The Daily Bread Mailbag returns with Stephen “Breadman” Edwards tackling topics such as David Benavidez vs. Caleb Plant, Gervonta Davis vs. Ryan Garcia, Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk, Uysk’s future options, Benavidez vs. Canelo, and more.
Your guy Caleb Plant went to the burger as you like to say. Wow what a performance from both guys. They showed skill, technique, athleticism and most of all heart. Benavidez is a monster but I actually scored it a draw. 117-111 was criminal I know you can’t say much about the judges but that has to hurt. I think the judges scored the blood and momentum but your guy doesn’t lose stock. Props to you both because Caleb wasn’t supposed to stand up under that pressure.
Caleb has improved and it’s directly a result of you. I can see your chemistry with him. I heard you keep telling him to keep his heart rate down. You knew the storm was coming in the later rounds and you wanted him to brace for it, great anticipation. I think he gets stopped without you in the corner but I also think he’s going to be a better fighter moving forward. Would you take a rematch? And if not where does each go next?
Bread’s Response: Thank you.
Caleb did go to the burger! He’s one of my heroes. What he did was breathtaking. I know he was in distress and under the gun vs a great fighter in Benavidez. He not only stood up but he tried to win, and I thought he won 5 or 6 rounds. I love what that kid gave me. And what he gave me was ALL he had and that’s all you can ask for from a fighter. I’m proud of him win or lose as long as he gave me all he had. People tried to criticize him but I’m not having any of that. Anyone who criticizes his clinching wanted to see him get stopped. Caleb refused to allow himself to be stopped. Clinching is not cowardice, it’s smart. He held when he had to and despite him holding it was still a great fight, from what I was told. I’ve only seen it once and it was up close and live so it’s hard for me to judge.
Also, Props to David Benavidez. He’s a great fighter. Special instincts in knowing what to do, what not to do and when to do it. He was patient early and he knew when to step it up. It worked out for him. Again, I personally thought Caleb won 5 or 6 rounds depending on if you gave him a swing round. Maybe the 12th if you look close and don’t score the blood. But I have no issues with the decision or David winning the fight. David won his rounds more convincingly.
But 117-111 is a card I don’t agree with because that means the judge scored the fight even after the 6th round. Even Caleb’s biggest detractors thought he won anywhere between 4 to 6 rounds in the first half of the fight. But it’s just something we have to live with and adjust to in future fights. Scoring a fight is subjective.
I believe in Caleb but I don’t pick his opponents. If I did I would think about maybe a lesser opponent then go back to a big name. But that’s not up to me. I would love a rematch with Benavidez but Benavidez has earned a fight with Canelo Alvarez. I’m sure he wants that fight, so…..
Greetings Bread,
I hope all is well with you and yours. First of all big respect to Caleb and David for giving us a potential fight of the year. Absolute dogs both of them, it sucks that the result was unfavorable but Caleb showed tremendous heart and not someone who’d fold under pressure as some were suggesting. Till the first half it looked like Caleb would get the decision, he was doing all the right stuff, moving, pivoting, keeping david at bay. But it seems like he never got his second wind and that allowed David to get the better of him in the latter half of the fight. Caleb has come a long way though and showed championship mentality for staying on the feet against a killer. These are the kind of fights that boxing should give us so much respect to both guys, compared to certain other folk who just talk a big game without the balls to back it up.
This brings me to the next question, I’m surprised no one asked about Usyk-Fury negotiations in last week’s mailbag. I believe everyone has seen through the Fury facade now. This fight was the only fight to make since last December, but Fury just wasted everyone’s time and priced himself out. Funny thing is some people on social media had predicted this. Despite being a Usyk fan, and giving him a 45% chance in this fight, I found it far-fetched that Fury would price himself out against such an opportunity against a smaller guy who is one of the easiest to deal with in terms of matchmaking. But I guess I also bought into the noise, the media, the rhetoric that Fury will outsize him, smother him or whatever. Now I believe that a lot of this was bandied about without any actual analysis.
Fury has a lot of fans, pliable media persons and the praise of a lot of legends which shift the narrative in his favor. I mean if Holyfield, Mike Tyson, Duran and guys like these are constantly favoring Fury over Usyk, who are us normal guys to question them. No disrespect to any of them but they definitely have it wrong. Maybe they’re only looking at Fury and ignoring his opponents credentials and fighting style, probably due to the wilder fights. People are making Fury too much of a favorite on the basis of those fights. Wilder is not a boxer, Wilder doesn’t have as good fundamentals, neither do Whyte or chisora. One interesting statistic to note is the cardio of Usyk compared to Fury. In his fights against Klitschko, 3rd Wilder fight and the latest Chisora fight, Fury’s punch output in the latter rounds and in total was way behind Usyk’s average. Fury throws an average of 400 punches in a 12 rounder, Usyk throws an average of 600 punches. Usyk also threw more than 200 punches in the last 3 rounds against Joshua in the second fight and that is not even taking into account the relatively bad gas tank and skills of Wilder, Chisora. Now I’m not saying these stats are the be-all and end-all, but it’s pretty significant.
Heavyweights are not known for their gas tanks and activity level at least in this era, Fury can look fresher and agile against fighters like Chisora, Whyte, Wilder but that definitely won’t be the case against Usyk. I don’t think clinching and outboxing will work against Usyk. Fury will have to rely on power and compared to the popular notion that Fury can win a decision, I believe Fury can only win by KO and he knows that his chances aren’t as high as they’re touted. Initially only Fury knew his vulnerability, now the public is starting to recognize too due to his antics. Sorry if the post got way too long, would like to hear your perspective.Thank you for the valuable education you provide every week.
Zigishu from India
Bread’s Response: I haven’t been really paying attention to the Fury vs Usyk negotiations. From what I read the fight is dead. It’s a reason why Benavidez vs Plant was such a big deal. Because the top guys aren’t fighting each other. All I can say is I hope Fury and Usyk revisit the negotiations. They’re fighting for the title of best heavyweight if this era. That’s a BIG DEAL.
Hello Breadman,
I pray you and your family are doing well. Sorry that your fighter didn’t get the win but I know you must be proud of him because he gave a spirited effort. He gave everything he had and that is all you can ask of anyone. I actually thought the fight was very close but Benavidez had a little more gas in the tank. Having seen Benavidez up close and personal I was wondering how do you think he would do against Canelo? Were you impress by him and what flaws did you see in him? Personally after watching your fighter against him if I was Canelo I would fight Benavidez over Bivol. I think Bivol’s style is all wrong for Canelo. Bivol’s footwork ,combination punching and stamina are a bit too much for Canelo to overcome. I actually think Bivol will be much better in the rematch and if he sits down on his punches more will stop Canelo. I think Canelo is a better boxer than Benavidez because he is faster and throws a better variety of punches. I’m not saying he is a lock to win but Plant exposed the fact that Benavidez can be beaten. To me he is the boogeyman without the boogey. He really doesn’t have that dominant victory over a big name fighter to have the reputation that he has like Foreman did against Frazier and Norton, Tyson against Spinks and Holmes or Hearns had against Duran and Cuevas. He has the persona without the resume.
To me, Canelo vs Benavidez is an even fight which could turn out to be quite interesting. Hopefully we will get to find out soon. An all Mexican shootout would be great for Boxing. The Michael Jae White against Bruce Lee thing is personal. Jae White got so much pushback for saying he could beat Bruce from people like Zab Judah and others that he got angry. He is now saying Jackie Chan could beat Bruce Lee. Jackie Chan is not even a real martial artist. Jae White sounds obsess with size. Size matters but it isn’t the be all to end all in a fight. Ask Anthony Joshua.
God bless and take care, Blood and Guts from Philly
Bread’s Response: I think David Benavidez is the truth. All fighters have flaws but I’m very impressed with him. He has a very high IQ. He has fast, loose punches. He has excellent stamina and punch selection. And most of all he’s mean. Canelo has his hands full with that kid. Just because Canelo beat Caleb in a more dominant fashion than David did, it doesn’t mean Canelo would beat David. This version of Caleb is better than the one that fought Canelo. And Canelo may have slipped from his 2020-21 form when he was at his APEX.
If you asked me could David beat Canelo 2 years ago, I would’ve said no. But if you ask me now, my answer is I don’t know who wins. What I do know, is that it would be brutal. A brutal display of beautiful violence. I hope it happens.
Hi Bread, Hope you are good.
What fight does Haney-Loma remind you of historically? The younger prime champion on the up vs the slightly past best but still elite former champ…Do you see a way for Loma to win? Also what do you make of Tyson Fury and his petulant behaviour towards the Usyk fight. Usyk agreed to a ridiculous 30% split, among other concessions no doubt and Fury still finds a way out of negotiations, just like with the AJ fight.
Conrad, Sheffield
Bread’s Response: Pryor vs Arguello. Whitaker vs Chavez. Monzon vs Griffin. Monzon vs Napoles. Most times the bigger, fresher, younger fighter beats the ageing but still capable smaller fighter.
Loma can win but I don’t think he will. I haven’t seen Loma at his APEX level since the Linares fight. I think he left a piece if himself in that fight. Linares was at his best and Loma pushed to get the win. Loma was extended and he was hurt. He has not quite got back to that point since. I’ve seen each of his fights and he’s just not the same as the guy who made 4 fighters in a row quit at 130lbs.
Loma has to stay close to Haney, carry him fast, force him into multi punch exchanges and not fall too far behind early. Easier said than done.
I haven’t been following Fury vs Usyk. But Usyk accepting 30% is a testament to him wanting to fight. From what I’ve read the sticking point came in the rematch. I don’t know what to say because I don’t know what the total pot was or is….
Hey Mr Edwards,
Caleb Plant has nothing to be ashamed of. Not even for the holding. He did what he had to do to survive. And he survived. Fighters greater than Plant held. Muhammad Ali was not just greater than Plant. He was probably the greatest heavyweight who ever lived and he did a fair share of holding. Of course, I would have liked to see Kenny Bayless do something about the holding but it’s not Plant’s fault that he didn’t. Bayless should retire As fights go, it went pretty much as expected. Plant early, Benavidez late. I said some weeks before the fight that Benavidez had incredibly fast but heavy-handed fists at the weight. Plant found that out. But I think that the thing that really got Plant was that Benavidez showed speed of foot that he hasn’t shown in previous fights. And not once did Benavidez get his feet placement wrong as he has done in previous fights. I think a fight between Benavidez and Canelo Alvarez is intriguing. Lastly, Mr Edwards, would Plant have a problem boiling down to middleweight? I think he absolutely dominates the division and he carries a little bit more pop down there.I’m fascinated by the upcoming Geovanta Davis v Ryan Garcia fight. I am quickly going to break it down into the following categories:
Age – There’s nothing in this. Both are young. Both are in their prime.
Size – People sometimes make the mistake of looking at the obvious when comparing size. Of course Ryan looks bigger and he’s moving to 140 soon. But Tank is short, not small. The dimensions of Tank are those of a little big man. A sown off Mike Tyson. Ryan will be making a big mistake if he thinks he’s the bigger man.
Speed – Ryan is fast. Tank is quick. Speed is physical. Quickness is mental. I pick the quick fighter over the fast fighter every time.
Activity – Ryan’s cancellation of his stay busy fight will come back to haunt him. Tank has been more active and will be more battle ready. Power – Both men have power. So, they can hurt each other. But I think Tank will hurt Ryan more because he might counter Ryan just as he’s punching down. So, whereas Ryan is likely to hit a Tank who’s moving back, Tank will likely hit a Ryan who is leaning into his punch. The impact will be more devastating. Temperament Tank has the patience of a vulture. He is prepared to wait a long time. Campbell knocked Ryan down because Ryan was too impatient and wanted to land a big shot. Tank does not mind waiting for 11 rounds to land the fight ending punch.
Footwork – Strangely, this is where the fight will be decided. Tank is quick on his feet both offensively and defensively. Ryan only has moderate foot speed. So, Tank will get to Ryan or away from Ryan without working too hard. Ryan will have to huff and puff to get to Tank. Intangibles – Has Ryan overcome his personal problems? If he hasn’t, he might be vulnerable, especially when the fight is even and he needs to dig deep. Tank has been there before. Has Tank’s breakup with Floyd Mayweather affected him? If it has, he might struggle, especially, if Ryan turns on the heat. The Hector Garcia fight was to inconclusive to assess the Mayweather effect.
Overall, I think Tank-Garcia is a good though not great matchup. A great matchup would be Tank-Devan Haney.I think Tank stops Ryan late.
MM – Flash Elorde v Alexis Arguello at Super Featherweight. I say Alexis because he’s too long and too explosive but Flash gave the great Sandy Saddler who was also rangy and explosive a lot of problems. So I’m not sure. Maybe they have to fight three times
Bread’s Response: I don’t believe Caleb could make 160lbs but I’m not a sports scientist.
I don’t like breaking fights down like you did but I happen to agree with you. I think the sum total of the parts are more important than the parts broken down. But I think Tank has advantages in most areas. As you said….
Age is no biggie. Both are close enough to their primes.
Size…I like what you said. Tank is short but he’s not small. He has a big head and his bones seem dense. I think Ryan has an advantage in LENGTH but he needs the feet and strength to use them. Ryan can win this fight if he keeps the distance and shows a high IQ and not be lured into traps.
Speed is in the body. Quickness is in the mind. Tank is not only quick with his fist, but he’s quick with his defense and trap setting. Ryan is almost too jumpy with his speed. He has to be careful vs Tank being too fast, he can run into something like Amir Khan used to do.
I didn’t like that Ryan turned down a tune up fight either. Especially with his recent inactivity. That tells me he doesn’t love boxing and he has a hard time getting up for lesser fighters. I understand that but it’s not usually something you see from young fighters who haven’t won a belt yet. It’s usually an older fighter who feels that way.
Both can punch but power comes down to who can take the other guy’s punches better. Tank is one of the most patient punchers you will ever see. If Ryan decides he wants to just win and not have a predetermined way of winning, his chances go up.
Tank’s feet are much better but Ryan can improve. His feet doesn’t have to be as good as Tank’s because he’s bigger and longer. They just have to be adequate.
I know more about Tank than I do Ryan. So it’s hard for me to say who has the advantage in the intangibles.
Greetings Breadman,
I wanted to wish you a Happy Birthday! Enjoy it with your family and cherish those moments! I cannot believe I have been reading your weekly mailbag for 14 years now. Sending in questions all these years to learn more about your personal experiences, insights, and feedback as it relates to the sport of boxing continues to be very rewarding every Saturday morning. Thank you Breadman.. Even though I’m sure you are disappointed after a great camp with Plant, the recent boxing match between David Benavidez & Caleb Plant was a great fight and we won as boxing fans! I wanted to share my observation on Kenny Bayless who in my opinion is one of the best referees of all time and who I greatly respect. However, this weekend proofed to be of a challenge, even for the great Kenny. As we were able to observe, he did not have his best night controlling two strong competitive fighters that had bad blood and history towards each other. Everyone has been focused on some of the holding from Plant when he appeared in survivor mode from rounds 8-12, Plant might have appeared hurt or gassed out.
However, I haven’t heard anyone yet mention the unintentional low blows or rabbit punching by Benavidez that occurred on a few occasions as well. It works both ways and Kenny had nothing to do with the final result. Plant came out very aggressive holding his ground, but half way through the fight the momentum and strategy changed for both fighters. With this being said, I have two questions for you and anything else you would like us to know.
Question #1: Do you believe that the straight right hand that Benavidez landed on Plant in round 8 changed the fight completely or did the cuts that Plant received had a greater impact on him and his vision for the remainder of the fight? I asked because certain things only a trainer or fighter would really know.
Question #2: With Canelo soon facing his WBO mandatory in Ryder in May and likely rematch with Bivol at 168 or the harder road again at 175 this fall in September; it seems that at best Canelo and Benavidez could possibly fight in May 2024. As Benavidez stated that Canelo has options. I believe that Benavidez has outgrown his 168-pound division and might struggle to be in that weight class for another year. More importantly, do you think a fight with Beterbiev or Bivol for Benavidez would be more interesting at 175 now with his recent performance and his desire to move up in weight sooner than later. As always looking forward to hearing your insights and appreciate your perspective!
Kind regards, Eman, LA
Bread’s Response: I’m glad you said what you said about the “holding”. Plant did hold. I won’t deny that. But he also punched and boxed well. “They” wanted to see him get kod, that’s why they keep bringing it up without bringing up the head butts, low blows , elbows or punches behind the head. The fouls went both ways and I’m not complaining. It was a hard fight. A grudge match.
#1 I can’t recall the exact round but David did land a nice right hand, then another soon after out of a clinch. That was most likely the turning point. There was also an accidental headbutt and a real good left hook to the body from David all around the same time and the momentum turned in David’s favor.
#2 David came in at 166.8 for Caleb. I’m sure he can make 168lbs again for the Canelo. It’s just a matter of being on the same schedule he was for Plant.
If Oleksander Usyk can’t get a deal done with Tyson Fury, he has to face Daniel Dubois, Filip Hrgovic and Joe Joyce to keep his titles. Those all seem like very tough fights. Do you think Usyk wins those three fights?
Thank you for your insight!
Bread’s Response: Individually I would favor Usyk in each fight. But the totality of all 3 in a row, no I wouldn’t favor him vs all 3.
Breadman,
First time writer who actually was put on to this blog months ago by somebody who writes in. First off I wish you the best of luck in the Plant fight. My questions relate to the mentality and pressure you feel as a coach/trainer. So many times we hear about the mentality of the fighter and mental strength but I feel as though for a coach these skills must be tested weekly as well. Do you find yourself in circumstances where a fighter turns to you for guidance when things may go wrong either in camp or in a fight? In those moments do you feel a responsibility shift onto you?
Secondly, you spoke at length about Kyrone Davis and your relationship with him in a interview this week when talking about Plant Benavidez. I believe you even went as far as saying he’s like a son to you. I’m curious when you do get so close to a fighter do you find yourself having to remove emotions out of certain scenarios? I only ask because most people would agree that they would rather take blame or put themselves in front of a family member before seeing them in a adverse situation. Is it difficult to coincide both having a strong bond with a fighter and pushing them to their absolute max?
Finally, I’ve always wondered what the messaging is in the back of the locker room before a fight. As somebody totally isolated from the fight culture and the relationships of fighters and trainers do you have to have conversations about saving your fighter from being too tough for their own good. As fighters I’m sure the natural instinct is for them to fight against that and want to go out on their shield. How much pressure is there in those moments and how difficult are the conversations after?
Thank you for being great! Manu Piedra
Bread’s Response: As a trainer you wear many hats and although they may seem difficult, personally I enjoy them all. There is plenty of pressure to perform but I compartmentalize it. My goal is for my fighter to perform to the best of his abilities. The wins will come with that caveat. 99% of the times I felt like my fighters have performed to their best capabilities. Very few times do I feel like my fighter has laid an egg. If he gives me all he has, I can live with any result.
Pressure is also put on people who are expected to do well. So I think pressure is a good thing. I don’t view it as a burden. I don’t drink alcohol before fights. I try to stay to myself and keep a clear mind. Adjustments have to be made on the fly. Things go wrong all the time in camp and in fights. I usually fix them on the fly. It’s all a part of the game. No need to panic. Just adjust. I don’t have an issue with pushing a fighter to the max. It’s easier for me if I have a close relationship with them because then they also know me well and they won’t get offended when I’m hard on them. If he gets offended because I want the best for him, then he’s not a fighter I would want to continue to work with anyway.
Hello, Breadman.
Do you think that the mental gymnastics involved in responding to questions and providing opinions about the sport of boxing through the writing of your weekly mailbag has increased your ability to thoughtfully articulate your thoughts during interviews and when answering questions in public? If so, would you recommend that other people directly involved in boxing, particularly professional boxers, do the same? It’s my observation that this beautiful sport would be better served if a significant number of the individuals who are directly involved in its representation were to conduct themselves in a more professional manner. Specifically, if they were to carefully think through what they are about to do or say before acting on whatever it is that happens to be immediately on their mind. Thank you for being an indirect role model that those who observe you and follow your regular publishings can strive to be more like.
Bread’s Response: Great Question.
I never thought about it but I think doing these mailbags have made me more articulate. I think it does make my mind move faster and it helps me exercise better judgment. We have to exercise our minds as well as bodies.
I go back and watch my interviews and even read my mailbags from years ago. And I compare them to more recent ones and I have definitely improved over the last 14 years. I don’t know if everyone should try it because it’s not for everyone. Most in boxing don’t have the patience to read through these emails. Copy and paste the questions. Then answer them and send them into the editors by Thursday of each, regardless of what they have going on. I don’t miss a week, no matter what.
Send Questions to dabreadman25@hotmail.com