By HERB ZURKOWSKY, The Gazette
Where might Edison Miranda be, in life and his professional boxing career, had he defeated Arthur Abraham that fateful night in Germany, in September 2006, and captured the International Boxing Federation middleweight title? Miranda, always known for his punch, fractured Abraham's jaw in the fourth round. A round later, the ringside physician recommended the fight be stopped. Instead, referee Randy Neumann gave the champion five minutes to recover from a head-butt and then, during a span of seven rounds, deducted five points from Miranda for butts or low blows.
In a sport renowned for controversy and corruption, this was the ultimate act of duplicity. Requiring a knockout, Miranda instead lost a unanimous decision. It was the first defeat of his career after 26 victories, all but three by KO, and was a harbinger of the future. Miranda would lose three of his next nine.
"Bitter? That's not me, although they robbed me in Germany," the Colombian native, through an interpreter, told The Gazette during a lengthy interview this week.
"Everything that happened, all the people saw. But now, I'm not thinking about what happened or could have been. That's in the past. What could have happened doesn't exist. My opportunity is now."
Tonight at the Bell Centre, Miranda, a man who has overcome obstacles his entire life, will attempt one of the biggest - capturing the IBF super-middleweight title from undefeated hometown hero and favourite Lucian Bute,
25-0 with 20 KOs. The 12-round main event is scheduled for 10:15 p.m.
For the 29-year-old challenger, who sports a 33-4 record with 29 KOs, it could well be his last opportunity at boxing prominence. The 168- pound division is one of the hottest, and liveliest, in the sport. Miranda can't afford another loss if he hopes to remain a player in the category.
But what happens inside the ring pales in comparison with the harrowing life Miranda was forced to endure growing up in the port city of Buenaventura, located on the economically challenged southern coast of Colombia.
Born to a girl only 14 at the time, Miranda was abandoned after only one month, given to caretakers responsible for his upbringing. Constantly neglected, Miranda believed he would benefit more on his own and escaped at age 9.
Through casual conversations around town, he found his uncle working at a construction site, demanding he be taken to his mother. Proving the legitimacy of his claim via a two-inch long circular birthmark on his leg, Miranda was taken to her - only to again be deserted, although his mother married and had more children. Miranda never knew his father.
"Just because I appeared in her life doesn't mean she should stop feeding her kids because of me," he said. "She must have thought I was crazy. I hadn't showered and had no (decent) clothes."
With nowhere to turn, Miranda decided to live and run the streets of Colombia. He slept under trees, a construction-site tarpaulin serving as his blanket. Food? Sometimes he cooked a dead animal he found on the roadside over an open fire. Or he somehow chased down a lizard. Or simply ate out of garbage cans. Four days was the longest he went without food.
He never attended school, learning to read and write, he claimed, through a drug addict who befriended him and taught him the alphabet. Miranda read newspapers, combining letters into words, and then read the Bible daily. His faith and belief of God carried him through difficult times.
"I believe, had my mother not abandoned me, I wouldn't be here. I'd be dead. Of all the people I grew up with, only one is alive. I saw people lost to drugs and alcohol. Or they ended up being killed. It's true. I had no childhood.
"It hurts me a lot. I'm fighting for a title, yet there's no one around me (in Montreal) that has my blood. There are people that love me, but they don't have my blood. I can go out at 1 a.m., but nobody will call and ask me when I'm coming home. My only family is God."
At age 12, Miranda worked a plantain field. The next year, he became a fulltime construction worker and, at 14, was a cattle butcher. His dream was to box, knowing that would be his only means of escape. Miranda launched an amateur career at 15, winning all but four of 132 bouts while capturing four Colombian national titles.
He turned pro in 2001, with the promise of going to the U.S. to fight top middleweights. Instead, Miranda was victimized by an unfair contract, fighting mostly in Colombia and the Dominican Republic for small purses. Often, he never made a penny, settling instead for food and accommodation. It wasn't until May 2005, signing with Warriors Boxing Promotions, that he made his debut in Florida.
"I thought he was joking when he told me his story.
I couldn't believe it," said his manager, Steve Benbasat.
"I realize how resilient he was to recover from it. This is a kid who's really hungry to make it in life. You can see the passion in his eyes.
"I've learned a lot from him. In rough times - business or personal - I equate his story. It becomes a reality check. If he can overcome his tragedies, I can overcome whatever I'm going through."
Miranda has taken his lumps in the ring - he lost a rematch against Abraham, stopped in the fourth; was knocked out by Kelly Pavlik and was outclassed by Andre Ward last May - but also is the only one to defeat top contender Allan Green.
"I feel very proud of my life. I always believe God has something for you. He never gives you too much to handle - just enough," Miranda said. "God will give me the win (against Bute). God has a destiny for me, plans for me, and it begins Saturday."
hzurkowsky@thegazette.canwest.com
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Source: montrealgazette.com
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