Edison Miranda has demonstrated punching power throughout most of his professional boxing career.
He won his first 26 fights, with the initial 21 coming by way of knockout, and an incredible 16 of those being in the first round. However, he has had mixed results ever since with only six wins in his last 10 fights, suffering a unanimous decision loss to former Olympic gold medalist Andre Ward in April.
"Edison Miranda has the style that fans like to see, which is very exciting but sometimes limiting," said Miranda's promoter, Dan Goossen. "He's all offense and looking to knock you out, but you have to have more in your arsenal than to just be able to look to knock someone out."
Since June, Dan's brother, Joe Goossen, has been refining the technique of the 28-year-old Miranda (32-4, 28 KOs), who hopes to put his new-found skills on display on Thursday night against Mexico's Francisco Sierra (20-2, 19 KOs) at the Tachi Palace Hotel & Casino in Lemoore, Calif.
"Being a one-dimensional knockout artist is good 99 percent of the time, but as you can see, it doesn't work with everyone," said Dan Goossen. "Those are the ingredients that I believe that my brother and Edison have been working on -- making Edison more of a complete fighter than a one-dimensional fighter."
A replacement for Puerto Rico's Jose Bonilla, Joe Goossen, said he's not only improved Miranda's boxing prowess, but also, his dietary habits.
"When I saw Edison in Oakland before the fight with Andre, he looked like he hadn't eaten for a week. But Edison's in great shape and he looks fresh," said Joe Goossen. "He's bringing his weight down the right way. His face looks good, his eyes are clear, his mouth is wet -- not dry from dry mouth."
Nicknamed "Pantera," or "Panther," Miranda said he's already at 169 -- a pound above what he must weigh for Thursday night's clash for the NABO super middleweight crown.
"In the past, when I fought Andre Ward, Arthur Abraham or Kelly Pavlik, I did make some mistakes during training, and it was evident in the ring. But now, I've really changed my game," said Miranda, whom the Goossens believe will show more style and grace in addition to his substance and power.
"I've been in the gym, and I'm already at weight. I just want to show my techniques and who I am now in the ring," said Miranda, a resident of Carolina, Puerto Rico. "I want to put my new moves and style on display for people to see since I've been working with Joe Goossen. I want them to see the new man that I am in the ring."
Joe Goossen has trained former champs, Gabriel Ruelas and Rafael Ruelas, Diego Corrales, Frankie Liles and Michael Nunn, and contributed to the careers of Joel Casamayor, Shane Mosley and Terry Norris.
"This is as quickly as I've ever seen anybody take a rudimentary style and turn it into something fairly flamboyant. What he never did with the left hand before, he's doing now. He relied on a jab that was never a really overactive jab. He threw it once in a while but it was all about the right hand," said Joe Goossen, who has Miranda in his gym in Van Nuys, Calif.
"Now, Edison's in a transition to where he's throwing a lot of left hooks, a lot of left uppercuts and body shots. He's definitely got the hands up, defensively, but he's always parrying punches and not just keeping his hands up and blocking them," said Joe Goossen.
"And he's definitely got head movement and he's bending his knees -- two of the more critical things," Joe Goossen added. "He's slipping left and slipping right, and picking off punches. He's using both hands and not just relying on one hand."
Since losing by 10th-round stoppage to Mexico's Rigoberto Alvarez in December of 2006, Sierra has won nine straight times -- all by knockout.
"My opponent has 19 knockouts, and I'm prepared to battle that. I trained for this fight like it's a world championship fight," said Miranda.
"I'm still the same fighter, Joe Goossen has just added more things to my arsenal that I can use and made me a more intelligent fighter," said Miranda. "When I know that the fighter is dangerous, it doesn't really faze me, because I too have those skills. I know how to handle a fighter like him. I won't have a problem."
Athough Sierra is likely to stand, toe-to-toe, if Miranda wishes, Joe Goossen believes that his fighter's new skills will give him more of an advantage.
"Everyone knows that Edison has the power, but he's got it in both hands. I had a hard time keeping sparring partners here, and I was paying them good money. It's hard to get someone who could go over four or five rounds with him," said Joe Goossen.
"But if you remember, Andre Ward just moved around him at will when he went to Edison's left. Now, Edison's able to cut guys off. He's executing all of these things in sparring, which is to everyone's delight. And he's doing it with limited effort."
Miranda already has proven an ability to decision at least one fighter with quality boxing skills, having beaten Green, 96-91 on two cards, and, 97-90, on the third, in March of 2007.
Green had been unbeaten in 23 bouts before facing Miranda, and has won his last six consecutive fights, including four by KO. Green defeated previously unbeaten, Tarvis Simms, earlier this month to improve to 29-1 with 20 knockouts.
"Probably the most important factor is what results we'll see from Edison with the relationship that he has with my brother, Joe, training him now. Edison's a guy that you knew what you were going to get every time you saw him in the ring," said Dan Goossen.
"You knew what his good punches were, what he was going to rely on, how his feet worked and how his stance was," said Dan Goossen. "From that starting point, which we all know about, to where I believe he's at now, I believe is truly going to be a quantam leap."
Joe Goossen has no doubt that fans will see a new cat in "The Panther."
"I'm really excited about it," said Joe Goossen. "We're going to take care of this fight here on Thursday night, and then, hopefully Dan will get him on the next big show that he can."
