By James Slater: A genuine grudge fight takes place in Hollywood, Florida on June the 21st. Super-middleweight Edison “Pantera” Miranda faces “King” Arthur Abraham in a rematch that is set for a catch weight of 166 non-title pounds. For though Abraham is the reigning IBF middleweight champion, these two will meet in an above weight non-title affair that will mean so much more than just a belt. Quite simply, Miranda and Abraham cannot stand each other!
The dislike stems from their first meeting. Fighting back in September of 2006, Miranda and Abraham boxed a contest that decided the German’s IBF 160-pound world title. What followed was one of the most brutal, one of the most controversial and one of the most talked about middleweight title fights of recent years. The fight, which was won by the defending champ via a unanimous decision, was filled with fouls, time-outs, exciting action and a severely damaged jaw. The busted chin belonged to the defending champion, and the way it was broken proved to be the overwhelming talking point of the fierce fight.
Miranda says the jaw was broken by a legal punch, Miranda claims otherwise and says a head butt did the damage. Now, some 21 months later, the two fighters will meet to settle their differences. “Pantera,” the big-punching warrior from Colombia, says he hates Abraham for impersonating a world champion and has vowed to beat him harshly this time around. Abraham has said that Miranda could not beat him last time, despite his broken jaw, and that he will fail again in the rematch. Who will be proven to be correct?
Abraham is unbeaten, while Miranda has been beaten twice. “Pantera” was stopped by Kelly Pavlik in a middleweight title fight eliminator, and the Colombian also lost the controversial one to the German. Problems making weight may have had something to do with the stoppage loss to “The Ghost,” but this remains a contentious issue. Abraham feels Miranda is an over-rated fighter and that he will prove so on June 21st. For his part, the 27-year-old Colombian who endured a seriously harsh childhood is reportedly training with incredible venom – so desperate is he to crush his rival.
The fight is a tough one to pick a winner from. Will Miranda’s weight issues affect him? (though he has moved up to super-middleweight this weight limit too is a tough one for Edison to make – and June’s fight is at 166, don’t forget). Will Abraham have flashbacks to fight one as soon as Miranda tears at him? Is Miranda an over-rated fighter? Will Abraham’s jaw ever be as strong as it was before September of 2006? Will both fighters simply go at one another when they meet on the 21st, all but abandoning strategy? Will Abraham-Miranda II be one of the most action-packed fights of the year?
These questions and others will be answered at The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino on June the 21st. This one can’t come fast enough!