By Frank Gonzalez Jr— If you remember the first time Edison “Pantera” Miranda (30-3, 26 KO’s) and “King” Arthur Abraham (27-0, 22 KO’s) fought (back in September of 2006 for the IBF Middleweight title), Miranda broke Abraham’s jaw and bullied him for most of the fight but lost a controversial decision because Miranda was penalized for a total of five points during the course of the fight. The referee in that fight was Randy Newman. Three points were taken for low blows (two of which were questionable, as they were on the beltline) and two points for a head butt that appeared intentional. Many arguments can be made that Miranda beat the snot out of Abraham that night in Germany—but still lost the fight.
Though Abraham was hurt and more focused on defense after being injured, he did manage to land some very telling shots that night, particularly with his right hand. Though Miranda was busier and clearly did more damage in that fight, he suffered his first professional loss in a fight he should have won. For Miranda, Saturday night was time for redemption..
The Rematch
Round One
Miranda and Abraham fought tentatively in the first round. Abraham jabbed and threw a low shot and was warned (by referee Telis Assimenios) for a low punch. Miranda landed a nice right. Not much in this round, which I considered even at 10-10.
Round Two
Miranda landed an uppercut, followed by a couple of shots to the body. Abraham fought defensively as Miranda pressed forward with more punches. Miranda threw a low punch and was warned. 10-9 Miranda.
Round Three
Abraham landed a big right to the jaw that stunned Miranda. Miranda was warned for measuring. Abraham cracked Miranda with another right and a moment later, with a left hook. 10-9 Abraham.
Round Four
Abraham landed a clean right, left combo that floored Miranda. Miranda got up quick enough and a left hook from Abraham put him back down. Miranda got up and beat the count. Abraham went for the kill and threw a right that missed but followed with a left hook that caught Miranda on top of his head and down he went for a third time. This time, the referee stopped it.
It was over. Abraham wins by TKO 4.
Miranda sat on the canvas, dazed and disappointed. Abraham celebrated with his arms raised and a big smile.
It looks like there’ll be no need for a rubber match. Abraham ended up getting his redemption Saturday night. Conveniently for Abraham, this fight was at a catch weight, so Abraham’s IBF Middleweight Title was not even on the line.
For Miranda, it’s back to the drawing board. For all of his offensive prowess, Miranda needs to work on his defensive skills and become a more complete fighter. At 27 years old, he still has time to regroup and make his mark. He has one quality that is always marketable and that is the wild excitement he brings to the ring. Miranda now has three losses on his record, two to Abraham and one to Kelly Pavlik.
Miranda would do well to work on his defensive skills and then go after the likes of Mikkel Kessler, Jermain Taylor, Vitaly Tsypko, Jean Pascal or even Jeff Lacy (as a confidence builder). If he beats any of those guys, he can easily find himself back in line for another title shot.
Congratulations to Arthur Abraham, who showed disciplined boxing skills complimented by solid power in both hands. He and Kelly Pavlik are arguably the best fighters in the Middleweight division and as such, should fight each other. Now that Abraham has come and won here in the USA, fight fans will be eager to see the best against the best. For the promoters, this is a win-win situation. Abraham vs. Pavlik is an intriguing match up. Both are quality boxers with good power, defense and ring generalship. Considering that Pavlik just fought two weeks ago and Abraham just fought yesterday, it’s totally reasonable that they can schedule their next fight to be against each other. Let’s hope Pavlik vs. Abraham happens inside the next six months.
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