CALLED OUT: Miranda Wants Jermain Taylor

MIRANDA WANTS TAYLOR…NOW

With the talk of a March bout on Showtime featuring former middleweight champion Jermain Taylor tearing through the boxing world, super middleweight contender Edison “Pantera” Miranda is making his case for a showdown between “Bad Intentions” and the self proclaimed baddest man at 168 pounds.

“I don’t think there’s any more exciting fight for the fans right now than one between me and Jermain Taylor,” said Miranda.  “We both come to fight, we’re both warriors, and I’ll get to keep my Knockout of The Year streak going when we step into the ring with each other.”

Fresh off a devastating knockout of Manuel Esparza on January 14th that upped his stellar record to 31-3 with 27 KOs, Miranda – whose knockout of David Banks a year ago was ESPN.com’s Knockout of The Year for 2008 and ESPN2’s Knockout of the Decade – wants nothing but big fights from here on out.  But he’s a little skeptical when it comes to Taylor’s intentions – bad or not.

“I hear of him fighting Allan Green or Carl Froch, but Froch has priced himself out” said Miranda. “I destroyed Green two years ago and he hasn’t been the same since.  I will fight you for a very reasonable amount of money. If you’re serious about fighting the best, then you’ll fight me.”

A Miranda-Taylor bout was originally talked about in 2007, but Miranda, weakened by sickness and the inability to get down to 160 pounds, lost a title elimination bout to the man who eventually dethroned Taylor, Kelly Pavlik.  Now, with both fighters at their best at 168 pounds, the time is right for the fight to finally take place.

“We should have done this two years ago Jermain, but I was sick and unable to make 160 pounds anymore,” said Miranda, addressing the pride of Little Rock, Arkansas. “You know the struggle to make weight, and now we’ve both moved on and gotten stronger and better.  We owe this fight to the fans, and I’m ready to do it at anytime and place.  Are you ready?”