Andre Ward vs Edison Miranda Preview & Prediction

On Saturday May 16th, former U.S. Olympian Andre Ward will face his toughest challenge to date in the power punching Edison Miranda. Some of the mystique is gone from the trash talking and huge hitting Pantera, but for Ward, a fighter some feel has been moved too slowly due in part to a chin problem, he is still a major step up in class.

Andre "S.O.G." Ward

18 (12) – 0
Height: 6'1" Reach: 73"

 

Edison "Pantera" Miranda

32 (28) – 3
Height: 5'10" Reach: 5'11"

 

Ward vs Miranda Preview

Andre Ward clearly has all of the physical tools in the world. He has great hand speed and solid fundamentals, and he has good pop on his punches although he's not a homerun hitter. In over four years since he has turned pro, he has faced a few fringe contenders but nobody of the caliber of Edison Miranda.

That is not to say that Miranda should provide a test of technical skills. What Miranda can do, and what he is great at doing, is landing huge shots that knock people out. It was only two years ago when Miranda faced a still unproven Kelly Pavlik for the right to get a title shot at middleweight champion Jermain Taylor. Pavlik bullied the bully and knocked Miranda out.

Since, Pantera strung together a few knockout victories sandwiched between a devastating early knockout loss at the hands of the other reigning middleweight champion, Arthur Abraham. It was a rematch of an earlier fight in which Miranda lost despite breaking Abraham's jaw.

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Miranda now gets the juicy chance to put a dent into an undefeated Olympian. Can he land a big shot and end the rise of Andre Ward? It's tempting to think so with Ward having been rocked in his career before. However, he is altogether too fast and too talented to let that happen.

He has fought the last few years in the shadow of the sport despite his Olympian status, and knows this is his chance to capture a share of the limelight. In a suddenly deep super middleweight division, a win over Miranda places him in line for a title shot in another fight or two. With fellow Olympian Andre Dirrell also ready to make his long awaited ascension, the time is now for the S.O.G.

Ward knows this and so he'll be focused and prepared. Expect him to thoroughly outclass Miranda. There's a good chance Ward will hit the canvas at some point via a flash knockdown, but by the end of the fight Miranda will be the beaten and battered fighter.

A wide unanimous decision or a late TKO stoppage for the still undefeated former Olympian Andre Ward.

By Jake Emen
ProFighting-fans.com Staff Writer & Director of Boxing Content