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It Ain’t Easy Being Green
This Saturday, March 3, Allan “Sweetness” Green faces off against dangerous puncher Edison Miranda over a scheduled 10 rounds on the undercard of the Miguel Cotto – Oktay Urkal fight on HBO. SaddoBoxing caught up with Green before he departs for Puerto Rico and discovered that the man is hot to prove his naysayers wrong beneath a cool exterior.
Allan Green began his amateur career as a light heavyweight and finished with a record of 55-6 (40), holding the distinction of having the quickest amateur knockout, terminating Detroit’s Tommy Crupe in a mere six seconds.
Green stayed in the same weight class as a pro until 2005 when he dropped down to super middleweight and since then has KO’d all but two opponents, including the one opponent who sent him to the canvas for the only time in his career.
No wonder he’s miffed that critics have already written him off as cannon fodder for Miranda.
The fight against Miranda will be a 10 round contest; real estate that Green has needed to walk all of only twice in six visits. Miranda has fought four 12 rounders and five 10 round bouts and despite a TKO. over Howard Eastman, Green describes Miranda’s record as being plumped up on nobodies from Columbia.
No wonder he’s bothered that critics have overlooked his power.
Green describes several of his opponents as hard punchers, including his most recent opponent, Jerson Ravelo. After going down in the third round against Donnie McCrary, “Sweetness” finished strong with a sixth round knockout. Oh, and let’s not forget about the two and a half years that Green was slugging it out against guys fifteen pounds north of where he and Miranda will be this Saturday.
No wonder he’s steamed that critics haven’t stopped to consider his chin.
But come the ringing of the opening bell, Allan Green intends to send a memo to everyone that there will be a live opponent in the ring against Edison Miranda.
When we spoke to him, Green even offered a way for those negative critics to redeem themselves.
SaddoBoxing: This is a great step up in competition for you; any apprehensions?
Alan Green: “I disagree. Jerson Ravelo is a better fighter than him. He’s [Miranda] a great puncher and that’s about it.”
SB: You normally fight at 168 lb. Even though Miranda is known for his power, will you be the bigger fighter?
AG: “Of course. Remember I started my career off at 175. I’ll be the bigger, stronger and faster guy.”
SB: I know that you’ve addressed it, but what have you done differently since the knockdown against Donnie McCrary?
AG: “Uh, not much different. Worked on my balance a little bit. Changed trainers.”
SB: Edison Miranda is a hard puncher; who have you fought that could be a preparation for that?
AG: “Ravelo is a very hard puncher. I’ve fought a lot of guys who were hard punchers. A lot of them were off television. Miranda KO’d one elite fighter in Howard Eastman. I’ve KO’d much bigger guys than him.”
SB: Some people are wary of your diet because you’re a vegetarian; has that ever been an issue with you weight-wise, energy-wise or training-wise?
AG: “No, because I do my homework and I know what I’m doing.”
SB: So what’s the plan? How are you going to take Miranda out? Will you jump on him early or drown him in the late rounds?
AG: “No. The plan is just to beat his ass. I’m not going to make anything out. At the end of the day, Allan Green will be victorious. Once I’m done shutting down Miranda, I want these critics and so-called boxing experts to get on their knees and admit they’re not experts.”
SB: Any long term plans to stay at middleweight or do you belong at super middle?
AG: “I would like to possibly go out for the WBA championship. That would make a big fight between me and Jermain Taylor. I don’t want to be Taylor’s mandatory. I would like to fight Abraham, but I don’t want to go to Germany. I could hit him with a clean body shot or in the chin and they would swear I had iron in my gloves.”
SB: Even at 168, you’re pretty big; could you move up to light heavy or heavier?
AG: “Yes, but I would feel somewhat uncomfortable. I was fighting guys at light heavy who were coming down from cruiser.”
SB: Manfredo vs. Calzaghe; who’s going to win?
AG: “Manfredo will do better than people say he can, but Joe will win.”
SB: Anything to say in closing?
AG: “I just want to say what I said before; everyone who picked him to win, get on your knees in front of the mirror and admit that you’re not an expert. If you go off resumes, common sense says to pick Allan Green. You seen him knock one guy out and no disrespect against Willie Gibbs, but his best days are behind him.”
