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Tonight, super middle prospect Andre Ward steps up to meet former middleweight world title challenger Edison Miranda at the Oracle Arena in Oakland, CA in a 12 round match up.
Ward, who boasts a perfect 18-0 record to go along with his regional NABF and NABO titles, has proven adept at defeating respectable opponents as Henry Buchanan, Esteban Camou, Jerson Ravelo and Rubin Williams over the last two years but must now take a litmus test.
The credentials of Miranda, 32-3 (28), are impeccable, having faced top middleweights Arthur Abraham and Kelly Pavlik during his only career losses but also holds wins over Howard Eastman, Allan Green, Henry Porras, Willie Gibbs and David Banks.
Ward tends to paw with the jab, leap in with a Roy Jones-style lead left hook and then clinch where he likes to hammer away at opponents with a free right hand.
He likely won’t be able to get away with the rough stuff on the inside with Miranda, who isn’t much of a boxer but likes turning bouts into the kind of free-form brawls in which he excels.
Ward has promised during the press buildup not to run from Miranda but he’ll have to choose his spots very carefully against the big punching Colombian hard man.
Miranda will likely get behind on points as long as Ward has the energy to keep his rival at the end of his punches but if Ward tires and has to actually fight Miranda, we’ll find out how good he really is.
Miranda has lost a step since his controversial loss in the first Abraham fight three years ago and must be careful not to blow his energy reserves in the earlier part of the bout if he is to catch up with the much quicker Ward later in the contest.
If he does gas himself early or Ward can stick and move for all 12 frames, Miranda will pick up another loss and retain his nearly man status.
