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| We caught up with Edison Pantera Miranda after his destruction of Allan Green. We discussed the fight, his future plans, his boxing skills and how he deals with his critics. Here is what he had to say. First I want to say congratulations on your big win over Allan Green. It is always a pleasure watching one of your fights. You give every fan their moneys worth and then some. Thank you for taking the time to speak with us at Overhandright.com so soon after your recent win. This kid is the truth, a champion in the making and a ton of fun to watch. Thanks Edison - Phil: There were plenty of experts out there who favored AllanGreen to win this fight. So how did you turn Green, someone who many believe is a slick boxer with good power into a tentative, back-peddling counter puncher? Pantera: SIMPLE...I GAVE HIM A TASTE OF MY POWER IN THE FIRST ROUND AND HE DIDN'T WANT ANYTHING TO DO WITH THAT THE REST OF THE FIGHT. SO, HE CHANGED HIS ENTIRE GAME PLAN JUST LIKE I THOUGHT HE WOULD AND RAN. I THINK YOU NEED TO BE CRAZY TO WANT TO EXCHANGE WITH ME AND I GUESS HE'S NOT CRAZY. Phil: Obviously most guys in your line of work talk a little trash leading up to afight. Green talked a lot of trash. I read an interview with Green in which he said that he was a power puncher. He went on to promise that he hits harder than you do and that your power was of no concern to him. After all that, did it surprise you that he was so reluctant to stand and trade with you? Was Green the hardest puncher that you've been in the ring with? |
| Pantera: NO IT DIDN'T SURPRISE ME AT ALL THAT HE DIDN'T WANT TO TRADE WITH ME. LIKE I SAID HE WOULD BE CRAZY IF HE DID. MY POWER IS JUST TOO MUCH FOR HIM AS IT WILL BE FOR ANYONE IN THE MIDDLEWEIGHT DIVISION. I THINK GREEN IS A VERY HARD PUNCHER AND VERY GOOD FIGHTER...IT'S JUST THAT HE NEVER GOT A CHANCE TO SHOW THIS THAT NIGHT BECAUSE HE WAS SCARED OF GETTING HIT BY ME AND I DON'T BLAME HIM. THEREFORE, I NEVER FELT ANYTHING TOO STRONG FROM HIM THAT SPECIFIC NIGHT. BUT I THINK HE WILL HAVE A GOOD CAREER AND SHOW HIS POWER AND SKILLS TO OTHER BOXERS HE WILL FACE. Phil: The lone bright spot in the fight for Green was when he caught you with a left hook in the 8th and knocked you down. After suffering that knockdown, knowing that you had the fight well in hand, did you still feel like you had to knock Green down to prove a point? Pantera: THE KNOCKDOWN WAS NOTHING FOR ME...I WAS A BIT OFF BALANCE AND HE CAUGHT ME. ALL IT DID WAS GET ME ANGRIER AS YOU COULD SEE. WHEN I GET HIT, MY NATURAL REACTION IS TO COME BACK STRONGER JUST THE WAY TITO USED TO DO IT WHEN HE WENT DOWN. I WANTED TO SHOW NOT ONLY HIM BUT THE FANS IN PUERTO RICO AND THE FANS WATCHING ON HBO WHO THE BOSS IS. SO I TURNED IT UP A NOTCH EVEN THOUGH I HAD AN EASY WIN. I WANTED TO GIVE THE FANS THEIR MONEY WORTH. I WENT TO DESTROY HIM IN THE 9TH AND 10TH AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I DID. Phil: You tore Green apart in the 10th and final round, flooring him twice and nailing him right up until the bell sounded. Another ten seconds and we might have seen the fight end in a TKO. How satisfying was that final round for you? What was going through your mind when you were going in for the kill? And what was the deal with him pulling your shorts down? Pantera: THE 10TH ROUND WAS PAYBACK FOR HIM. IT WAS SATISFYING TO ME THAT I WAS ABLE TO KNOCK A GUY DOWN TWO TIMES WHO WAS NOT IN THE RING TO FIGHT ONLY TO RUN AND HOLD. IT'S USUALLY HARD TO FINISH OFF A GUY THAT DOES THIS, BUT I WAS ABLE TO GET THROUGH WITH MY POWER. MY CORNER TOLD ME TO RELAX AND KEEP MY HANDS UP, BUT I HAVE A KILLER INSTINCT THAT COMES OUT AND MAKES ME GO FOR THE KILL. I WANTED TO PROVE TO HIM WHO WAS IN CHARGE. I ALSO WANTED TO GIVE THE FANS OF BOXING SOMETHING EXCITING. BOXING NEEDS A FIGHTER LIKE ME JUST LIKE THEY NEEDED TYSON. AS FOR THE SHORT, I THINK WHEN I GUY GOES DOWN AND IS OUT OF IT, HE'LL DO ANYTHING TO HANG ON EVEN IF IT MEANS PULLING MY SHORTS OFF. NO BIG DEAL. |
| Phil: I am a big Pantera fan. However when I watch and score a fight, in order to be credible, I do my best to show no favoritism. Sometimes I find myself being even harder on the guys I root for because I don't want to appear to be a cheerleader. With that being said, I only scored two rounds in the entire fight for Green. You fought a smart, aggressive fight. In my opinion you showed good movement, kept your right hand in position to guard against his left hook, all while attacking and applying constant pressure. What more do you have to do to show fight fans that not only are you a great puncher but you are a pretty damn good boxer as well? Pantera: I HAVE PLENTY OF BOXING SKILLS AND AS I FIGHT MORE AND MORE AGAINST DIFFERENT OPPONENTS THEY WILL COME OUT. I WANTED TO SHOW THIS GUY SOME DIFFERENT THINGS SO I WENT TO PRESSURE HIM AND WENT TO A NON TRADITIONAL STYLE. I HAVE THE ABILITY TO BOX BEAUTIFULLY WHEN NEEDED. BUT THE TRUTH IS, A WIN IS A WIN. I THINK IT TAKES A LOT OF SKILL TO BE ABLE TO PRESSURE A GUY WHO BOXES, PUNCHES HARD, AND NEVER HAS MOVED BACKWARDS TO CHANGE HIS ENTIRE GAME PLAN IN THE FIRST ROUND. BUT PEOPLE DON'T LOOK AT IT THAT WAY. IT'S OKAY. I'LL ALWAYS HAVE MY CRITICS. BUT OVERTIME PEOPLE WILL SEE THAT I AM A VERY WELL ROUNDED FIGHTER. I ALSO GIVE THE FANS THE EXCITEMENT THAT THEY'VE BEEN WAITING FOR INSTEAD OF ALL THESE OTHER SO CALLED SKILLED FIGHTERS THAT ARE BORING TO WATCH. Phil: There are always going to be skeptics. I don't think Green has shaken the cobwebs out of his head yet and people are already talking Miranda vs. Pavlik or Miranda vs. Taylor. When we last spoke I asked you how a fight between you and Pavlik would end. You said "I am hearing that they are trying to set me up with a Pavlik fight and then the winner would face Taylor. That would be great for me since I want to take that belt from Taylor. But, first, let me do my job on March 3rd and get rid of Green." You certainly took care of Green. Now what about Pavlik? How soon would you like to get in the ring with him and how do you think that fight will end? Pantera: IF I HAVE TO FIGHT PAVLIK TO GET TO TAYLOR, NO PROBLEM. I WILL NOT AVOID ANYONE IN ORDER TO GET THE BIG PAY DAY. I THINK HE HAS SOME SKILL BEING THAT HE'S UNDEFEATED. BUT, HE WILL BE NO HARDER TO BEAT THAN GREEN. I THINK PAVLIK WILL BE VERY SURPRISED WHEN HE STEPS IN THE RING WITH ME JUST LIKE GREEN WAS. IF HE COMES TO FIGHT, UNLIKE GREEN, LOOK FOR A KNOCKOUT. I AM READY TO FIGHT HIM NOW. GIVE ME 6 WEEKS NOTICE JUST LIKE THEY GAVE ME WITH GREEN AND I'LL SHOW UP. Phil: The one criticism that I hear about Edison Miranda is that you aren't technically sound. The Ring Magazine has Manny Pacquiao ranked #2, Jermain Taylor ranked #4 and Ricky Hatton ranked #9 on their Pound-For-Pound list. Pacquiao, Taylor and Hatton all deserve respect. They are solid champions, but one thing they are not is technically sound. Hatton's style is sloppy. He throws punches then he grabs on and holds his opponents. Taylor is more skilled than Hatton but it is no secret that he often gets by on sheer strength, a good chin and having the will to win. Manny Pacquiao is probably the best example because his and your styles are nearly identical. You are both exciting fighters who relentlessly attack opponents with little or no regard for your own well being. Neither one of you dance around the ring hoping for a decision, you both answer fire with fire after being hit hard. Now after thoroughly outclassing Allan Green for 10 rounds, improving to 28-1* (I hate even having to say that you have one loss but we've already had that discussion) with 24 KO's, where do you think you rank among the top Pound-For-Pound fighters in the sport? Pantera: EDISON MIRANDA KNOWS THAT HE'S THE BEST POUND FOR POUND. THERE'S NO ONE IN ANY DIVISION THAT HAS MY SKILLS, MY KILLER INSTINCT, MY POWER, AND MY DETERMINATION. ONE CAN'T ONLY LOOK AT SKILLS WHEN SAYING WHO IS THE BEST POUND FOR POUND. BUT IT DOESN'T BOTHER ME WHERE I RANK. I LEAVE THAT UP TO OTHER PEOPLE. THEY HAVE NO INFLUENCE ON THE OUTCOME OF MY FIGHTS. I DO. THEY DO THEIR JOB AND I'LL CONTINUE TO DO MINE. Phil: Just like smoking, getting in the ring with Edison Miranda is bad for your health. If they were going to put a warning label on you so other fighters would know what they were getting into, what would it say? Pantera: STAY AWAY UNLESS YOU ARE MENTALLY INSANE! Phil: In closing, is there anything that you would like to say to your fans? Is there anything that you would like to say to your critics? Pantera: THE CRITICS WILL ALWAYS BE THERE. THEY DON'T BOTHER ME. SO TO THEM I SAY HELLO. TO MY FANS, I SAY THANK YOU. THANK YOU TO COLOMBIA AND TO MY NEW HOME IN PUERTO RICO. I PROMISE TO ALL OF YOU THAT I WILL ALWAYS WORK HARD TO WIN AND CREATE THE MOST EXCITING FIGHT POSSIBLE EVEN IF THEY TRY TO RUN FROM ME ALL NIGHT LONG. Thank you to Edison Miranda for taking the time to speak with us at Overhandright.com. I want to thank Steve Benbasat for making this interview possible. In a sport that desperately needs a shot in the arm, Edison Pantera Miranda is an example of everything that is good about boxing. Phil Santos Phil@Overhandright.com Overhandright.com Boxing News & Interviews 3-9-07 |
| EDISON MIRANDA EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW |
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| FIGHT POSTERS |
| Writers & Contributors: Phil Santos Jim Amato John Martinez Ted Sares Bill Calogero Photographers: Barry Arpin Barry Chew Stacey Santos |
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