By Matthew Hurley: As super middleweight Edison Miranda, 29-2 with 25 KOs readies himself to take on David Banks, 15-3 with 2 KOs this Friday night at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Florida the fighter known as ‘Pantera’ found his attention drawn to another potential opponent. Jean Pascal, who fights on the undercard, threw a few taunts at Miranda during a press conference on Hollywood Beach..
The scenario was somewhat similar to a press conference held to hype Jermain Taylor’s bout with Cory Spinks in May of 2007. On that occasion Miranda was gearing up to fight Kelly Pavlik on the undercard in a title elimination bout but the Colombian fighter was more interested in then champion Taylor. Miranda all but ignored Pavlik and later found himself on the receiving end of a seventh round knockout loss.
Having moved up to campaign in the super middleweight division Miranda is quickly getting himself back on track. Should he get by Banks and should Pascal defeat Omar Pittman there are plans to match the two fighters in a grudge match in June. But as Miranda learned against Pavlik, it is best not to look ahead when a fighter, no matter what his standing, is looking to knock you out. One of the defining glories of boxing is that anything can happen and Miranda, a power punching machine, is not only determined to knock out Banks but to reestablish himself as one of the most fearsome fighters in the sport.
Miranda has seen it all in his twenty-seven years. There was his impoverished background which left him homeless and abandoned before he turned ten, to the boxing gym that rescued him from the streets, to a steady march through the middleweight division before falling to Pavlik, to now picking himself back up and moving on. He is nothing if not a fearless survivor. It is that will and two-fisted desire that makes him both a compelling man and an exciting fighter. But it would be foolhardy to look past any opponent, as Miranda is now aware, and he understands that he cannot underestimate David Banks.
“I want the world to know that I can do it all in the ring,” he told ESPN. “Of course, my first love is knocking my opponents out, but I want them to fear me wherever the fight goes.”
Miranda’s co-manager Greg Wantman is aware that some people continue to have questions regarding his fighter after the knockout loss to Pavlik.
“It seems like that one fight with Pavlik, people wrote off a lot of hope for Edison,” he says. “It was a huge change with one loss. Edison is very motivated to prove to the world and his fans that he’s the same guy people thought he was before, and that was just an off night for him.”
Miranda will continue his way back on ESPN’s Friday Night Fights (FNF). The grand stage that FNF provides is not lost on Jean Pascal. Pascal, 20-0 with 14 KOs is using this opportunity to stoke the flames for a hoped for June fight with Miranda. Pascal shoved Miranda at the press conference this past Monday before the two fighters were separated.
“You are not good enough to beat Jean Pascal,” he said. “You are a good fighter but in June in Montreal, I will whup your ass.”
Miranda, smiling, countered that Pascal was so unknown that no one was interested in him.
“Can anyone tell me where he’s coming from? HBO doesn’t know him. Nobody knows him, so tell me who he is?”
Should both fighters emerge victorious plenty of people will be interested in this match up. The super middleweight division is now bursting with exciting fighters and intriguing match ups and Miranda and Pascal are right in the thick of things.
ESPN’s Friday Night Fights starts at 9 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.