Written by Tim Starks
| 12 January 2008
Holy cow. If there were any questions before about whether Edison Miranda would carry his power up to super middleweight (168 lbs.), they are now answered (go to about :53 of the clip):
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBX4tcLuhqk&rel=1]
Let's remember this one when it's time to give out 2008 year-end awards. If you watched "The Contender" in 2007, you probably got sick pretty quickly of David Banks, in the I-can't-top-'em words of
Michael Woods, "(strutting) like Brutus Beefcake." So after learning that Banks is doing OK, I resorted to a small smirk.
I know Miranda is limited in some ways, and that Kelly Pavlik in particular vividly exposed those limits in one of 2007's best fights. But I can't help liking a pure KO artist with guts and an entertainingly big mouth.
I'm not terribly surprised that Jean Pascal wasn't that impressive, according to the accounts. (I missed the fights last night, I confess.) I've seen clips of Pascal before, and he reminded me of a pre-Jean-Marc Mormeck David Haye: All the physical tools in the world, hits hard and fast, but with a troublesome lack of D. Haye's shown that he can navigate his weaknesses. Pascal has a ways to go before he gets
nominated for pound-for-pound status.
And if he's to fight Miranda -- not clear if he will, since Miranda's
suddenly calling out Jermain Taylor and Pavlik, despite the exceptionally clear ESPN intent of using Friday night's fights to set up a Miranda/Pascal match-up -- he's going to regret that lack of D. Obviously. Just ask David Banks.
