12.01.08 Edison Miranda

HOLLYWOOD, FL - One punch, that’s all it took. Edison Miranda once again showed the boxing world why he’s considered one of the hardest punchers in the sport as he knocked out “Contender: Season Three” contestant David Banks with a single straight right to the chin at 1:15 of the third round in front of a crowd of 2,500 at the Seminole Hard Rock Casino Friday night.

The KO




Miranda (30-2, 26 KOs) was outboxed by Banks (15-4-1, 2 KOs) in the first two rounds of the fight, but “Pantera” came out aggressively in the third and then landed a right hand that dropped Banks in between the four ropes. The fighter from Toledo, Ohio lay there helpless while referee Telios Assimenios rendered an unnecessary count. Banks was out from the moment the punch landed.

“I had planned landing that right,” Miranda said. “We had practiced it during camp, and he made a mistake by dropping his left and I landed the right hand.”

With the win, Miranda sets up a possible June fight against Jean Pascal, who also fought on the card. In the press conferences leading up to Friday night it seemed Miranda and Pascal were getting ready to do battle, and not the two against their respective opponents.

After the fight, however, Miranda, from Barranquilla, Colombia, said he wasn’t interested in fighting Pascal.

“I don’t want to fight Pascal. He’s a deadbeat,” Miranda said. “I want to fight the winner of the Jermain Taylor-Kelly Pavlik fight. I have unfinished business with Pavlik. He beat me on the worst night of my career. HBO wants to make that fight because they like my style.”

In what was the toughest fight in his professional career, undefeated super middleweight contender Jean Pascal won a 10 round unanimous decision over Omar Pittman.

Pascal (21-0, 14 KOs) of Montreal, Quebec, Canada, dominated the first six rounds of the fight, dropping Pittman (15-4-1, 8 KOs) in the second round with a left hook as the Philadelphia fighter came in with one of his own.

The fight turned dramatically in the seventh round when Pittman landed a left hook that badly hurt Pascal. Unfortunately for Pittman, the punishment he had taken before that moment, including a badly swollen left eye, prevented him from mounting any type of attack on Pascal.

The game Pittman, although gassed, was able to hurt Pascal in the eighth with a right hand. Pascal was able to come back and pressed the action in the final two rounds.

“I’m glad I was in good shape because he hurt me,” Pascal said. “But I showed I had a good chin because he was punching really hard. At the end I proved I’m the true champion.”

When asked if he was overlooking Pittman and focusing too much on Miranda, Pascal was honest.

“I was thinking about the Miranda fight,” Pascal admitted. “Maybe I shouldn’t have done that and focused more on Pittman, but I learned from this experience. It was a good experience, and the future looks bright for me from here on out.”

The official scores were 98-91, 98-91 and 97-92, all for Pascal.

Local welterweight Joey Hernandez (8-0, 2 KOs) won a four round unanimous decision over previously unbeaten Alpachino Allen (3-1, 3 KOs). Hernandez’s chin was tested in round one as Allen landed a well timed right hand that drove Hernandez back, but he was able to weather the storm and outbox Allen the rest of the fight. All three official judges scored it 40-36 for Hernandez.

Good looking 25 year-old prospect Dierry Jean (10-0, 7 KOs) stopped Anthony Woods (5-7, 2 KOs) at 2:57 of the first round of a junior welterweight bout. Jean, of Montreal, Quebec, Canada, displayed superb hand speed against Woods, landing quick combinations that included a left uppercut that forced Frank Santore, Jr. to stop the fight right before the bell rang to end the round.

Junior welterweight Jesus Pabon (11-0, 8 KOs) scored an impressive third round knockout win over Daniel Gonzalez (8-13-2, 2 KOs). The Puerto Rico native Pabon, who is developing a following in South Florida, landed a straight left that put Gonzalez, of Chula Vista, California, on the canvas. Referee Telis Assimenios didn’t bother with the eight count, waving the fight off at 2:34 of the round.

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