DAILY BREAD SUNDAY EDITION
By Stephen "Breadman" Edwards

Bread,
I don't judge because I really respect all the boxers in the world. I mean, it takes courage just to step into the ring. That said, even with his limitations as a boxer, you gotta love Arthur Abraham for hanging in there with Edison Miranda for at least half of the fight with a broken Jaw. Victor Ortiz??? Well, he is what it is, good talent, great power, but the heart is just not there. I think Golden Boy dumps him after this one.
Ruben
Bread’s Response: I received an email this morning apologizing for challenging me in my opinion of Victor. I don’t need an apology because I don’t enjoy being right about something like this. But I can’t help what I observe.

I do believe Victor’s jaw was damaged by Josesito Lopez, but I think he panicked a little and quit immediately instead of trying to position his jaw or trying to fight a smoke and mirror fight for the last three rounds. We have to take note that Victor is a one dimensional fighter; he can’t fight a smoke and mirror fight. In a weird way the scenario was perfect for Victor to redeem himself of his past indiscretions. If he would have been able to fight through the pain and won, he would’ve been celebrated.


I am not knocking Victor. A broken jaw is not a fighter being hurt; it’s a fighter being injured. There is a difference. If you told me before the fight Victor would suffer a broken jaw and asked would he continue, I would have said no. We shouldn’t expect everybody to fight through that. Arthur Abraham is an animal on the inside. That’s why he continued on in the Super 6 when he knew he couldn’t win. Victor is brave because he is a prize fighter but he’s not brink of death brave. There are levels to bravery.


I will NOT engage in a pile on defamation of Victor. I have spoken on his flaws enough. To be honest I hope he retires. He won’t be able to live this down, he does not have enough basic fundamentals to fall back on and his confidence is shattered. I wouldn’t be surprised if Golden Boy fed him to the lions or cut him after this. If he continues to fight even B level top guys he will get brutally knocked out again and again….


 

Breadman! Well keeping tradition of you being the resident go to sports guy and seeing as how I killed LeBron for his choke job last year…DAMN! He really showed his nuts this year. Although I still think his melt down in the finals last year can’t be erased with one championship, if he continues to play like this he will have several. I loved the way he attacked the rim and used his size to bully OKC. He put on a clinic. Big props and total credit to LeBron and the Heat. Tickets go on sale for Ward-Dawson today so I will call my shot. Ward by wide UD!
Roy
Bread’s Response: Lebron shut a lot of people up Roy. I got into a few Facebook debates about Lebron over the past few weeks. At least you’re humble enough to give him props. There are still those out there hating. Oh well it’s the world we live in.

 

Hi Bread,

Been a minute since I last wrote in...

I've been reading your mailbag and one thing you've been saying about Tim Bradley, which has also been echoed online by guys like Andre Ward (on Twitter), for example, is the sentiment that "I feel bad for Tim"..."It's not Tim's fault"...etc. Well, we get that, but the thing is, you can't feel bad for a guy who's going around making comments like "Pacquaio wasn't that good"..."I watched the fight and I won the fight!", etc. If he just shut his mouth instead of talking shit, even though he's being a tad bit respectful about it, we could all agree to say "yeah, maybe it's not Tim's fault". Do you agree, or no? Tim should take the stance of "Hey, Pac's an all time great, I didn't show what I could have showed, I promise my fans, if you feel let down, I'll do better next time. I want a rematch!"...he doesn't have to really address whether he won or lost. His PR guy should tell him that, it may make him more endearing to the public.

I mean, when you do a poll and 910 people out of every 1000 feel like you lost, then my man, YOU LOST. the other 70 out of a 1000 that feel you won, probably are all Mayweather fans anyways lol, jk.

Personally speaking, I don't want to see a rematch with Bradley...it wasn't a really exciting fight--too one-sided and probably the most boring Pacquiao fight I've seen since Mosley, and I don't want to see Pac vs Marquez 4 either. We've seen that one 3 times already, go youtube it if you didn't get enough. Besides, does ANYONE think that Pac gets a 4th controversial decision over this Marquez right now? I certainly don't. I think unless Pac knocks him out, he loses a decision no matter what happens in a 4th contest. At this point, there's no drama in it. We already know what's going to happen. Bob Arum is straight up garbage, by the way.

I'd honestly like to see Pac retire at this point, I really feel like between his recent actions, he's maybe fighting for everyone else, and not himself. He didn't even seem bothered by his so-called "loss". He needs to just hang them up--the passion is gone. Hopefully he's got enough money to do that and not look back, but surprisingly enough, I doubt it.

Chavez Jr. looked strong, but he just kinda walks in there and wings punches. He doesn't cut the ring off and doesn't really show anything other than being a tough kid who punches hard. I think he just follows Martinez around while Martinez rips him, unless Martinez just grows old overnight. There'll be some entertaining moments, but I don't think there's going to be any doubt on the outcome.

Floyd Mayweather Jr's a real softie huh? I mean, jail is a terrible place for anyone, but come on man...2 weeks and you're doing this? Especially after comparing yourself to Malcom X and whoever else, acting all hard and shit? That's just comedic.

I have a question for you Bread...you say May's on the list of top 25-50 all-time greats, but he's missed SO many people and at such crucial times. I dont' think he's all-time at all. I don't even think he's the best of this era...you could make a case for Pac to have proven much more and here's the kicker...to me, even the Klitschko's have proven more in this era of Boxing than he has. I know people say they're in a watered-down era of heavyweights, but you can't help who's in your era.

Isn't it better though, to be the most dominant in your own era rather than to have missed so many? You know the saying, "In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is King".

Think about that one and get back to me...

Hope you're doing well bro..

Paul Z.
Bread’s Response: What’s up Paul? Strong comments. You know there is an interesting dynamic with my opinion about Mayweather. Some people think I’m too critical of him and some think I am too complimentary of him. When I say he has missed too many viable threats, they say I’m hating on him. When I say he beat Cotto decisively and the fight wasn’t close, they say I’m giving him too much credit. When I say he is in the top 25 ever range, I get loads of people telling me I’m overrating him. It’s really interesting. If I’m wrong I will stand by it. I’m going to ask Cliff Rold to help me with a list. I have my own criteria but I want to make sure I’m covering all important facets. I don’t have an actual top 25 p4p list, what I have is an estimated area where certain fighters go. I want to clear that up. Floyd could be top 25, he could be top 30, he could be top 35. But I feel he’s in the range because of what he would do in his prime head to head with fighters who are his size. Give him the eyeball test and tell me if we are watching somebody super special. Going unbeaten even in a watered down era over 16 years is an accomplishment. Those things rate him high for me.


Let me really attempt to make a list and I will give him a fair placement…….. If he ends up in around say 65 on my list I will apologize. As olf right now I still say he is in the top 25 range.

 

 

Bread, you always keep it real so I want to ask you a question. After the Forbes List that shows Mayweather makes 42.5 million a fight and Pacquiao makes 28 million a fight, do you still think they should split the pot 50/50?
Also, I want to touch on a mailbag question and answer from this week. It was stated that both Mayweather and Pacquiao are slipping the same and I have to totally disagree with that. Mayweather was always susceptible to the jab. Just look at the DeLaHoya fight from 2007 where Mayweather struggled against it. While I am not suggesting he is at his peak, I think Manny has fallen more from his peak than Floyd. I like both guys and hope they fight May of 2013 but I think Manny is more likely to be knocked off this year than Floyd is.

--
Marlon
Bread’s Response: Marlon you make a good point, but you have to take something into consideration. What they MAKE and what they GENERATE is different. I agree Floyd has better infrastructure of his finances than Manny does. Only a fool would argue that. That being the case even if Floyd and Manny agree to a 50/50 split, Floyd would NET more because of his infrastructure. But that has nothing to do with what they generate.


Top Rank takes more from Manny. There is no argument. I will even say Floyd is a better businessman. But I say all that to say, so what Manny gets docked more money at the end of the day. If Manny allows that to happen that’s on him and it’s not Floyd’s business. Yes I said it. Floyd shouldn’t care if Manny gets “jobbed” financially.  If Manny said I have to get guaranteed more than Floyd, because he brings HOME more than me, all of Floyd’s fans would say so what. I hope you understand the POINT I’m making.


If you go by what they generate for a fight, I’m telling you it’s so even it’s not worth fighting over. And even if one had a percentage point or two advantage over the other, it definitely isn’t a Manny take 40 mill flat guarantee, while Floyd can bring home 70 mill type of advantage. That 40 million dollar offer in my opinion was publicly offered so it could get rejected. Let me tell you this, no one in the boxing business is saying Manny should take 40 mill, while Floyd brings home 70. Why, because they know better.


One more thing to take in and ask yourself. Why didn’t Floyd offer this flat rate when the negotiations first started in 2009. Manny is more popular now. Floyd is an astute business man we all agree on that. Why was 50/50 on the table up until the blood testing was no longer an issue? Answer that for me and get back to me.

 

 

 

Send questions and comments to: dabreadman25@hotmail.com