short notice. Or you may have considered Burley more of a middleweight. Archie Moore, who lost to Burley in the 40s, called him the best fighter he ever faced. The comment on Rubin Carter was interesting, that he won some fights he should have lost and lost some he should have won. I've always believed he 'psyched' Emile Griffith. I'd read that he bad-mouthed Griffith before the fight, the way Paret did, the goal supposedly to get Griffith angry and careless. It seemed Griffith should have been able to outbox Carter instead of getting KOd early. Griffith won 3 out of 4 close fights with Luis Rodriguez who beat Carter twice. Griffith outpointed Dick Tiger who clearly beat Carter. Of course 'a' beats 'b' and 'b' beats 'c'. Yet 'c' may very well beat 'a'. Styles make fights. Thanks for the great Saturday reads. Terry Warren, PA.
Bread’s response: I considered Burley more of a middleweight than a welterweight. He didn’t fight at welterweight very long. I also considered Pernell Whitaker for my welterweight list. Whitaker has the victories over HOF Budd McGirt, the draw vs Julio Cesar Chavez which should’ve been the best win of the decade, and the performance vs a prime Oscar when he was 34. The more I think about it, the more I know I slighted Whitaker. Whitaker was champion from 1993-1997 and he defended his title 9 times. I'm sorry I overlooked you Pernell. RIP.
Rubin Carter was a tough, tough fighter. And his KO of Emille Griffith is the best win of his career. But he was a little hot and cold. He also has a win over the great Georgie Benton. But again, he lost to several fighters we never heard of in between his big wins.
Question: Last week I saw someone mention Paul Williams and it got me thinking. Do you think that the Williams who beat Margarito could have beaten Floyd Mayweather? There is a small window when they were champions at the same time. Mayweather had just beaten De La hoya and a couple of months later Williams had beaten Margarito. I think Williams had the Height, Reach, Jab, Chin Stamina, and his ability to throw a lot of punches at welterweight, plus him being a southpaw would have given Floyd all kinds of problems. Also, at that time Williams was young, undefeated and in his prime, and you know as great as Floyd was, he never fought at welterweight many fighters who were in their prime. Mosely, Judah, Cotto, Manny, Berto, were all past their prime. Hatton and Marquez were smaller fighters moving up and Canelo was not yet in his prime and they fought at a catchweight. I am not saying that Floyd could not have beaten them in their prime, he probably would have, but I would have loved to see him fight a prime Margarito. I think Floyd wins that fight, but a prime Paul Williams I am not too sure. I want to know what you think. Thank you, and keep up the great work. I look forward to your column every Saturday. Ernie.
Bread’s response: On paper and from what we know now, it’s easy to assume Floyd would have beaten Paul Williams. But that’s not how boxing works. You have to win fights in the ring and not on paper. I think it would’ve been a heck of a fight and I would’ve loved to see it. Volume can trouble pure boxers in the rock, paper and scissors of boxing. Paul Williams had volume, conditioning, a chin, size and a southpaw stance. It would’ve been competitive and I believe Williams had a chance but I’m not picking him to win. Shame it didn’t happen.
Question: Hey Mr Edwards, hope you and yours are well. These are crazy times in our beloved sport. I cannot believe that Keith Thurman actually sat there and, instead of thanking the referee, he actually believes he was always in with a chance in what had increasingly become a public execution. But Sebastian Fundora should also rein his horses in sharply. What's this nonsense him saying Thurman is a Hall of Famer but all roads lead to him at 154 pounds? Brian Mendoza must have done more damage than we can imagine because beating a washed-up Thurman who was no great shakes even in his prime does not do anything for Fundora's career. Then look at the shape Jermain Franklin turned up in for Moses Itauma. The US is in real bad shape as far as the heavyweight division goes and, at this point, it is difficult to really rate Itauma. I'm glad he has rejected comparisons with Iron Mike Tyson because there is no way Franklin turns up in that kind of shape and goes five rounds with a 21-year-old Tyson. Itauma does well to look up to his fellow overrated Brits, Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua. Finally, Mr Edwards, are my eyes deceiving me or is David Benavidez actually failing to carry his power to the heavier divisions? Aside from a shopworn Anthony Yarde, who does not even have an amateur pedigree, has Benavidez actually hurt anyone above 168 pounds? I don't have a mystical match-up for you but I want you to call two fights; prospect against prospect and prospect against veteran. How do you see Itauma v Richard Torrez? I think Itauma is too sharp, hits harder and is more elusive, so I see him sensationally pulverizing Torrez. I'm not so sure Itauma has it all that easy against an Andy Ruiz who comes in good shape. The thing about Itauma is he has great hand speed but Ruiz has quick hands too and he's a tough cookie. I cannot call that one. Keep punching, Mr Edwards. Katlholo, Johannesburg, South Africa
Bread’s response: I don’t think Keith Thurman is a HOF. But I get Fundora propping Thurman up. By propping Thurman up he's propping himself up.
I was disappointed for Jermaine Franklin. Getting in shape must be really tough for him. Because he knew he was being fed to the wolves. He had time to train and he still didn’t show up in shape. That’s disheartening. But Itauma did his job.
I don’t like the comparison between Itauma and Tyson either. They fight nothing alike. And Itauma is not as far along as Tyson was in 1986. Tyson unified each title one by one within a year. Itauma is still looking for opponents like Jess Ferguson and Jose Ribalta. Tyson was ready to become world champion by 20. Itauma may not fight for a title until he’s 23……However, I love Itauma’s potential. I think he’s a future P4P superstar. I think he could hang with Usyk right now, but in this era that type of fight doesn't happen.
I like Richard Torres but I think Itauma is too far along in advancement for him at the moment. Andy Ruiz would be a good test. But I think the three best heavyweights this current moment is Usyk, Kabayel and Itauma…. Itauma is so offensively dynamic he may blow out fighters we think will test him...
Question: Sup Breadman! Didn't realize how long it's been since I've written in but keep up the great work as always! 1. Why do you believe that context is more often than not lost in general sports discourse among fans and certain analysts? It's refreshing to see how you always tend to add historical context to how you see things. Context is typically lost when distractors talk about the greats whether it's Mike Tyson or Michael Jordan. 2. Do you miss the cinematic feel of the HBO/Showtime build up/presentation style of boxing? The old 24/7 HBO build up made the main events really feel like main events! As always keep up the great work! Mike B, Jacksonville FL.
Bread’s response: I think context is the most important part of any discussion. I don’t believe context gets lost these days. I think it’s purposely left out to push a narrative. For example, when you hear the media say Lebron James is the greatest scorer ever because he’s the all-time leading scorer in NBA history and they leave out the part that Michale Jordan has 10 scoring titles while Lebron has 1. And Michael Jordan’s career scoring average is significantly higher than Lebron James’s. And it took Lebron significantly more games to break different milestones to pass MJ. Then you know what narrative they’re trying to push. Lebron James is the greatest scorer ever. Because if they stated it in proper context, then the fans wouldn't believe it.
Of course I miss the cinematic feel of HBO and Showtime. I came up on it. When I watch fights on YouTube the music gives me nostalgia.
Question: Hey Breadman. Fundora absolutely destroyed Thurman easily and holds the distinction of being the first and only boxer to stop the former champ. What really impresses me about Fundora is how well he uses his range now. It seems like his KO loss to Mendoza was the best thing that’s happened to him. Can you think of any other examples of a boxer who improved dramatically after a hard KO loss? Sometimes it can destroy a boxer’s career, but it seems Fundora actually got better. And where would you rank Fundora P4P? I’m excited for Chisora vs Wilder. On paper, it seems pretty even, but I think Chisora's grit and toughness beats whatever Wilder has left. Do you have a pick for this one? I heard an interview with referee Tony Weeks talking about the Corrales vs Castillo bout. That was one of my favorite bouts of all time. In the interview, talking about when he stopped the fight, Castillo was upset and felt like Tony Weeks didn’t give him a fair chance to recover. Tony said years later, at a boxing event or convention of some sort, Tony was approached by a kid who said, “Mr Weeks, my dad wants to talk to you.” And Tony Weeks asked who the kids dad was. It was Jose Luis Castillo. Jose went up to Tony and told him thank you for saving his life on that night vs Corrales. Do you think that years later Thurman might have the same thoughts towards Tom Taylor? I hope he does. Thanks.
Bread’s response: In other eras an early KO loss literally meant nothing. ATG like Henry Armstrong, Joe Louis, Alexis Arguello, Ezzard Charles and Archie Moore were all KO’d before they won world titles and they went on to be ATG. In more recent eras Terry Norris, Lennox Lewis and Tommy Hearns were KO’d and came back better after they were already established. Fundora is in good company. But in fairness I would be curious to see if he could beat Bryant Mendoza, who is the only person who has beaten him.
Fundora is not in my top ten P4P at this moment. But he’s approaching. I would say he’s most likely top twenty in the world right now.
Wilder vs Chisora is a very tough fight for me to pick. Chisora is tougher than a bag of leather jackets. He seems like he should be shot at this point but he’s not completely there. I feel like he gave Usyk his toughest fight at heavyweight. I have no idea what’s going on with Wilder. I’ve never seen a fighter in Wilder’s current state compared to what he was. He seems to have completely lost his way. I would normally pick Wilder in a fight like this but his recent level of performances has left me lost. I’m going to guess this fight ends in a draw. Wilder is a wild card for me.
I didn’t think Tony Weeks’s stoppage call in Corrales vs Castillo was a bad call. It was sudden and abrupt but I thought it was the right call. Castillo was helpless up against the ropes and Corrales was seething. Thurman was nowhere near that state of incapacity. I don’t think the stoppage was terrible but I think Thurman has earned the right to fight in the second half of the fight.
Let me explain. Thurman has NEVER been stopped. Fundora has a KO loss where he was winning every round and got clipped late once the reflexes and alertness fades slightly. Fundora has also been dropped and hurt in other fights. Thurman is 5’8 and Fundora is 6’6. Thurman’s best chance to win is weather the early storm and land something big late. In the second half of the fight is when Thurman’s chances increase. Stopping the fight based on what we think WILL happen is not the same as stopping the fight because of what is happening. I believe Thurman was going to get stopped. But that doesn’t mean the fight should have been stopped in that exact moment. I think Thurman will die on the hill that he deserved more time. And I can’t blame him.
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