its on!
http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/boxing/news/story?id=3293638
Miranda, Kessler agree to meet in 168-pound bout
By Dan Rafael
ESPN.com
(Archive)
Updated: March 14, 2008, 2:56 PM ET
Comment
Email
Print
LAS VEGAS -- Former super middleweight titleholder Mikkel Kessler and trash-talking, power-punching contender Edison Miranda will meet May 24, multiple sources involved in the fight told ESPN.com on Friday.
The sources said Showtime will air the fight from a site to be determined. One potential venue: Montreal.
The fight matches two of the most charismatic and exciting fighters in the 168-pound division.
Kessler (39-1, 29 KOs), of Denmark, hasn't fought since losing a decisive decision to Joe Calzaghe in their Nov. 3 unification fight in Wales.
The deal was brokered by promoter Lou DiBella, who does not promote either fighter. DiBella had no comment on the deal.
The sources said that one of the stipulations in the agreement, which has been negotiated but is not signed, is that the bout will not take place in Florida, where Miranda promoter Seminole Warriors Boxing is based.
HBO also had shown interest in the fight.
Miranda, notorious for his amusing smack talk, had been putting out statements in recent days, hoping to lure Kessler into the ring.
In one of them, he referred to Kessler as a kitten.
"I'm not surprised 'Kessler the Kitten' disappeared when the big cat came around," Miranda said in one of the statements. "I wish him luck in his future endeavors as a model, actor, race car driver or video game player, because it's obvious that he's no longer a fighter."
Miranda's goading, not to mention a $1 million license fee from Showtime, according to one source, apparently worked.
Kessler, 29, known as "The Viking Warrior," made four defenses of his title, including unifying two belts, before losing to Calzaghe.
Miranda (30-2, 26 KOs), of Colombia, is one of the biggest punchers in the division. The Colombia native's two losses both came at middleweight. He lost a controversial decision in Germany to Arthur Abraham in a 2006 title bout and was stopped by future champion Kelly Pavlik in the seventh round of a May 2007 title eliminator.
After the loss to Pavlik, Miranda, who was struggling to make 160 pounds, moved up to super middleweight and has won two in a row, including a knockout of the year candidate when he dusted David Banks of "The Contender" in the third round on Jan. 11.
