Jaime Castro Núñez – After three intense years, Edison Miranda returns to Germany in order to challenge WBO super middleweight champion Robert Stieglitz. From his bitter experience against Arthur Abraham in 2006, he knows that an extra effort will be required to win. The unfair circumstances under which he fought at Wetzlar’s Rittal Arena that finally led to Abraham’s highly controversial victory, taught Miranda that confidence in a foreign land is something that simply cannot be afforded..
Since then, the boy from Buenaventura, Colombia, now living in the Los Angeles area, has fought ten times, losing 3 and wining 7. In May 2007, he got knocked out by Kelly Pavlik and thirteen months later Arthur Abraham “took revenge”, easily dispatching him in four rounds. It was a master, powerful performance by the Armenian that this time left no doubts. Most recently, in Oakland, Andre Ward inflicted “Pantera” the fourth loss of his career. Analyzing Edison’s last 7 victories, one can tell basically two things, none of them new to boxing fans: that they haven’t been against top contenders and the ratification of his incredible, devastating punching power. Only Allan Green saw the last round. The rest went as follows:
Gibbs and Sierra: KO 1
Banks and Esparza: KO 3
Porras and Vegas: KO 5
Although not well-known here in America, Robert Stieglitz, the champion, holds a solid record of 36 wins -22 of them by KO- and only two losses. He captured the WBO super middleweight belt four months ago in Budapest against 30-year-old Karoly Balzsay, then unbeaten in 21 professional bouts, after an incredible come-from-behind performance that forced a TKO in the eleventh round. Unlike Miranda, the Russian hasn’t been in the ring with Class A fighters, but he seems to have certain power and good skills. Stieglitz has lost twice. On March 3, 3007, he was knocked out by Colombia’s Alejandro “Ñaco” Berrío, who claimed the vacant IBF super middleweight title. Seven months later, during the first defense, “Ñaco” lost it to Lucian Bute in Montreal. Stieglitz’s second defeat, also by KO, came in 2008 when he faced Librado Andrade at Casino Morongo in Cabazon, CA.
The Stieglitz-Miranda fight will take place on January 9, 2010 in Germany and I, personally, don’t see the champion escaping from the heavy hands of the Colombian. Keeping in mind that anything can happen in a given fight, I think Stieglitz has a surviving chance if he outboxes “Pantera”. I recognize the fact that Edison Miranda is not in possession of the strongest chin ever, but that doesn’t mean anybody can knock him down. A soft, well-put punch can dispatch Goliath. With that being said, I think sending Edison Miranda to the canvas requires a higher power than the one I assume Stieglitz has. Unless I either ignore or underestimate the champ’s fists, it’s hard for me to imagine the challenger getting knocked out in January. Although it may happen, a victory by decision is less hard for me to see.
But as stated before, I don’t imagine Stieglitz outboxing Miranda. Miranda’s chin isn’t the strongest one, but Stieglitz isn’t the most skilled fighter, either. Here, we probably have an even match in which two solid Class B fighters have an opportunity two show they deserve more. Assuming no controversy or dubious arbitration will take place in Germany, the key point, at least to me, is that Edison’s biggest asset, which is power, surpasses Robert’s, which is skill. I usually don’t lean on my own understanding when Colombian boxers are involved because I recognize my biases, but for this particular encounter I’ll let them guide me and take their suggestion: Edison Miranda by knock out around the fifth.