17.01.08 – By Phil Santos – Overhandright.com: Edison Miranda – “I watched the last Lacy fight and was not impressed at all. I also watched the Contender and my feeling was the same about Bika. These guys are simply not at my level.”
I caught up with the punishing power puncher Edison Miranda following his sensational knockout of David Banks on ESPN’s Friday Night Fights. As always Miranda pulled no punches, so to speak, as he gave me his take on a second fight with Pavlik, his thoughts on Jeff Lacy and Sakio Bika and what a typical day of training entails.
The once top rated Middleweight contender now inhabits the Super Middleweight division. And make no mistake about it he wants to fight the best the division has to offer. Here is what Pantera had to say, enjoy..
PS: Firstly congratulations on an outstanding, sensational win over David Banks.
Miranda: Thank you very much.
PS: Since becoming one of the top rated Middleweights you recently made the move up to Super Middleweight. You fought Allan Green at a catch weight of 162 before meeting Pavlik at 160. When did you realize that physically you could no longer make the Middleweight limit?
Miranda: I’ve always had trouble since I was a big Middleweight, but in the Pavlik fight my body would not lose the weight no matter what I did. I felt like I had an obligation to the fans to fight that night, but afterwards, I knew I had to consider going to Super Middleweight.
PS: You have notched two impressive wins, both by knockout, since moving up to Super Middle. Can you comfortably make 168 lbs or do you still have to work, specifically, to make weight before a fight?
Miranda: I still have to work very hard to make weight at 168 but it’s a comfortable weight for me. I don’t have to kill myself to lose the weight and I also have my power back.
PS: What is a normal day of training camp for you? Take me through your routine.
Miranda: We wake up each day around 6 and run for about an hour. Then we rest until 2pm before heading to the gym. From 2 to 5 we work very hard in the gym. It’s quite intense but I love to train. It’s my life. If it’s not a sparring day then we do a lot of work with the mitts and bags to perfect my skills on both offense and defense. There’s a lot of sit-ups and stretching as well. We watch video of other fighters to learn new techniques. At the end of training I meet with my nutritionist and then it’s time to eat dinner. Shortly after that, it’s time to relax and go to sleep.
PS: You were rated the #4 Middleweight in the world by the Ring Magazine before your move up in weight. Currently you are not rated at 168 lbs with fighter like Jean Pascal and Allan Green appearing in the top ten at #10 and #7. How does that make you feel, and what are your thoughts on Green and Pascal?
Miranda: I’m sure it will be soon when you see me ahead of these guys in the rankings. I only fought two fights at Super Middleweight and I believe that’s the issue. Everyone knows I dominated Allan Green. And after last Friday night, the whole world knows that this Pascal guy will be dropped within three rounds by me. Neither fighter is in my league and it’s just a matter of time before the rankings recognize this.
PS: From what I have seen both Jeff Lacy and Sakio Bika are two fighters currently ranked above you with whom you match up very well with. What are your thoughts on fighting Lacy or Bika? What do you think of them as fighters?
Miranda: I watched the last Lacy fight and was not impressed at all. I also watched the Contender and my feeling was the same about Bika. These guys are simply not at my level. If I need to fight them to prove it, I will. But I want to face the best in the Super Middleweight division and these two guys certainly are not the best.
PS: I’m going to throw a three part question at you. You have stated recently that you want the winner of Pavlik vs. Taylor II.
1. Who do you think wins that rematch and how?
Miranda: I think Taylor actually has a good chance to win but I’m afraid that he will fight scared. If he does this, then Pavlik will win for sure.
2. Assuming Pavlik wins; How would Miranda vs. Pavlik II be different from you first fight?
Miranda: After knocking out two guys at Super Middleweight with decent records I feel more comfortable telling the world that Pavlik faced ½ of Edison Miranda due to my health issue that night. When I fight him again at 168, he will see the whole Edison Miranda and it will be a different outcome. Even in the condition I was in that night, I had him hurt here and there and it still went 7 rounds (like Taylor). Next time, it will be him moving backwards and him getting KO’d – I promise!
3. Assuming Taylor wins; Tell me how Miranda vs. Taylor would go down?
Miranda: I think Taylor would not be able to handle my constant pressure and power just like he couldn’t handle Pavlik’s. He will enter the ring scared of me and he will get KO’d.
PS: If for some reason you can’t secure a fight with Taylor or Pavlik is there anyone else in the division that you would really like a crack at?
Miranda: I want to fight the best in the division. As a pro boxer, I have always said that and I have backed it up. If my management calls me today and asks me to fight Calzaghe, I will take the fight in a second. No one scares me!
PS: You have been on the delivering end of many brutal kayos. Most recently you almost deposited David Banks into the front row. After walking through nearly all of you opponents how did you rebound mentally and physically from you fight with Kelly Pavlik?
Miranda: It was simple. There was no mental recovery needed or change of style needed. All I needed to do was move up in weight. I told my team this in the locker room after the Pavlik fight, and I backed it up with 2 KO’s against guys with decent records. Now, I’m ready for the best at 168 and I hope Pavlik moves up so we can do it again.
PS: A lot was made after the Pavlik fight about you looking past Pavlik and focusing too much on Taylor. Do you think that these events had any effect on the fight?
Miranda: Not at all. I just had a fight with Banks and I spent the whole press conference yelling at Pascal. As you can see, that didn’t matter. When I’m heading into a fight I’m focused on who I am fighting regardless of what you hear. The only problem the night of Pavlik was my health.
PS: How many more times do you plan on fighting in 2008?
Miranda: I feel great right now. If it was up to me I’d fight every 10 weeks, but we all know that there’s a waiting game in boxing. Many times you need to sit back and see the results of other fights before you can decide what to do. All I can say is I will wait for the next opponent my management calls me up with and then head to the gym and train my butt off.
PS: To wrap things up is there anything you would like to say to your many fans and/or your future opponents?
Miranda: I do all this for the fans. I feel I need to entertain them since they pay to come and watch me and that’s why I’m such an aggressive and feared fighter. They want to see KO’s and that’s what I deliver. They want to see someone willing to fight anyone anywhere and I’m willing to do that as well. Thanks for all the support!
Thank you very much Edison for taking the time to do this interview. Best of luck in future fights, and thanks for all the thrilling moments you have delivered us in the ring. I also want to thank Steve Benbasat for making this interview possible.