It's 9 o'clock Thursday morning and Ding-dong, Fed-Ex is at my door with something I've been waiting for, my copy of the IBF middleweight title fight between champion "King" Arthur Abraham and Edison "Pantera" Miranda. I've heard about all of the alleged controversy and biased manner in which veteran referee Randy Neumann officiated the bout, the controversial point deductions and the fifth round that wouldn't end, but I had to see it for myself. My final tally read 112-111 for Miranda, but in my opinion three of Neumann's five point deductions were extremely questionable. There's no doubt he was correct for taking two points from Miranda for intentionally butting Abraham in round five-even if the champ was allowed to keep a gauze on his cut during a head-butt time out-but the other three were extremely poor judgement calls at best. After the fight I knew Miranda outworked the champion and did more than enough to take his title, unfortunately for Miranda, after the fifth round I knew his only chance of winning the fight was via stoppage.


Round 1: Abraham 10-9

Fought at a very fast pace for middleweights, no feeling out process, both fighters are throwing heavy shots to the body and head but are a little sloppy with their punches. Abraham wins the round by landing more flush shots than Miranda in the opening frame. G. Leon Abraham 10-9

Round 2 Miranda 10-9

Miranda dictating the action while Abrham spends the first minute fighting backwards. Miranda receives a questionable warning for punching low. Abraham reluctant to throw as many punches,almost as though he needed to catch some air after the furiously fought first round. Abraham flurries with thirty second left in round, lands a couple of shots but definitely not enough for him to win the round. Both combatants throw and land several punches after the bell.

Round 3 Miranda 10-9

Abraham starts off the round as the aggressor but barrages of powerful, but wild shots force him to the ropes where Miranda begins throwing many and landing some. Miranda beginning to put his punches together while Abraham stays shelled up on the ropes. With one minute left in the round, Abraham fights effectively off the ropes but clearly didn't punch enough to win the ring.

Round 4 Abraham 10-9

Abraham fights more aggressively and throwing more punches to open up the round, but he still seems to stop punching and need some time to recover in his defensive shell once Miranda lands to the body.  Just when it seems like Miranda is doing enough to win his third round in a row, he walks into a huge Abraham right hand. Moments later an Abraham left hook buckles Miranda and has him on the defensive.


Round 5 Abraham 9-8 as a result of two point deductions

Once both guys throw a few jabs the warfare resumes, hard left right combination by Abraham, but Miranda fights back. Abraham backing off seeming to want to walk Miranda into another big right hand. Abraham has landed most of his cleaner punches to this point because Miranda seems to have the bad habit of pulling back with his hands down. Miranda fighting well, putting his punches together to the body and head when he inexcusably gives the IBF middleweight champ an intentional sideways head-but, Abraham immediately touches the back of his head where Miranda butted him. Referee Randy Neumann calls time and tells Abraham to take a minute. One minute becomes two minutes, as Abraham is allowed to keep a gauze on a cut in his mouth while the fight is on time out. As the halt in the action heads to minute three, it seems that Abraham has suffered damage to his jaw or a sever laceration in his mouth because he's spitting blood. The ring doctor asks Abraham a question and the ring doctor informs the referee that Abraham can no longer continue. "He can't fight so what do you want him to do?," asks Neumann. "Do you want us to go to the cards? They got to score that round," says Neumann, who then abruptly heads over the neutral corner where Miranda was standing and takes off two points for the intentional head-butt. After the points are deducted Miranda gestures to Neumann that he butted Abraham in the head, not the mouth, Abraham's primary concern. Neumann then returns to where the IBF official is standing and says "he butted him in the head but he didn't cut the lip, it was an intentional foul." Five minutes in, Neumann suggests, "let's go to the cards." Boxingtalk found it rather disturbing that a veteran referee like Neumann had to be told by someone outside of the ring that if Abraham can't continue due to a cut in his mouth and the foul had nothing to do with the cut in his mouth then it must has to be scored a TKO for Miranda. Thankfully Neumann remembers the rules of boxing and states he lost two points for the foul but if he (Abraham) can't continue it's a TKO. Boxingtalk also found it strange that Abraham was looking for guidance from people outside of the ring when asked if he wanted to continue. After Abraham shrugs his hands as if to say, I'll guess I'll keep fighting then the action FINALLY resumes." Note: Other than the ring doctor, some blonde woman came onto the ring apron to check on Abraham's cut as well.

Round 6 Miranda 10-9

After spitting what seemed to be a gallon of blood in between rounds, Abraham comes out very slow for round six which prompts Miranda to let his hands go while he presses forward. Abraham cannot close his mouth and his trunks are starting to look like he spilled the cherry Kool-Aid. Miranda lands back to back right hands on the injured left jaw line of Abraham. Other than an occassional looping power shot Abraham isn't doing much more than surviving.

Round 7 Abraham 9-8 as a result of 2 point deductions

For the second round in a row Abraham didn't seem all that eager to continue during his one minute rest.  Abraham still in retreat mode for the opening minute of the round, Miranda landing power shots and although Pantera seemed to land two solid body shots right on the belt line. Randy Neumann steps in and deducts a point for low blows. Thirty seconds later Miranda lands a clean body shot on Abraham's bellybutton. After seeing Abraham wince from the shot, Neumann erroneously warns Miranda, 'keep em up.' Moments later Miranda lands a shot below the belt as Abraham is pulling away and Miranda loses another point.

Round 8 Abraham 10-9

Abraham finally lets his hands go in combination. After understandably fighting the last few rounds like a guy who wants to punch but doesn't want to get hit back, Abraham seems to be biting down (no pun intended) and giving it his every effort to keep Miranda off of him. Miranda keeps pressing forward and each punch he's landing seems to make the left side of Abraham's face swell just a little more. Miranda's worst round since the fourth.

Round 9 Miranda 10-9

Miranda still pressing the action two right hands land flush for Pantera. Abraham winces, but manages to land a hard right hand of his own. Abraham with his back to the ropes as Miranda once again starts putting his punches togeher to the body and head. Neumann gives Miranda another erroneous warning to keep his shots up. Abraham freezes Miranda momentarily with a right hand but Mirands recovers and quickly punches back. The left side of Miranda's face is starting to swell significantly. Abraham catches Miranda with three solid shots at the very end of the round, but Miranda's workrate and aggressively earned him the round.


Round 10 10-9 Miranda

Miranda comes out fast and Abraham comes out back peddling. Abraham fighting valiantly for a guy with a broken jaw, but it's clear he's fighting to make it to the scorecards at this point. Abraham seems to be ready to go but Miranda isn't precise enough with his punches to capitalize on it. Yet and still Miranda is fighting like the challenger and the champion is fighting to survive. Neumann tells Abraham, 'let him go Arthur at least four or five times and has yet to issue a warning for holding.

Round 11 9-9 EVEN due to Miranda point deduction

Seconds into the round there is a clinch. Neumann breaks them up, Abraham turns his back on Miranda for the third time of the bout, Neumann instructs, "Arthur don't walk away. Abraham in a manner that would make John Ruiz proud. After another clinch is broken, Miranda lands another body shot on the belt line, Abraham winces and Neumann tells Miranda, 'it was low, keep em up. Abraham hunches over Neumann calls time. After two minutes of Abraham catching his breath Neumann deducts a fifth point from Miranda and says, "Don't hit him low anymore." Abraham continues to clinch to the majority of the round and Neumann has yet to issue Abraham a single warning for holding. It's amazing that former John Ruiz manager Norman Stone and Neumann didn't get along.

Round 12 10-9 Miranda

Miranda still the aggressor, Miranda still back peddling doing nothing. Whoa, Abraham lets off three punches, Miranda throws three of his own then surprise, Abraham clinches. A few seconds later Abraham clinches again. Miranda doing his best to stalk Abraham down and pouncing on him once his back hits the ropes. Abraham in clear survival mode. Right hand left hook by Miranda send Abraham into the ropes with thirty seconds to go. Chalk up another round for Miranda.

Total: 112-111 Miranda

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