19.05.07 – By James Slater: Last night, on the under card of the main event between middleweight king Jermain Taylor and his challenger Cory Spinks, a quite awesome fight too place – one that lived up to ALL its hype. Without doubt stealing the show from the headliner, the war the unbeaten puncher Kelly Pavlik and the once beaten puncher Edison Miranda put on has to rank as a possible candidate for fight of the year. Beforehand some people compared the match-up to the legendary Hagler-Hearns thriller from 1985, and anticipated a fight that would perhaps be almost as good. These people were correct in their thinking.
After the intros by Michael Buffer – which included a ten-count given in memory of the recently and shockingly deceased Diego “Chico” Corrales – the action began. And what action!
In round one, Pavlik went straight out on the attack and his awesome power began to have an effect quickly. Miranda was willing to trade with him, however, and the war began. Pavlik’s hands clearly carry raw power and this power was definitely registering on the hard man from Columbia. “Pantera” was stuck on the ropes for long periods of the round and wore a thoughtful look on his face. He had talked a lot in the run up to the fight, now he was trying to back up his boasting. He found out how hard it is to trade with the punishing and hard punching “Ghost,” though. Indeed, rights and lefts aplenty scored upstairs for the lethal hitting Pavlik. Miranda’s chin was being severely tested already. Edison managed to come back in the last seconds of a savage and brutal round of fighting which also included a warning given to him for a low blow. Indeed, Steve Smoger would have his hands full tonight. In a breathtaking three minutes of action, Pavlik won his first round.
In the second, Kelly carried on doing what he’d started in the opener, namely push Miranda back while trying to send him into orbit. Again he drove the Columbian to the ropes, and again he hurt him whilst there. A big right hand to the head scored for Edison as he countered off the ropes, though, and then came another one in quick succession. “Pantera” was coming back into it. They began to trade yet again and a brutal slugfest ensued. Yet another low blow landed by Miranda earned him another warning by Smoger. A legal punch by way of a superb uppercut landed and tested Pavlik’s chin also, however, and the two men finished the round by trading along the ropes. I scored this one even.
The third, and there was more good action. Pavlik carried on throwing his cracking shots to the head, but Miranda was trying his best to match him. Then yet another low blow hit Kelly, this one blatantly low, and one more warning was given by referee Smoger. How many warnings would he give before taking away a point? Other questions that arose were, is Miranda a dirty fighter, and was he hitting low due to sheer frustration/fear? He wasn’t getting the fight he’d thought he would, that’s for sure. Kelly Pavlik was hurting him time and again. Still, there was always the chance that the man from Ohio would punch himself out, such was his relentless work rate. Once again, Miranda saw the round out whilst stuck on the ropes. Pavlik’s round.
The fourth now, and Miranda was under almost constant pressure. He was hanging tough, though, and punching back whilst on the back foot. The ropes were his home yet again, and from these too, he tried to fire back. Pavlik was marked up above the left eye at this point, testament to the fact that he had eaten his share of punches, too. Kelly also looked to be showing the first signs of tiredness as well. He was a touch open-mouthed, but the man from Youngstown put another round in the bank for me.
In round five, there was yet another low blow warning given to Miranda, before more great-to-watch slugging ensued. Rarely has there been a more easy to watch fight this year than this one – the fans were getting their money’s worth tonight, without a doubt. Miranda seemed to come on and shake his man in the final thirty seconds or so of the round. But if he did hurt Pavlik, his final chance at victory had gone. That much was clear in the next round of the fight. The fifth was Edison’s for me, though.
The sixth, and something had to give. Unfortunately for Miranda, it was he who gave. There were more exchanges at the start of the session, and the fight looked like it may become a case of who wants it more. Then Pavlik turned destroyer. He smashed a brutal combo into the head of Miranda, who was again along the ropes, and at last saw the desired effect. A big right in particular hurt Edison, and the Columbian slid to the canvas. He was very badly hurt. He beat the count, just, and then bought time by spitting out his mouthpiece ( a la, the man who the fight was dedicated to beforehand, in Diego “Chico” Corrales, somewhat ironically). The precious extra seconds didn’t help him too much, though, and he was soon on the floor for a second
time. Pavlik would not let him breathe and blazed away with hurtful leather. Miranda looked all gone as he hit the mat for this second occasion and only just beat the count. Then came the bell. He had been saved, for the time being. A huge round for Pavlik – 10-7.
The seventh now, and only a super human effort would prevent Miranda from being stopped. No super human effort was witnessed. Edison, with his right eye completely swollen shut, was under fierce pressure at the sound of the bell and looked all finished. This was indeed the case, as Smoger’s hovering over the action indicated. He gave Miranda a few seconds to see if he could possibly muster anything, and bravely, Miranda got himself off the ropes and tried to fight back. But he was soon stuck on the other side of the ring and this time, seeing that he had absolutely nothing left and that he was being battered by a ruthless Pavlik, Smoger dived in and stopped the fight. The time was one minute and fifty-four seconds.
A quite brilliant victory had been earned by Kelly Pavlik last night in Memphis. One that just might have made him a fighter considered THE best in the world at middleweight. For Edison Miranda, a man who had such faith that God would make him a world champion, the future looks uncertain. One thing’s for sure, he believes in ghosts now! Will Jermain Taylor, too?
Pavlik improved to 31-0 (28) Miranda fell to 28-2 (24).