By Team Kessler: Now we know why the panther is an endangered species. A mere kitten has just chased Edison “La Pantera” Miranda up a tree. The “kitten” is former and future world super middleweight champion Mikkel Kessler. To put it in boxing language, Leon Margules, head of Seminole Warriors Boxing has just informed HBO executives that he is “not interested” in having Miranda fight former WBA and WBC champion Kessler on June 21 despite the fact that Kessler readily agreed to holding the fight for the soon to be vacated WBA super middleweight title at the Warriors Arena in Hollywood, Florida.
When this fight was trying to be put together for rival network Showtime, Margules sent out press release after press release accusing the Kessler team of being dirty. dishonest and scared of fighting the twice-beaten Miranda. The press releases compared Kessler to a pussycat and accused the man whose only loss in 40 pro bouts was to undefeated legend Joe Calzaghe of wishing to stay in “a cocoon” in his native Denmark. That conveniently ignored the fact that Kessler’s first title was in Australia against Tony Mundine and that he willingly went to Wales to fight Calzaghe in front of 50,000 partisan fans.
“We called Miranda’s bluff,” Kessler matchmaker Mogens Palle said Monday night. “We lobbied for Miranda to move up from the Number 6 contender spot to Number 2 so that we could satisfy HBO with a title bout. We were willing to fight Miranda at the Seminole Warriors’ own hotel-casino and arena in a non-title, over the weight 10-rounder or a 12-round WBA title bout.
“All the while Margules was pumping out demeaning and 100 percent false press releases about us and about Kessler being this meek, little kitten afraid to get into the ring with the big, bad Panther. Never in my wildest dreams did I think that Margules would fold like a cheap umbrella in a windstorm. When we agreed to come to his arena with four neutral, WBA officials and even got clearance on that from the Florida commission, I thought this fight was ready to be signed. So did the HBO people.”
Margules gave the HBO executives the stunning news of Miranda’s pullout about 3 pm, EDT.
“I am satsified that the HBO folks know that I wanted to fight Miranda, title or non title, on their air June 21. I am in training and I hope that HBO can find someone who is willing to fight me on that specific date. I will fight anyone they put in front of me for the right price.”
Kessler’s agent, Michael Marley, confirmed what Palle said.
“It was Mogens and Bettina (Palle, Kessler’s manager) who made all the concessions here. It was the Palles who got Kessler accepted as the official WBA challenger. It was the Palles who lobbied for Miranda as a worthy Number 2 challenger behind only Mikkel in the WBA ratings. WBA President Gilberto Mendoza Jr. and his team did everything they could to make this highly-anticipated fight a reality. So did Lou DiBella. At the end, the bitter end, it was Margules who pulled the plug. I guess that’s sadly appropriate since it was Leon who kept reneging on the terms and conditions for the Showtime deal. Now he’s burned Showtime in one month and HBO in the next.
I just wonder if Pantera and his co-managers know what’s been going on.”
Finally, Marley asked what the public and media outcry would be if Miranda agreed to come to Denmark and Kessler bowed out.
“Everyone would be howling and rightfully so,” Marley said. “But the shoe is on Miranda’s foot and his promoter’s foot. Kitten Kessler was ready to come to his house, to blow his house down and give Miranda a sound beating. But Margules just slammed the door in Kessler’s face and HBO’s face. I hope people keep these facts in mind when you read the next ridiculous press release about how everyone is so afraid of Miranda. Instead of crying over spilt milk regarding Glen Johnson losing a decision to Chad Dawson, Margules could have finalized this bout for Edison on HBO. Imagine the Panther, the fearsome fighter, turning down a world tiitle shot on HBO on his home grounds!”
Mogens Palle, who has kept boxing alive and strong in tiny Denmark for 50 years, will be inducted into the International Boxing Hall Of Fame on June 7 in Canastota, New York.