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Kelly Pavlik Wrecks Edison Miranda In Seven; Taylor decisions Spinks
By Frank Gonzalez Jr.
The REAL Main Event was disguised as the under-card at the Fed Ex Forum in Memphis Tennessee, where in a WBC eliminator bout, Kelly “The Ghost” Pavlik (26-0, 28 KO’s) hunted down the ever-dangerous Edison “Pantera” Miranda (28-2, 24 KO’s) with constant pressure and solid boxing skills in a highly anticipated match up Saturday night. This is the kind of fight that fans want to see, two guys on top of their game, taking the big risk of fighting each other.
The so-called Main Event was a boring contest of a Bull, (WBC Middleweight Champ Jermain Taylor, 27-0, 17 KO’s) who couldn’t catch the Matador (Cory Spinks, 39-4, 11 KO’s), who couldn’t hurt the Bull. Spinks was able to win the first two rounds by out-boxing and landing cleaner, pity-pat punches. Taylor went on to win almost every round that followed on the basis of pressing the fight, landing the stronger punches and sustaining zero damage from Spinks, who managed to make Taylor look bad, even in victory.
This fight was a lose-lose situation for Jermain Taylor because if he won, well, he was supposed to win over yet another, blown up Welterweight opponent. If Taylor lost, or even if the fight was close, Taylor’s stock would plummet. This fight turned out to be so boring that fans were booing from the third round to the end. They even chanted, “Cory, Cory!” to either inspire Spinks to pull an upset or to let Taylor know that they weren’t the least bit impressed with his choice of opponent. Imagine if Taylor’s camp wasn’t able to choose who to fight, but was instead, mandated to fight the top contender that actually earned a shot at the Title?
I don’t understand how Spinks gets a shot at the Middleweight Champ’s Title in his first bout at 160-pounds? What about all the other top contenders in the division? Of course, there’s lots of banter about how Team Taylor tried to ink this fighter or that one and they all turned the offers down. Spinks was actually a substitute for Sergio Mora, who declined to fight in what he claimed to be Taylor’s backyard. Does Mora expect the Champ to go fight the Challenger in the Challengers choice of venue? It sounds a lot like bullshit to me.
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For all the excitement that swirled around Edison Miranda for his ferocious style of fighting, Kelly Pavlik humbly came in as the underdog who executed a simple plan that turned the hard-hitting Miranda into a soft swiping kitty. To his credit, Miranda showed a lot of heart when things looked bleak. This match showed Pavlik to be the superior boxer, the more accurate puncher and in the end, the man with the better chin.
Maybe Miranda just had a bad night. Maybe he overlooked Pavlik, who managed to dominated him in every round with the possible exception of the second round, where Miranda was able to mount some effective offense, but even in that round, good arguments can be made that Pavlik landed at a higher rate and was busier and more effective for more of the round.
The Fight
Round 1
An immediate slugfest ensued as they met at center ring to exchange punches. Both landed some good shots but Pavlik took control of the action by applying pressure and forcing Miranda to fight going backwards. Pavlik consistently pressed Miranda towards the ropes with his jab and followed through with combinations that scored. Pavlik caught Miranda with a big right that rocked him. As Pavlik worked Miranda against the corner ropes, it looked like Miranda might not make it out of the first round. It was only the first round and Miranda was looking weakened, his punches had no snap. Pavlik had his way with Miranda. 10-9 Pavlik.
Round 2
Miranda’s corner advised him to stay at center ring and not move backwards toward the ropes. Within seconds, Miranda’s back was against the ropes and Pavlik was pressuring and forcing him to fight backwards anyway. Miranda came on strong midway into the round and caught Pavlik with a few clean punches to the face. Pavlik came on strong late in the round and scored often, again forcing Miranda to backpedal. Both guys had some good moments but Pavlik had more of them. 10-9 Pavlik.
Round 3
Pavlik used his size advantage impressively, using his jab and always mindful to keep Miranda going backwards. During one slugfest, Miranda landed a shot to the nose that made Pavlik bleed but it was Pavlik doing the most damage and controlling the action. Miranda looked spent late in the round and threw a couple of low blows. The referee, Steve Smoger warned Miranda. That was the third warning by that point. Pavlik looked great and en route to a knock out win. 10-9 Pavlik.
Round 4
Though Miranda’s corner implored him to change strategy and take the fight to Pavlik instead of allowing the reverse, Miranda was incapable of doing so. As soon as he’d press just a little, Pavlik went right after him and turned Miranda back into a defensive mode, where Miranda rendered ineffective. Pavlik cracked Miranda with a right hand that stunned him again. Miranda’s right eye was swelling badly. His face was puffing up all over the place. He was getting his ass handed to him by a guy who did all his talking in the ring. Pavlik’s superior boxing skills were proving too much for Miranda. Pavlik punished Miranda, who was going backwards the whole round and capped off the round with a clean, left, right combo. 10-9 Pavlik.
Round 5
Miranda tried to adjust midway by boxing from the outside. Again, Miranda threw a low punch and again was warned. At one point, Miranda tapped his chest and waved Pavlik in. Pavlik happily complied and some good shots were applied. Miranda showed heart and came on with a series of scoring rights. It was a good moment for Miranda but far from enough to have won him the round. 10-9 Pavlik.
Round 6
Miranda tried to be the Presser instead of the Pressed, but that didn’t work out. Pavlik steered him into the ropes and landed another big right, followed by more punches that saw Miranda drop. Smoger counted and Miranda got up quick enough but didn’t look too steady. Miranda spit out the mouthpiece and Smoger gave him all kinds of time as he walked him to his corner to replace the mouthpiece. Smoger took a point from Miranda for forcing this blatant extension of recovery time. When action resumed, Pavlik went for the finish, throwing a volley of punches that floored Miranda again. Miranda beat the count and the bell rang, saving him from being knocked out. 10-6 Pavlik.
Round 7
Miranda was physically spent, beat up and ready to crumble but tried to fight on. Pavlik walked right through him with punches that drove him into the ropes where he was floored again by a right, left, right combination. The referee stepped between the fighters and it was over. Pavlik had won by TKO- 7.
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Congratulations to Kelly Pavlik, who proved himself to be one of the most exciting fighters in the Middleweight division. During the post fight interview, Pavlik implied that Miranda was over-rated and that he knew from watching his fights that Miranda was not good going backwards, so it was his strategy to force him to fight that way. When asked if he wants to fight
Jermain Taylor, he said, “Of course I want to fight the Champion.”
There was more excitement in one round of Miranda vs. Pavlik than there was in the entire Taylor vs. Spinks fight. The only exciting thing about Taylor vs. Spinks was that one Judge, Dick Flaherty, scored the bout 117-111 in favor of Spinks. Maybe we can all use a shot of whatever Flaherty was drinking Saturday night.
When Jermain Taylor was interviewed after his boring fight, he praised Kelly Pavlik for his victory over Miranda. When asked if he wanted to fight Pavlik, he said, “I’ll fight anybody!” When pressed by HBO’s Larry Merchant for a clearer answer, Taylor said he would fight whoever will make him the most money. So, there you have it. This is what today’s Middleweight Champion is—a businessman first and a warrior second. It’s high time for some serious changes in how boxing operates. It’s time for a ranking system that rewards contenders that earn their way towards a Title instead of the incoherent way Champions are made these days.
I’m sure most fans want to see Jermain Taylor fight Kelly Pavlik next. Since WBA Champ Felix Sturm and IBF Champ Arthur Abraham have no mandate to fight Jermain Taylor, it will boil down to money and politics over the spirit of competition and the quest to render a single Champion of the division. According to Taylor’s camp, Sturm and Abraham have turned down offers to fight Jermain, so it’s unlikely these so-called Champions will fight each other.
Taylor is a good fighter. Though he doesn’t knock a lot of guys out, he finds ways to win, though at times controversial and ugly. Too many of Taylor’s opponents have been smaller men of dubious qualification. Pavlik has shown himself to have high quality boxing skills, a good chin and respectable power in both hands. I can’t help but think that if Taylor had fought Pavlik Saturday night instead of Spinks, Taylor would have lost his Titles. But all the speculation in the world doesn’t mean a thing until those two guys step in the ring and fight.
Lets hope Taylor vs. Pavlik happens soon. It may not ‘save boxing’ but it would be a step in the right direction.
Pavlik KO’s Miranda in Slugfest; Taylor wins controversial decision
By Anthony Coleman:
Last night in Memphis we saw the best middleweight in the world give a sensational performance which resulted in a knockout victory over a top rated boxer. Unfortunately it wasn’t the middleweight champion who was responsible for the performance. Kelly Pavlik shut the mouths of his skeptics in his brutal KO victory over Edison Miranda; showing a decent chin, great technical skills and of course world class punching power. Meanwhile, Jermain Taylor won another in a seemingly long line of controversial decisions over Cory Spinks and proceeded to stink out the joint in the process. It was an abysmal fight that once again showed the worst in Taylor.
From the very beginning Pavlik proved his supremacy by imposing his size and length over Miranda. Pavlik would repeatedly back up Miranda and throw crisp hard sharp combinations that landed flush every time. From the jump Miranda seemed confused by the fact that Pavlik was not intimidated by his punching power and he seemed befuddled by merely being backed up.
Because he was being pushed backwards, Miranda couldn’t get his feet set and put the snap behind his punches. He was constantly off balanced and by the end of the third round, one fact was clear: Miranda was an incomplete fighter and Pavlik is a complete prize fighter.
By the fifth round Miranda’s eyes were badly swollen and the accumulation of punishment was beginning to take its toll on him. While Miranda was fading, Pavlik was going at the job of thoroughly and professionally dissecting him. Whether it was throwing combinations on the inside, using a jab and right cross, on the ropes or at the center of the ring Pavlik was in complete control of the fight.
Then in the sixth round Pavlik lowered the boom by badly stunning Miranda with a right cross on the ropes and a follow up combination sent him sprawling to the canvas. Referee Steve Smoger would later deduct a point from Miranda because of his spitting out of the mouthpiece. Miranda barley beat the count, but rose badly battered. Then a follow-up combination would send Miranda back to the canvas and once again he would beat the count and survive the round. But it was obvious that the end was at hand.
The end finally came when Pavlik caught up to the wounded Miranda and sent him to the canvas again and this prompted Smoger to finally stop the bludgeoning. Pavlik KO7. To be quite honest this was an excellent performance by Miranda. He showed power, poise and a complete offensive arsenal tonight. For my money he is the best Middleweight in the world and I’d favor him over Arthur Abraham, Felix Sturm and of course Jermain Taylor. With this win Pavlik gains universal recognition as the number one contender to the Middleweight Title. Yet sadly, we may never see him take on Jermain Taylor. If Taylor leaves to go up to 168 pounds Kelly Pavlik may end up winning the vacant title ala Lennox Lewis 15 years ago. However, with that being said if Taylor stays at 160 lbs this fight must take place. It would be the biggest Middleweight fight in years.
As for the “main-event” of the night, let me just say I won’t even bore my readers with a recap for this dreadful fight as it was the worst title of the year so far. But I will say this: Taylor once again escaped with his title after another controversial decision. I personally scored the fight 115-113 for Spinks as I gave him credit for his ring generalship and defense over Taylor’s sloppy offense. This makes it four out of his last five fights now that Taylor has won or drawn a disputed decision. In fact I think he has lost 3 out of his last five fights (the 1st Hopkins fight, the Wright fight and now Spinks). In fact I don’t understand what HBO and Dibella see in this guy.
I’ll be real for a moment: I think that Taylor is without a shadow of a doubt the most overrated elite fighter in the sport today. Hell, I go one step further: I don’t even think that he is a good champion. He’s merely adequate. Honestly, I can’t think of any other fighter who appears on Pound-for-Pound lists who is as pedestrian, as beatable as Taylor. His list of flaws easily outweighs his positives.
The man has terrible defense, his combination punching is sloppy, his balance is a major problem, he has bad footwork, he keeps his hands held low and his boxing IQ is severely limited. Even his vaunted jab is overrated because he throws it at such a low angle and drops his hands to his chest after he’s done jabbing. He is literally open to the right cross every time he throws it.
Plus, I can’t understand the investment that HBO has made in this man. If you looked at the crowd last night you would have seen a sea of empty seats and it is indicative of the boxing public’s opinion about him. We simply don’t want to pay to see him fight. Not only is he a built up HBO product, but his fights are boring to watch. Why would HBO willingly sink so much money into him if the returns are so mediocre? He simply isn’t over with the crowd and you know what HBO, he never will be. In the grand scheme of things, Jermain Taylor is just another guy.
More damning is the fact that Taylor may have sunk all of his goodwill with hardcore and casual boxing fans with his embarrassing post fight interview with Larry Merchant. Instead of announcing that he will fight the best available or most deserving fighter, Taylor said that he is only searching for the biggest payday. When I heard his comment I was shaking my head in disgust. A true champion should fight the most deserving fighter because that is what he will be judged by the quality of opposition he faced. Taylor seems only concerned now with taking the easy road.
You know what? It doesn’t matter, because most boxing fans are beginning to see how much of a fraud Taylor truly is. When he fights the Kelly Pavliks, Mikkel Kesslers and Joe Calzaghes of the world the Taylor façade will completely. Mark my words; if Taylor faces any of those men he will be taken to school. Just wait and see.
Last night’s HBO card represented both the worst and best in Boxing. Edison Miranda and Kelly Pavlik gave us a very good bout, and Pavlik showed why he is one of Boxing’s true rising stars. On the other hand we saw Taylor and Spinks provide fight fans with a terrible main event, and Taylor once again was unimpressive in “victory”. Yet because of the results of last night’s telecast, boxing fans may have a lot to look forward to. Whether it be Pavlik versus Taylor, or Taylor fight with Calzaghe, the next few months for the Middleweight and Super Middleweight division will be quite exciting. Let’s just hope that this excitement will provide fight fans with great fights.
Pavlik Stops Miranda In Seven Round War!
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).
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