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):
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.
