By Nate Anderson: After waiting close to two years for the rematch to occur, knockout artist Edison Miranda (30-2, 26 KOs) and middleweight champion Arthur Abraham (26-0, 21 KOs) will meet to settle the score in a fight that will take place in the United States, at a weight of 166 lbs rather than the middleweight limit of 160 lbs. Their first fight, fought on September 23rd 2006, was one of the most exciting fights in memory, with both fighters trading tremendous shots and hurting each other several times in the fight.
Miranda, 27, appeared to win the fight, however, he lost it in the end after being docked an incredible five points for fouls ranging from low blows to using his head to throw head butts. Many of the calls, in particular the low blows, were excessive in my view considering that the punches were on the borderline and not actually low. While at the same time, Abraham, the hometown fighter in Germany, wasn’t penalized for throwing elbows, rabbit punches, low blows and hitting on the break.
All in all, it seemed that Miranda was being singled exclusively for the dirty fighting, which both fighters appeared to be guilty of, now just Miranda. During the course of the bout, Miranda broke Abraham’s jaw in two places, making it necessary for him to keep his mouth open from rounds five through the twelfth round. A steady stream of blood constantly leaked from Abraham’s mouth and it was a miracle that the fight was stopped by the ringside doctor, for Abraham was potentially at risk of more serious injury due to the broken bones in his jaw, and because of the large amount of blood that he was forced to swallow from his broken jaw.
The ultimate decision created a huge controversy, with most Germans feeling that Abraham had won the fight, and with Americans feeling the opposite, seeing Miranda having done more than enough to get the decision. This is perhaps why this time the fight is being fought in the United States, to make it seem fairer because it would likely lead to more controversy a second time if Abraham should win in the same manner as last time out.
Neither fighter has come close to accomplishing the same in terms of exciting bouts since their last fight, with Miranda being defeated by middleweight Kelly Pavlik in 2007, and then beating Henry Porras and David Banks. Abraham, for his part, has had four easy victories over marginal opposition, which has caused many people to wonder when Abraham would finally defend against a bigger named fighter. In this respect, though this fight won’t be for a title, it will go a long way to quieting Abraham’s critics’ complaints.