15.05.08 – Exclusive Interview by James Slater: This June, at The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida, two super-middleweights with a history will meet for a second time in a highly anticipated rematch. Back in September of 2006, in defending IBF middleweight champion Arthur Abraham’s home country of Germany, Abraham met the big-punching Columbian Edison “Pantera” Miranda.
What followed was one of the most brutal and controversial fights of recent years. Abraham suffered a broken jaw, by an illegal Miranda head butt according to the German, and a bloody battle ensued. Abraham won on points, but Miranda cried robbery. Now, on June 21st, at a non-title fight catch weight of 166 pounds, the two fierce enemies meet again.
Fans will likely know both Miranda and his exciting style well. After the loss to Abraham, the Columbian who now calls Puerto Rico his home fought the fearsome Kelly Pavlik in a final eliminator for a shot at then middleweight champ Jermain Taylor.. Miranda lost, but claims his being forced to make middleweight was the reason. Miranda has since moved up to 168 pounds and has looked good in doing so. Winning a world title is still his main priority, but the chance to get revenge over Abraham proved way too enticing an opportunity to pass – even though their rematch will not contest any title. Also, after an almost-signed fight with Mikkell Kessler fell through for “Pantera” this bout was very much welcomed.
Speaking to me through his interpreter and co-manager Greg Wantman recently, the 27-year-old Miranda, 30-2(26) had his game face very much on. Indeed, before even asking Miranda a question Wantman told me how he’s never seen his fighter so motivated and up for a fight.
Here is what Edison had to say.
Q. Firstly, with your known weight problems in the past, will the Abraham rematch taking place at 166 pounds affect you at all?
Miranda: I was asked what the lowest weight I was willing to come down to would be for this fight. 166 pounds was the lowest I was willing to go down to. I am really a big super-middleweight, but with the right diet and the time I have [before the fight] I will be able to make this weight and keep my strength. Ideally, I would have liked the fight at 168-170 pounds, but Abraham refused to come up that high. I don’t see a problem for me at 166 pounds.
Q. Abraham has said you could not beat him last time, when he had a broken jaw. He also says you fought dirty. How do you respond to this claim?
Miranda: Anyone who has seen me fight knows I am not a dirty fighter. Other than the fight in Germany, I have only ever had one point deducted from me in my whole career. In my first fight with Abraham the referee (Randy Neumann) threatened to disqualify me for legal shots to the body. I had no choice but to change my game-plan. Also, the head butt for which I was deducted points, came about simply because I was trying to work myself free from a clinch. I became frustrated in the fight, yes, but I am not a dirty fighter. In fact, if anyone was a dirty fighter in Germany it was Abraham. How many times did he hold me and rabbit punch me? He would even hold the ropes with me trapped between his arms! It was unreal, I cannot believe the stuff he was allowed to get away with. I tell you this, though, I am going to kill the guy this time!
Q. Before we get to fight two, do you still feel you won the first fight with Abraham?
Miranda: Yes. I actually feel I won the fight twice. I won in the 5th round (when a long time-out was called and it seemed as though the champion could not carry on due to his busted jaw) and I won on points also. That fight was just a robbery. I was robbed in Germany! (the official scores were 116-109, 115-109 and 114-109 – all for Abraham)
Q. So how will you win this time?
Miranda: Like I say, I’m going to kill him! There is nobody that is going to stop me from doing this. I have been waiting for this rematch to happen ever since the day I left Germany. Abraham is a fool for getting back in the ring with me. I will make him pay for pretending to be a champion after I destroyed him the first time. I will not let up until he is beaten. I want him to feel pain!
Q. What are Abraham’s strengths as a fighter?
Miranda: His only strength is that he fights in his own country of Germany. He is a crap fighter anywhere else and I will expose this for the whole world to see come June 21st. I do not think he is a good boxer at all, or a real champion.
Q. So what type of fight are you expecting? It clearly sounds as though you think it will be brutal?
Miranda: It will be hide and seek. He will try and run from me. But the ring is only so large, and there are only four corners [for him] to run to. I will hunt him down like a wounded pig and slaughter him. The referee, whoever it is, better be ready to jump in before he gets too badly hurt. In Germany, I felt bad for him with every punch. His face looked horrible and he was bleeding non-stop. But now I want him to feel the pain again. The last fight will look like it was written by Walt Disney compared to what I plan on doing to him in this fight!
Q. Let’s just talk briefly about your great, but losing fight with Kelly Palvlik. Was it your weight problems that led to your loss?
Miranda: Without a doubt. Kelly Pavlik is a great fighter, but I had to lose 47 pounds in less than six weeks for that fight. That nearly killed me! Making middleweight was always difficult for me, but I really wanted to fight Jermain Taylor bad. I am a much better fighter up at 168 pounds, and a much bigger puncher – just ask David Banks (3rd round KO victim in Miranda’s last fight, in January of this year) if you can wake him up that is!
Q. Aside from putting on weight since the loss to Pavlik, what other changes have you made to your game?
Miranda: I’ve been working very hard on my movement and on my defence in the ring. I really believe that if I’d been able to have avoided some of Pavlik’s punches I’d have still been in the fight. Honestly, I am a much better fighter now, as a super-middleweight.
Q. You almost had a fight signed with Mikkell Kessler. How annoyed were you that that fight never came off?
Miranda: I still think that fight will happen. I plan on getting to Kessler next. But after he sees what I do to Abraham I doubt he will want to sign the contract. Both fights [Kessler and Abraham] are great fights, but for different reasons. I had to jump on this opportunity to fight Abraham again now, while he is stupid enough to step in the ring with me. I knew I may not get this chance again.
Q. You’re clearly pumped up for June 21st already. Do you have a final prediction?
Miranda: I am in shape already. There will be no shortcuts with the training for this fight. I will say this in closing; put your children to bed early, because I do not want them to see what my fists are capable of doing. The last time we fought, Abraham left the dressing room on a stretcher. This time he will not be so lucky. This time the stretcher better be waiting for him in his corner!
Like his style and attitude or not, Edison Miranda is a fighter who is not afraid to speak his mind!