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Cloutier’s Canada Corner
Edison Miranda: "I Really
Believe
I Will Beat Alvarez By KO Or TKO"
By Daniel Cloutier
MONTRÉAL - When he was member of the Colombian national
amateur boxing team, Eleider Alvarez was supporting his
compatriot Edison "Panthera" Miranda, who was a big name on
the pro boxing international scene. But don't ask Alvarez if
he likes Miranda now!
Alvarez (12-0-0), who is living and boxing in Montréal since
the beginning of his pro boxing career in 2009, will fight
Miranda (35-8-0) Saturday evening in the ring of the Bell
Centre in Montréal, two hours before the WBC light
heavyweight championship of the world opposing the
Montrealer Adonis Stevenson(21-1-0) and the American Tavoris
Cloud (24-1-0). HBO will televise this fight
Stevenson-Cloud.
“No doubt in my mind, this fight with Miranda is the biggest
challenge of my pro boxing career,” said Alvarez in French
at the undercard press conference held Thursday morning at
the Houston restaurant of Square-Victoria in downtown of
Montréal. “Miranda is a powerful and explosive puncher, and
he faced a lot of stars on the international pro boxing
scene, including Andre Ward, Lucian Bute, Tony Bellew,
Arthur Abraham, Howard Eastman and Kelly Pavlik. As you
know, I never faced a boxer with so much experience. I will
have to fight with intensity, intelligence and
concentration. I am expecting to be involved in a world
title bout in 2014, then, I got to stay undefeated and show
a real progression fight after fight.”
In spite of the fact he has only 12 bouts of experience in
pro boxing, Alvarez is the NABA and NABO North American
champion, and he is ranked fourth contender in the world by
the WBA and the WBO in the light heavyweight division. The
last time he fought in Montréal, in 2010, Miranda lost by
TKO in less than three rounds against the Montrealer Lucian
Bute (31-1-0) in a IBF super middleweight championship of
the world.
“I am older (32 years old), than I got to work harder than
ever to be in shape, and its exactly what I am doing,” said
Miranda. “I got a perfect preparation for Alvarez, and I
really believe I will beat him by KO or TKO. Alvarez has a
beautiful progression in pro boxing, but he never faced a
dangerous puncher like me. My intention is to hit him
solidly to make him lose his concentration and confidence.
Watch me when the fight begins.” Alvarez has 54 rounds of
experience in pro boxing, versus… 171 for Miranda.
In the most important preliminary bout of the evening
Saturday, the Montrealer Jean Pascal (27-2-1), the former
WBC light heavyweight champion of the world, will face
George Blades (23-4-2), from Indianapolis, in a 10 round
bout. “The medias in Montréal are mentioning that it's just
a tune up fight for me, but trust me, I take Blades
seriously,” said Pascal. “This guy is coming in Montreal
with the intention to cause a surprise, to give me a trip
up, then, I would be stupid to take him lightly.”
Pascal, who fought only twice since two years, because hands
and shoulders injuries, asked to his promoter, Yvon Michel,
to include him in this event, to help his preparation for
his big match up with Lucian Bute, scheduled for January
18th at Bell Centre. “I am crossing my fingers in hoping
that Pascal will win Saturday in avoiding injury,” said Yvon
Michel, the boss of the GYM Group. “The fight with Bute in
January will be an historic moment for the Canadian pro
boxing.”
David Lemieux (29-2-0), a young middleweight from Montréal,
will fight Marcus Upshaw (15-10-2), a southpaw of 6'4''
coming from Jacksonville, Florida. Last March in Mexico,
Upshaw lost by decision against the Mexican Marco Antonio
Rubio (58-6-1). In 2011, Lemieux got his first pro boxing
lost against Rubio (TKO in the 7th round) in a WBC
elimination bout held in Montréal. “We are planning to
involve David in a middleweight championship of the world in
2014 or 2015, then, we have decided to give him the most
difficult opposition possible, said Marc Ramsay. “Upshaw, in
matter fact, is a difficult opponent. He his a very tall
southpaw who beat Renan St-Juste in 2010 in Québec City, and
he lost by decision to Tarvis Simms and Marco Antonio Rubio.
It's certainly a big challenge for David. If Lemieux is
showing signs of progression at his next three or four
bouts, each time against difficult opponents, he will prove
us he has the potential to fight in a world championship
bout.”
Kevin Bizier (20-0-0), the NABA and IBF Inter-Continental
welterweight champion, will be oppose to the Hungarian
Giuseppe Lauri (53-14-0) in a six rounds bout. “I really
need to stay undefeated,” said Bizier. “The GYM Group is
planning to oppose me to a fighter ranked in the Top 15 in
the world in November in Québec City, and if I stay
undefeated, my promoter will try to book an IBF world
championship bout between Devon Alexander and me before the
end of 2014.”
Antonin Décarie (27-2-0), who will fight for the first time
since his lost in Argentina, against the Argentinian Carlos
Luis Abregu (35-1-0), will face the French Salim Larbi
(17-3-2). “I want to have a perfect performance Saturday,”
said Décarie. “I have now the guaranty that I will
participate to the WBC welterweight tournament next year,
then, I need to show I am deserving to be involve in a
tournament of this amplitude.”
In the opening fight of the evening, the rookie Artur
Beterbiev (1-0-0), a fighter from Russia, will face Rayco
Saunders (23-22-0). “Beterbiev will certainly be a big star
very soon,” said Jean Pascal. “I sparred with him last week,
and trust me, it's not a party to fight with him.”
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