Bellew vs. Miranda: Tony faces his first huge puncher

By Boxing News - 08/12/2012 - Comments

Image: Bellew vs. Miranda: Tony faces his first huge puncherBy Scott Gilfoid: On September 8th, British light heavyweight champion Tony Bellew (17-1, 11 KO’s) will be facing his first big puncher in his career in a fight against Edison Miranda (35-7, 30 KO’s) for the vacant WBC International light heavyweight title at the Alexandra Palace, Muswell Hill, in London, England.

The title is of little importance in this fight, because it’s a minor trinket. What’s important is how the 29-year-old Bellew does against one of the hardest punchers in the light heavyweight division in 31-year-old Miranda. This is really the first opponent that #14 WBO Bellew has faced that has good power.

All the others up to this point where fighters with either little to moderate power. For this fight Bellew is going to the top and I have concerns whether his chin will be up to the mark. First and foremost, Bellew is a slugger.

That’s what he does. Sure, he can try and box when he’s in danger like he was in his wins over Ovill McKenzie in 2010 and 2011, but for the most part Bellew likes to slug. He’s like a fighter with two years, and he’s vulnerable when shifting gears because he’s stuck in one style for too long.

I’m afraid that Bellew is going to come out trying to slug with Miranda on September 8th, and he’s going to find out that he’s not on the same level as the Colombian. What makes me thing Bellew will do this is that he’ll have no doubt seen Miranda’s losses to Kelly Pavlik, Arthur Abraham and Lucian Bute, and perhaps figure that if those guys were able to KO Miranda, then he can too.

Unfortunately it doesn’t work that way, because there’s a talent difference between those guys and Bellew. It’s a fairly huge gap between them and him. Additionally, those guys had decent chins and were able to take some monstrous shots from Miranda in order to take him out with their own big shots.

I’m afraid that Bellew probably doesn’t have the same kind of chin and he’ll find himself on the canvas in short order once Miranda starts landing his bombs in this fight.



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