Each week, we will be providing a brief overview of the weekend boxing, kind of like a viewers guide so the fans can see what to look for as they sit on their couch (or even a seat at the arena) and down their favorite cold beverage.
The first weekend of the New Year doesn’t provide much but it’s a start and we need to start thawing out after about a month of very little activity.
ESPN 2 Friday Night Fights kicks off the season with a IBF Middleweight Elimination bout between former Jr. Middleweight champion Roman Karmazin and Dionso Miranda.
ROMAN KARMAZIN (39-3-1, 25 KO’s) vs DIONSIO MIRANDA (20-4-2, 18 KO’S)-12 ROUNDS—IBF MIDDLEWEIGHT ELIMINATION BOUT—10PM EASTERN TIME—ESPN 2 WILL TELEVISE
The first televised bout of the New Year has some significance as Karmazin will look to get back into the title picture in his new division, that being 160 lbs.
Karmazin was considered one of the top Jr. Middleweights in the world after he won the IBF crown with a very impressive two knockdown performance when he scored a unanimous decision over Kassim Ouma in 2005.
The only thing that great performance got Karmazin was a year layoff as he got stuck in promoter Don King’s long list of fighters who seem to disappear once they receive some sort of accolade (see Devon Alexander, Steve Cunningham just to name two off the bat).
Karmazin started slowly in his first defense against Cory Spinks and dropped a debatable majority decision in that fight in St. Louis. (My ringside score card actually gave the nod to Karmazin, but unfortunately for Karmazin my card was of no help to him that night).
Since then he has gone 5-1 with four knockouts with that one defeat a knockout loss to Alex Bunema on the Roy Jones – Felix Trinidad undercard in January, 2008. In that bout, Karmazin was dominating until he seemingly ran out of gas and got caught in the tenth round as was knocked out in what was considered a big upset at the time.
Since that fight, Karmazin has been perfect at middleweight; going 3-0 with two knockouts and capturing the NABF title with a decision over Bronco McKart and once defense over shop worn Antwun Echols.
Just looking at Miranda’s record, he seems like a typical South/Central American puncher who racked up a bunch of knockouts fighting no-hopers at home in Colombia.
When he came to America, he gave a good account of himself, giving undefeated prospect Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin all that he wanted and even rocking the New Yorker on several occasions before Quillin held on for a unanimous decision in 2008.
Miranda then went up to Canada and scored a solid majority decision victory over home standing Sebastian DeMers just two months later.
Miranda has been in this position once before as on February 27, 2009 he had the opportunity to fight in an IBF Elimination bout when he was brutally stopped in two rounds by then Giovanni Lorenzo
Miranda went back to Colombia to get healthy and feasted on an opponent who sported a record of 2-19.
I like Karmazin in this bout as though he is 37 years old (ten years older then Miranda) as he has stayed busy against warm bodies and he hasn’t been in many wars so I believe he still has something left. Miranda defiantly has a punchers chance and he showed in the fights with Quillin DeMers that he can be a decent boxer.
It’s Karmazin’s class that wins out here as he scores a unanimous decision that will put him in line for Sebastian Sylvester’s IBF Middleweight crown
