In September of 2006 Abraham and Miranda engaged in one of the year's most memorable fights that saw Abraham come away with a unanimous decision in his adopted home of Germany. That fight featured wild action and the ebb and flow in the contest shifted throughout the night. Abraham suffered a broken jaw while Miranda himself suffered five point deductions which helped the champion secure a victory. Following the loss Miranda claimed foul play and had been dying to get his Armenian counterpart back in the ring.
Miranda stated that he was more than ready to extract his revenge on Abraham and his preparation for the rematch seemed to be on point. Miranda's training camp was held in San Juan, Puerto Rico and he seemed strong and focused upon returning the states earlier this week. At the pre-fight press conference he called Abraham out, demanding both his respect and attention, and it was obvious that his emotions were heavily tied to this bout. With much support coming from his fans down in South Florida as he entered the ring, Miranda had every reason to be both motivated and confident the second time around.
The fight itself saw Miranda get off to a fast start. Known greatly for his punching power, Miranda worked Abraham's body early and tried to break through his opponent's tight defense. A right hand from Miranda elicited a great response from the crowd, but Abraham remained poised and calm.
Miranda continued to press the issue in the second round, and for a moment it seemed as though Abraham might have left his best fight in the gym, as he was content with trying to pick off Miranda's shots as opposed to rallying with an offense of his own. A low blow by Miranda late in the round called a halt to the bout momentarily while Abraham was given time to regain his composure.
The early momentum favored Miranda but things unraveled for him in the 4th round. Like a calculated assassin, Abraham chose to erupt with his best work of the fight in the form of a right hand counter shot and follow up left that sent Miranda crashing to the mat. Miranda was shocked, but rose courageously, only to be greeted with another onslaught. Abraham smelled blood, and a sweeping left hook would again see Miranda crumbling to the deck.
The end seemed near as Miranda again rose. Now in full command, Abraham wasted no time in swarming his younger foe and ending matters with a crushing left hook that floored Miranda for a third time and prompted referee Telis Assimenios to call a halt to the contest.
The ending result must be hard for Miranda and his followers to swallow. After nearly two years of anticipation towards this coveted rematch, Miranda had promised to even the score but it wasn't meant to be. Abraham showed himself to be a champion of true class and now has his sights set on WBC and WBO Middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik. A Pavlik-Abraham meeting would answer a lot of questions in the 160 pound landscape and after his performance last night Abraham must be taken seriously.
Marquez shows much moxy in outworking Lorenzo in IBF Eliminator
Coming into last night's fight against Giovanni Lorenzo, Raul Marquez was a man with his back to the wall. Despite sporting a respectable 40-3 record with 39 knockouts, it had been over ten years since Marquez was the IBF Jr. Middleweight champion of the world and it remained questionable how much the 36-year old had left in his tank.
Impressively and courageously, Marquez answered all questions with a gutsy twelve round unanimous decision over Lorenzo, who at nine years younger was pegged as the fresher and stronger fighter coming in. After twelve heated rounds of action, scores of 114-113 by all three judges gave Marquez the victory and the right to fight Abraham next, as the fight was an IBF eliminator.
From the early going in was evident that Marquez was neither intimidated nor outmatched by Lorenzo. Marquez has faced a fine list of fighters in his day such as Shane Mosley, Fernando Vargas, Yori Boy Campas, and Jermain Taylor and even in defeat he has shown himself as a true professional with the ability to carry himself late into fights. Lorenzo's 26-0 record seemed promising, but when he met Marquez, his lack of big fight experience became obvious and telling.
The fight itself was both rugged and competitive, with Marquez taking the early initiative, connecting with clean straight left hands from his southpaw stance. Lorenzo seemed flat on his feet and had trouble dealing with Marquez's awkward style. Marquez began to turn the crowd in his favor by pleading for Lorenzo to engage with him more often.
To his credit, Lorenzo did fight with heart, and his right hand began to show the effects on Marquez' face. While his attack wasn't fluid, he was effective, and at times you had to wonder if he would be on the verge of breaking down the older Marquez. At the end of the day it was Marquez' straight left hand, his willingness to engage Lorenzo in the trenches, and his overall professionalism that would carry the day for him.
As the contest approached the later rounds, both men were tired, yet Marquez seemed to dig a little deeper and fight with a little more heart and urgency than his Dominican foe. When the scores were read and he was declared the winner, Marquez was lifted in the air by his team. The victory has to be one of the sweetest of the Houston, Texas resident's career and he now has the opportunity to do something even greater if he is somehow able to defeat Abraham in the near future.
Post fight press conference
At the post fight press conference, Leon Margules, executive director of Warrior's Promotions, gave much credit to Abraham for his victory. He admitted he was disappointed that his fighter, Miranda, was unable to secure a victory, but noted that Abraham is scheduled to face yet another Warrior's promoted fighter next in the form of Raul Marquez.
Raul Marquez was next to take the podium and answered all questions. He said that despite being a champion over ten years ago, he now feels better than ever as a fighter. He said that his sparring for the Lorenzo fight was top notch and pointed to his overall commitment and dedication to the sport as the keys to his victory. Marquez claimed that ever since losing to Jermain Taylor in June of 2004 he has treated every fight as if it were his last. That outlook has seen him go undefeated in his last seven bouts, and he can be expected to give a spirited effort against Abraham, despite being the underdog if the two ever meet.
When Abraham came into the room, he first congratulated Marquez, who himself returned the favor. As possible opponents in the future, the two men posed together and were nothing but respectful to each other. Abraham addressed the media and claimed that he had a great time in America; he pointed to the overall confidence of being a champion as one of the reasons he was able to prevail.
As he continued taking questions from the media, Abraham admitted that the rematch with Miranda went easier than expected, but the ending result was still the same. He stated that despite Miranda's verbal assaults leading up to the fight, he himself remained unfazed. Abraham claimed that he wanted to let Miranda exert himself early before going on the attack. Abraham also stated that it is a pleasure dealing with a fighter of Marquez' respectful nature, yet also made it clear that he held no grudges against Miranda and admitted that boxing needs outspoken and charismatic fighters like Edison to keep the sport going.
