DAILY BREAD FRIDAY EDITION
By Stephen "Breadman" Edwards

Hi bread, hope all is good.. Just wanted to drop my 2 cents for this weeks loaf..
 
First off Martinez vs Chavez Jr, ain't nobody wanna see no rematch so I hope they leave that alone, let Chavez move up to 168 & fight Pavlik or Abraham both fun fights that I'd love to see & the potential for Jr to become a 2 weight world champion (can you believe that). Secondly once Martinez recovers from his injuries I'd love to see  him take on Ward, Martinez needs to give up on facing Mayweather & concentrate on cementing his legacy, we've got 2 linear champions within 1 division of each other & Ward is coming off having beaten the linear light heavy champion, so this fight definitely makes sense..
Saying that if I was Martinez I'd call out Ward, insult him, belittle him do whatever I could do to get him in the ring BUT I would never go up to 168, id make Ward come down to 160 or 162 at the most & definitely move the fight away from Oakland to Las Vegas, now rumours have started that Ward may be willing to come down to 164, if this fight gets made how do these guys deal with each others style, will the weight play a part & who wins?
 
Now my second point is Amir Khan who's now left Roach & gone over to Virgil Hunter, this may be a good move, it may be not.. only time will tell, my issue is this whenever Khan gets interviewed all he ever says is Freddie didn't teach me defence, I'm now looking for a defensive minded coach, now it seems he's blaming his loss on Roach, this kid needs a reality check, the only thing that got him knocked out by Danny Garcia was his own sheer stupidity & lack of a boxing brain, on a side note Khan was asked by sky sports if rumours where true he's fighting Joan Guzman next & he replied no he's not on my level!!'
Lol could this kid get any more arrogant, belittling a 2 weight world champion who is still unbeaten like that.
 
Lastly bread the hitman is back, now at 33 & a 3 year break, Ricky felt the time was right for him to step back into the ring, based in Manchester & being trained by old school trainer Bob Shannon who is similar to Ricky's original trainer Billy Graham, I'm actually excited & expecting big things from Hatton, the MEN arena in Manchester has already sold 10,000 tickets to the return on nov 24th without an opponent being named although Lovemore Ndou has expressed an interest in this fight, I'd expect a decent name but no one too tough for his first fight back, once this is out the way Paulie Malignaggi is aching for a rematch & should he beat Cano and defend his title don't be suprised to see Hatton v Malignaggi 2 early next year for the world title, now here's my question, should Hatton win his first few fight & possibly become world champion again & if pacman looks terrible & possibly loses to Marquez in December, I wouldn't be shocked to see Hatton vs Pacquiao 2, now this to me would be a whole lot closer than the 1st fight & I would actually give Ricky a very good chance should he comeback to a level somewhere near where he was at & if pacman continues on the download slope he's now on.
 
Let me know your thought bread
 
Amar, Birmingham UK
Bread’s Response: I don’t want to make a statement about Ricky Hatton until I see him fight. From my historical perspective, fighters that have Hatton’s style don’t fare well after long layoffs especially in their mid 30’s. 


I think Virgil Hunter could be the best trainer in boxing. The only thing that stops people from singing it is he’s only had one world champion, but that may change soon. He’s building a serious stable. Of course he can give Khan useful information. But it’s up to Amir to absorb and execute what he’s taught. Khan fights off impulse and emotion and quite frankly his chin isn’t conducive to his mentality. He thinks like Aaron Pryor but he has Tommy Morrison’s chin. Not a good mix. We shall see…..

 

 

Bread:
How do you see the Martinez vs. Chavez rematch going? My belief is Chavez beats him and as I'm writing it, I can't believe I just wrote that.
There's something to be said about knocking a guy down multiple times and hearing him say how hard you hit. I felt Chavez was being tentative and being outboxed but he still could've touched Martinez early in the fight to the body. Looking forward to the rematch and would like to get your thoughts. I heard a couple people calling for Martinez to move up to fight Ward...Martinez if you're reading this...DON'T DO IT, you will be destroyed!! Absolutely Destroyed...KO'd in 6 or 7 rounds. My reason is Martinez's punch resistance is starting to fade, I noticed in his previous fight and contrary to the media myth Ward can punch..For that matter how many fans did Chavez win in the loss to Martinez? I'm proud of him and I'm not really a fan of Chavez but it says alot about a fighter who was getting outboxed but the fortitude to keep fighting, keep believing, and then execute. I'm a fan, I will officially stop calling him a fraud. Now onto to the Pac vs. Marquez 4....CMON MAN!! This is no win for both fighters..I'm curious to see who Mayweather fights...Have a good one bro and keep up the good work.!!
Woody
NY-LA
Bread’s Response: Chavez just shot himself in the foot with his positive marijuana test. The kid seems to be a spoiled ungrateful brat. They stole Martinez’s belt for him, gave him the championship bill, and gave him a 3 million dollar guarantee and what does he do? Some people you just can’t be nice to.


I thought Chavez had a good chance in the rematch but I won’t even make a case for him at this point because he is too much of a wildcard. He’s not a dependable fighter to make a positive prediction about. And if he is suspended for a year he will be in BIG trouble because he’s not discipline enough to keep at it.
I’m not going to bother Martinez about Ward right now. He just gave a masterful performance and he did it on the BIG stage. Let’s hope Sergio heals up good and returns to form. He’s carving out a great legacy in front of our eyes. Stand up Sergio.


 

Hey what’s up Bread. First off I want to say that I always enjoy your mail bag and keep up the good work. Now after watching the Dawson vs Ward fight I thought to myself that damn Breadman was spot on again. And the point you were spot on about was Wards ability and Chads inability to be able to mentally think their way through the fight. Chad reminded me of Jermaine Taylor where as he is big and strong and can fight but he can’t make the subtle movements or have the boxing IQ to compete with Ward. Ward knows when to hold and when to take certain angles or when to throw a misdirection (straight right hand to the belly button then overhand left hook). I knew Ward was as skilled as they come but I finally was truly impressed because he went for the kill. Now Chad couldn’t adjust and I think he was done once he realized he couldn’t take Wards punch. I do feel the weight was part of the reason Chad had poor punch resistance but in no way do I think the outcome would’ve been different except they probably would’ve went the distance.
I do have 1 question. Why isn’t Chad receiving any criticism for quitting. He straight up told the ref “I’m done”. Vic Ortiz received tons of criticism when he quit in the Maidana fight. Why not the same treatment for Chad. What’s your take. Thanks Bread and keep doin what you doin.
Bread’s Response: Interesting question. You have a point. There is no denying Chad quit. There are slight differences.  Ortiz was in his fight with Maidana. He had hurt Maidana and knocked him down. He was also a young fighter who had not accomplished much up to that point.


Dawson on the other hand is an accomplished fighter. He was getting beat up for 10 rounds and he hadn’t won a round. Most people would assume his was corner was about to step in. In no way am I condoning either guy quitting. But from my assessment and experience, older fighters get slightly more slack for quitting than younger less accomplished fighters.


 

 

What's up Bread?
I have a few quick questions about what we just saw on Saturday and then some questions on potential future matchups:
1. Was Sergio Martinez choosing to stand and trade in the 12th round a matter of pride or fatigue? (or a little of both)?
2. How do you see Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. doing at 168? Would he be better having to lose 8 less pounds or worse off having to face "the NFL free safeties at super middleweight" as you've called them?
Now for the matchup:
1. Sergio Martinez vs. Canelo Alvarez: I think this matchup should happen to decide who gets a shot at Floyd since both have been lobbying for it. How do you see that playing out as of right now? (provided Sergio is all healed up of course). I think Canelo would handle the speed disadvantage better than Chavez did but wouldn't have the same size advantage either. I would favor Martinez right now but I see it as a 55-45 fight
Any feedback would be greatly appreciated,
Hope all is well
William in West Palm
Bread’s Response: Sergio Martinez was fired up for this fight. He’s a boxer and mover but he’s not a runner. He wanted Chavez to know he was ALL MAN. I say mostly pride but I’m sure fatigued played a part. I don’t care what kind of shape you are in; if you burn as much energy as Martinez your reflexes will dull. I could see Chavez closing the distance and just missing with BIG shots. You get caught in boxing. Martinez will get caught and dropped a few more times in his career, because he’s a daredevil and he exchanges with his hands down…..


Canelo is a big problem and whoever doesn’t think so doesn’t know any better. I agree with you about Canelo vs Martinez. But I don’t think it should decide who would fight Floyd. Floyd Sr is very influential over his son. Just tlisten to him closely. I don’t think Floyd has fought one fighter Senior didn’t approve of. Senior recently implied that Martinez is too BIG for his son and that Floyd Jr. could make 140lbs if he wanted to. So I doubt they will make that fight, although I think it would be a great fight.


 

 

What up Bread
This is 3rd email to you on this fight lol.....Just a little after fight thinking...What do think was the main reason Jr couldnt get off ? was it the constant movement of Sergio so he couldnt set to punch (ala Hopkins and Trinidad.....although B hop didnt move that much) or do you think it was a weight issue I personally didnt think he looked too good at the weigh in? Also if thereis rematch I see most people think it will be a domination by Sergio again but I was wondering do you think at his age and the punishment he took (Broken hand torn knee) will he be the same fighter!
Bread’s Response: Chavez couldn’t get off because Martinez’s rhythm is too much for the kid. You guys don’t realize how difficult it is to “catch” a guy who fights like Martinez. Guys like Martinez, Pacquiao and Roy Jones seemed to literally shock their opponents with their unconventional movements. Chavez doesn’t have the experience or natural eyes to cope with that. But if they fought again, I would expect Chavez to have some better answers to the test because he has taken the test already.


I’m not blaming Freddie Roach for this but I want to make a note. Chavez seemed to want to train at home often. Training in a gym and moving around a ring would have served him much better. I reason why I picked Martinez was because I didn’t believe Chavez could catch his rhythm. And the reason I didn’t think Chavez could catch his rhythm was because Chavez tries to punch too hard. Chavez digs his feet in the canvas and whips all of his shots. When you punch like that, you hardly ever catch a mover.


In order for him to effectively win rounds against Martinez he would have to learn to punch on the move. Track Martinez down with multiple jabs and take something off of his punches. His dad could do it all day, but Junior is not seasoned enough for that. Look at him closely; he can only get off when his opponent is stationary.


Instead of sleeping late and doing God knows what, the kid should have been watching tapes of his father, Sandy Saddler, Jeff Fenech and Roberto Duran…..


 

Bread, good morning. I'm gonna be the first to say it. Floyd will lose his Zero to Canelo Alvarez. (if they fight) Like you said, he is throwing 5-6-7 punch combo's. Sits on his shots and turns his shots over crazy and got his whiskers. He will beat Cotto and he will beat Sergio Martinez as well. I actually think that him and Jr will make a super fight at 164 catch weight down the road when Jr Moves up. Canelo did what he was supposed to do with a smaller man. The way he did it was what impressed me. I'm a big mayweather fan (the boxer of course). I know I'm in the minority, but as Money says to his opponents Canelo should be saying the same thing. " It looks easy when you watching it, but the angle you thought you saw isnt there, you miss you have to pay". Listen you can hit Canelo and he will make you pay. He is just blossoming in front of our eyes. I just honestly think that this version of Floyd, the stay in the pocket less mobile Floyd that fought Cotto will not be Canelo Alvarez. What you think?
Bread’s Response: I don’t want to let my picks out of the bag just yet. I want to win some huge money. I will say this. Canelo vs Cotto looks like the most realistic match up at this point and I’m picking Canelo BIG. I know people listen to my picks but I hope this doesn’t affect anything. I hope Cotto opens as a favorite so I can get good odds. I also hope that all of my fellow bettors that I bet against take Cotto.


I’m a huge Cotto fan but he won’t beat that kid at this point. Too much physicality, too much punch placement, and the more time goes by he will work on his stamina shortages. By the time he fights Cotto next year, Miguel will be up against it. Remember I said it!

 

 

Yo Bread,
I realize there's obviously other more pressing stuff going on the biz
these days and know you've already defended the reality of the situation,
but I was just curious if Btalk has an archived article of the poll in
which tons of respected fighters, trainers, etc. all picked DLH to beat Pac
it can re-post?  Having won big $ on Pac at time, it really upsets me that
this win has been so discredited over the years.  Can you recall other
examples of such blatant revisionist history?  Anyway, just randomly
thought of the old Btalk days - I specifically remember there used to be
cool illustrations - pretty sure I recall one with B-Hop as middleweight
king on an island and random contenders of the time like Joppy, Eastman
(forgot he was once considered a big threat), etc. swimming around him as
sharks.  I think I remember something similar with Floyd (back when people
were touting Vivian Harris as his biggest threat).  You guys still have any
of that type of stuff?  Anyway keep up the great work - glad to see the
site's still going strong.
Bread’s Response: I wasn’t on the site that far back but I definitely remember all of what you stated. The reason why people revise their assessment of Manny vs Oscar is because of egos. Boxing is a sport of MEN, and most of us don’t like being wrong. So therefore we try to justify our wrongs instead of just saying picked the wrong  guy.


I give Manny so much credit because I picked against him three times. When he fought Barerra I thought he would get knocked out. He was moving up in weight and I knew he had been stopped by a body punch many years before. That fight wasn’t even close. I was in shock.


Then in the Oscar fight. I was just dating my wife at the time. Oscar was viewed as a bigger version of Marquez. I never thought Oscar was a big superwelterweight and I didn’t think 147 would be such a big deal for him, especially since he agreed to come down to fight Floyd there. My future wife and I were at the sports bar and I told her Manny was going to get knocked out. I felt like such an ass, Manny put on an historical performance and in my opinion fought one of the 4 or 5 perfect fights I have ever seen. I’m glad she didn’t dump me..


Then in Manny’s last fight I picked Tim Bradley by controversial decision. Technically I was right. And even though I think Manny fought just an ok fight, I had him winning 9 rounds to 3. So….


I consider myself to have great boxing eyes and this guy fooled me BIG three times. People who pick against fighters and then get proven wrong should just be humble, reassess why and move on. Instead we are in a sport where if we are wrong we discredit the fighter’s accomplishments. That’s sad. The fighter should gain respect, not disrespect.


Floyd Mayweather Sr. also picked against Manny vs Oscar, Cotto and he worked with him against Hatton. He was wrong BIG three times. Instead of giving Manolo his props we have the landslide negativity we have now surrounding Manny fighting Floyd Jr. Shame, shame, shame…


 

Dam big homie you’re hot with your picks. I was riding with you with Ward and Alvarez, but I really thought Chavez was going to beat Martinez. You are the best I have ever seen because you not only pick correct but you tell us how the fight will go. That straight left hand to the body that Martinez throws doesn’t look like much but it really does stop him from getting walked down. I never really gave the punch much thought until I watched the fight and remembered you talked about it. Who do you like in Donaire vs the Japanese dude, I’m riding with your pick.
Bread’s Response: Thanks bro. I’m not the best ever but I do pretty good with my picks. Martinez’s straight left to the body is sick against right handed fighters. Martinez is also very strong, so walking him down hurts, lol.


I’m going with Nonito against Nishioka, that’s the Japanese dudes name lol. I want you guys to look at something really close. I pick productive and counterproductive habits up on fighters while I make my picks. Chavez for all of his faults has a great move against southpaws. He throws a right hand, his opponent tries to sort of lean off of the shot and bend to his left. So Chavez squares up by bring his right foot forward and then turns over a nasty left hand that his opponent doesn’t see well. It’s not exactly a hook, it’s a hybrid shot but it’s devastating.


Not many people use that shot. But Chavez Senior did. If you guys look close go back to the 11th round of the James Toney vs Michael Nunn fight. Toney knocked Nunn out with the move. Andre Ward also used the move against Chad Dawson. Dawson always leans to his left to avoid a right hand.


I bring this up because I have seen Nonito use the shot. Nonito can do anything offensively. Nishioka is very explosive but his head stays in the same place after he punches. I expect Nonito to land this shot and win the fight, BIG. We shall see….

 

 

Send questions and comments to: dabreadman25@hotmail.com