Reading Miranda

Comments (0) By Sam Eifling Thursday, Oct 25 2007

A boxer without a story may as well be a horse. A man’s history inspires empathy in others; with empathy, we taste the bitterness of the sweet science. A 168-pounder from Colombia, Edison “Pantera” Miranda (28-2, 24 KOs) knows this fact well enough to pump his piteous bio in his promotions. Apparently, the 26-year-old’s mother shuttled him off to live with relatives in the mountains when he was only a couple of months old. The relatives beat and worked him like a government mule until, at age 9, he left to search for his mother, who would still have nothing to do with him. He continued working in yuca fields and on construction sites and as a cattle butcher until, at the wizened age of 16, he began boxing. He’s been beating people’s asses ever since, but lost his most recent bout, to Kelly Pavlik, in May, on HBO.

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His return, against fellow super middleweight Henry Porras (33-6-1, 25 KOs), headlines a fight night that Hollywood-based Warriors Boxing calls “Mayhem II.” Also confirmed for undercard bouts are two former Olympic gold medalists from Cuba, Yan Barthelmy and Yuriorkis Gamboa, and Vero Beach’s own James “Buddy” McGirt Jr.

Literate fans will also have a chance to buy Angelo Dundee’s book, My View from the Corner and get it signed by the legendary trainer himself. Anyone who could whip Muhammad Ali into shape has a story to tell. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday for fights beginning at 7:30 at the Hard Rock Live at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino (5747 Seminole Way, Hollywood). Tickets cost $25 to $150, and are available at the venue’s box office, on ticketmaster.com, or by calling 954-523-3309.
Tue., Oct. 30, 7:30 p.m., 2007