Boxing has been led to water, will Taylor and Miranda drink?
 By Rob Scott (May 19, 2007) Doghouse Boxing
There is a saying that goes, “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink;” this saying which may seem as simple as an everyday adage, is one that from this day forward, can and should be used in reference to this sweetest of sciences. Two weeks ago Oscar De La Hoya and Floyd Mayweather fought in a bout that broke every pay-per-view record, and showed that the sport is far from dead. This was a fight that was said to be the one to place boxing back on the sports pages and back into the viewer‘s psyche. Now at this point, where does this sport go from here? What can be done to keep this momentum going?
This Saturday night HBO will try to keep that momentum going when the network brings us a double header live from Memphis, when champion, Little Rocks’ own, Jermain ‘Bad Intentions’ Taylor, 26-0-1, 17, defends his WBC/WBO middleweight titles against former undisputed welterweight and current IBF jr. middleweight champion, and St. Louis native, Corey ‘Next Generation’ Spinks, 36-3, 11; along with a WBC middleweight title eliminator between knockout artists, Edison ‘Pantera’ Miranda, 28-1, 24, of Colombia vs. Kelly ‘Ghost’ Pavlik, 30-0, 27, of Youngstown, Ohio. It’s the first HBO post De La Hoya and Mayweather telecast, and expectations are running a little high.
‘The World Awaits’ fight, which took place weeks ago, carried a load, but the proverbial monkey isn’t off the back of the sport, in particular, the fighters. The middleweight division has always provided it’s share of heat to the boxing scene, but a country can only be as strong as it’s leader, and since 2005 when he defeated longtime champion, Bernard ’The Executioner’ Hopkins by split decision, Jermain Taylor has served as President, Governor and it’s Mayor, to mixed reviews. A decision victory in a rematch with Hopkins, plus a controversial draw with ’Winky’ Wright, along with a decision over former IBF jr. middleweight champion, Kassim Ouma hasn’t landed Taylor any more fans, as the ‘Heir apparent’ apparently is finding it a chore to please many out there.
Co-main event participant, Edison Miranda had a funny line when told of Taylor’s intentions to fight 154 lbs titleholder, Cory Spinks; he said if Taylor wins, “he will definitely be the best junior middleweight in the world.” This was Miranda’s knock at Taylor, but it is also the words of the champion himself that further adds emphasis on Miranda’s verbal swipe. After Taylor’s last win over Ouma, Taylor referred to the former IBF champion as, “little man” and “little fella” so much that it made one think, even though it was a definite win, why wasn’t he able to get the “little man” out of there.
Edison Miranda is one that puts his focus on getting his opponents out of there. That is one of the reasons why HBO has placed its energy in him for his last few fights. The only thing about this is, with the exposure given to him, the Colombian native is seen by some as not just a work in progress, rather a fighter that is ready to take over the middleweight thrown. Former champion, Bernard Hopkins has even given his endorsement of Miranda as the next man to sit atop of the division.
Miranda’s true position is up for debate though, as the theory of ‘ you have to beat the man in order to be the man’ is one that has always been true in the sport of boxing. A victory over Kelly Pavlik this Saturday will place him in the position of facing “The man,” who, whether you like it or not, is Jermain Taylor.
Taylor’s image can indeed get a nudge if this Saturday night, he just simply gets the ‘Little man’ out of there. The somewhat too honest Taylor has always admitted that he could have done better in past outings, and we’ll see if the union with famed Trainer Emmanuel Steward can possibly be a catalyst in bringing out Taylor’s true ‘Bad Intentions’ in the ring. If so, when Miranda and Taylor meet, we will be treated to something special.
The possible future Taylor/Miranda meeting won’t take place if business isn’t taken cared of this weekend. The slick Spinks and the hard-hitting Pavlik may be the underdogs, but they seem ready for the challenges ahead of them. We’ll see where all of these fighters stand this weekend.
Boxing just may not be what it once was, but it’s a sport much like the seasons, where even if you may think this period is as cold as winter, the inevitable point will come when it will be hotter than a summer in July. Consistent quality fights is the key to keeping the temperature raised up. Consistent quality efforts can act as a thermostat as well. Both Taylor and Miranda seek to enhance their reputations, and solid performances this Saturday will definitely help them, as well as the sport. Mayweather vs. De La Hoya led the sport to water; we’ll see if the sport takes a drink, starting with Taylor and Miranda.
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