BOXINGTALK'S SATURDAY MAILBAG
By Stephen Edwards

First...Congratulations on you marriage! I am lovin' your replies to all the "What If" match-ups on the Daily Bread...I have one that is a little different for you my man...How about Julian Jackson vs Tommy Hearns at 154? I think most would go with Hearns, but I dunno man, he could be hurt, and the "Hawk" was a Top Ten all time Puncher in my Book...Anyway this one goes 6? What would Vegas make the Over/Under? Let the bombs fall where they may!  Bread lets make a little late 80's-early 90's PPV while we're at it...On the under card, Ray Mercer vs Razor Ruddock...and, Michael Nunn vs Gerald McClellan (at 160). I'd fork out the 29.99 in those day to see this card, haha...Mike
Bread’s Response: Thanks my man. Hearns vs. Jackson would be a guaranteed knockout and it’s a fight that probably should’ve happened. Tommy was the better fighter but Jackson, in my opinion was the harder puncher. Jackson probably has more 1 punch , count to 10 type of kos than anybody I have ever seen. Jackson is a Hall of Famer but he is kind of underrated. Ok you twisted my arm I will take Tommy by second round knockout. Why? Because McCllelan, Terry Norris and Mike McCallum all were able to get to Jackson early because he had porous defense. Hearns is sharper, quicker, longer and has a better jab than all of those other three. I am figuring he catches Jackson and stops him. I will say, though, that Tommy could not get touched this fight. Jackson could easily KO him. What a shoot out it would have been!
 
Mercer vs. Ruddock would be a match up of the 2 best heavyweight bridesmaids of the last 25 years. I have a theory on why I would pick Mercer. If Mercer can take Ruddock’s punches better than Ruddock can take his, when these two men fight , who actually punches harder? Mercer!
 
Many will bring up Ruddock’s power but I believe a prime Mercer would eat those shots. Mercer also could have got the nod against Evander Holyfield and Lennox Lewis, two tight losses. Ruddock got swamped when he stepped up. They never let Mercer fight Mike Tyson because he was just durable enough to beat Tyson. Mercer by a unanimous decision.
 
McClellan vs. Nunn is a great what-if fight. They could’ve fought. I like Nunn but I love McClellan. I really believe if it weren’t for that brain injury McClellan would have went down as an all time great type of fighter. McClellan by KO because he would have it no other way.
 
How are things, Bread? I greatly appreciate you posting my first write-in. I thoroughly enjoyed your answers to my hypothetical bouts. I find the history of our sport and deep cast of practitioners is what makes boxing so intriguing. I like nothing more than discussing some of the legends of this game with another like minded individual. It is sometimes hard to grasp just how much boxing was ingrained into the general public's conscious. Landmark events and sporting world firsts were usually the result of some pugilistic event - from Heenan v Morrissey to John L., to Johnson v Jeffries, Dempsey v Tunney, Louis v Schmeling and on and on up to Mayweather v DeLaHoya. In fact, I have a New York Times from the day after Louis v Conn I, in which 6 of the front page headings are dedicated to the fight! During the onset of WWII no less. But, I digress. A few more quickies. Fitzsimmons of
Middleweight reign ( roughly 30, I would believe in near absolute physical prime) v Greb? Zivic of around '38-40, year he won welterweight title, v your favorite, Ray Leonard? I find the Fitzsimmons-Greb match a mind bender. Bob was a physical freak who some consider one of the hardest punchers ever. Joe Gans would even study him in the gym and ask for pointers. I lean towards Fitz' in this due to absolute size (upper body, reach) and one shot power, not to mention PHENOMENAL boxing I.Q. That Zivic would have been a task for most welters without the last name Robinson. He would have been just as hardscrabble as Duran, to put it mildly, with a superb wealth of tricks to utilize. I would still cast my vote with Ray, but it would be no walk in the park.Say, 9 rounds to 6?
Mike from Tampa

Bread’s Response: Thanks my man. Fitzsimmons would have too much physicality for Greb. He was freakish in size and power. I would liken that fight to Michael Spinks vs. Marvin Hagler. Hagler may be a little better p4p but if he and Spinks ever fought Spinks would just be tooooo much.
 
Zivic stopped Armstrong’s reign at 147. He was a serious threat. Robinson beat him a couple of times but Robinson beats everybody. Zivic was a real bad ass and he was dirty on top of that. Leonard would have to fight like he did in the 2nd fight Duran fight. Ray likes to dig in and punish fighters but he could not fight  Zivic like that. Give me Ray because he would fight the right fight.
 
 
Whattup Bread? Let me start this off by saying that I refuse to talk about that one fight between those two guys. With that being said, I was reading one of your mailbags and came across a particular email where someone asked you who possessed the best version of a certain punch and I just wanted to give you my list of favortite bread and butter punches and see what you think. My personal all time favorite is Tyson's right hook to the body right uppercut combo. That combination was absolutely disgusting and Mike used it to absolutely punish cats. De La Hoya's "left hook" was also nasty. I say "left hook" because it was more of a hook-uppercut hybrid, but that thing was a guided missile. I think part of what made Oscar's hook so effective was that guys just didnt see it due to the angle that he threw it from. Im curious as to any more that you've got. Oh and me and my Dad were talkin boxing the other day and started talkin about Ray Leonard, who I am a big fan of, and my dad told me "Son, funny thing about Ray Leonard was, every time someone was supposed to beat Ray, they got their ass whooped." AMAC from CALI

Bread’s Response: That email was from big Sarge. He made the list according to boxer punchers. Tyson does not employ a boxer puncher style but his uppercut is an all timer. Could be the best ever. Oscar’s hook is the deal. I loved Oscar’s hook. Sometimes it didn’t look like much but the reaction he got was tremendous. I knew he was a freakish puncher when he stopped Jorge Paez in one round. Paez  dropped like someone gave him a sleeping pill. Oscar’s hook was still not as good as Robinson’s whom Sarge picked but it was in the ball park. Sarge’s list was pretty tight. Toney probably could battle Hagler for the best chin from a boxer puncher but other than that…. Your dad was right about Ray  Charles Leonard. Leonard was the best fighter of the last 30 years and don’t let anyone tell you any different.
 
Bread it seemed that your fears about Manny Pacquiao fighting Antonio Margarito have come true. You said it months ago. I can’t believe Arum did this. What are your thoughts? Trey

Bread’s Response: I hate this fight for many reasons. It’s hard for me to believe that Manny’s management would approve this fight. I am curious to see if Arum makes Manny fight at 154 for no title to appease Margarito.
 
From an x and o’s standpoint this not good fight for Manny either. Maragarito is huge. Tall and big. I know Mosley destroyed him but that was a style and strength thing. Margarito could not back the physically stronger Mosley up. Plus Mosley hit him with a body shot in the 1st round that pretty much ended the fight. I am not saying Manny won’t win , because I believe he will. But if Margarito is right this could be a bad fight for him. Manny is a sharp and angle puncher. Mosley is a thudding, dig your toes in the canvas puncher. I am not sure Manny’s puncher’s will have the same effect on Margarito. Margarito may carry Manny really fast like he did Cotto.
 
This fight is for Top Rank. These promoters are forming boxing leagues, where they are only allowing their fighters to fight opponents in their stables. Nobody can tell me, Berto or Bradley would not be a better option. Manny can silence the critics about him not fighting the slick urban black style. He could also give a respectable challenger a shot at him. And before anybody says Berto is managed by Haymon also, let me say this. Berto is the B side to a fight with Manny. He can not come with the demands that Floyd does. The fight will get made so much easier. They could pay Berto 4 million plus a small percentage of PPV and get the fight done just like that.
 
The only good thing about this fight is now all  of the other fighters who were lobbying and waiting , can go on with their careers and make meaningful fights. One last thing. I have always said Floyd Mayweather did not want to fight Manny Pacquiao. Every since I heard his father say, "I do not want my son to fight that man, it’s not worth it.” Floyd Sr. also made leery comments during the Pac/Cotto fight. He was sitting next to Shane Mosley and Mosley heard them. These negotiations were all bullshit both times. Now that Manny and company have taken away the blood testing excuses, Floyd wants to become inactive again.
 
I am very humble when I am wrong. I admit it quickly and openly. It’s funny and hypocritical to me that Floyd’s backers, writers and fans a like still defend him. It’s not that Roger is not training him. It’s not that he needs a rest. It’s the animal from the Philippines with the lung capacity of a shark. If 40 million was on the table to fight Berto , do you guys think Floyd would want to chill and relax for another year? Hopefully Manny struggles against Margarito so the fight can get made. Floyd Mayweather is not a coward, but he has a less than noble make up, and somebody like that will never crack my all time top 10. You guy can have him. He is doing the same thing he did after the Ricky Hatton fight. Waiting for the smoke to clear.

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