Edison Miranda Back As A Light-Heavyweight On Saturday, “Pantera” Still Believes!

By James Slater: This coming Saturday, on the under-card of the Carl Froch-Glen Johnson “Super-Six” semi-final, exiting warrior Edison Miranda will return as a light-heavyweight. The powerful Colombian who has fallen short at world level – losing to Kelly Pavlik, Arthur Abraham, Andre Ward and Lucian Bute, being stopped by all apart from Ward – has a new trainer and his manager believes his fighter can still win a world title.

The 30-year-old with the 33-5(29) record will face journeyman Rayco Saunders over a scheduled eight-rounds. 36-year-old Saunders has a so-so record at 20-13-2(8), but he is tough and durable, having been stopped just once. Miranda, who has not fought since Bute halted him inside three-rounds last April, will likely get some good, rust-removing rounds under his belt on Saturday.

Miranda has fought as a light-heavyweight before (winning a couple of bouts at the weight in 2009, one in 2005), and he and his team now believe he can work his way up to a shot at one of the belt-holders at 175.

Miranda’s manager, Steve Benbasat, told Fightnews.com how the plan is for “Pantera” to get past Rayco and then “go for the gusto. Whoever is big at 175 at the time. Maybe Jean Pascal or Tavoris Cloud.”

Now being trained by Noel Carbajal, Miranda is reported to have been learning new things, such as improving his defence. Very much promising a new-look Miranda, Benbasat rightly pointed out that his fighter has only ever lost to the very best. Always exciting win or lose, Miranda could possibly liven things up at 175-pounds.

The fighters Benbasat mentioned, in Pascal and Cloud, would sure make interesting opponents for Miranda. Pascal now needs a good comeback win; maybe he will look Miranda’s way. Cloud, as all-action as Miranda, wants the big names himself, but if he cannot get the fights he wants with the likes of Hopkins, Dawson and others, maybe he will opt to defend his IBF belt against the Colombian. And what a thrilling fire-fight that one would be!

As vulnerable as he has looked in losing, Miranda will almost always have the fans tuning in to see him due to his kill-or-be-killed style. Assuming he gets the win on Saturday (the fight with Rayco will be an off-TV bout unfortunately), Miranda will surely get at least one more big chance.