Reading Miranda

A boxer without a story might as well be a horse. A man’s history inspires empathy in others; with empathy, we taste the bitterness of the sweet science. A 168-pounder from Colombia, Edison “Pantera” Miranda (28-2, 24 KOs), knows this well enough to pump his piteous bio in his promotions. Apparently his mother shuttled him off to live with relatives in the mountains when he was only a couple of months old. The relatives beat him and worked him like a government mule until, at age nine, he left to search for his mother, who still wanted nothing to do with him. He continued working in yuca fields and on construction sites and as a cattle butcher until, at the wizened age of 16, he began boxing. He’s been beating people’s asses ever since, though he did lose his most recent bout, to Kelly Pavlik, in May, on HBO.

His return, against fellow super middleweight Henry Porras (33-6-1, 25 KOs), headlines a fight night that Hollywood-based Warriors Boxing is calling “Mayhem II.” Also confirmed for undercard bouts are two former Olympic gold medalists from Cuba -- Yan Barthelmy and Yuriorkis Gamboa -- and Vero Beach’s own James “Buddy” McGirt Jr. Literate fans will also have a chance to buy Angelo Dundee’s book, My View from the Corner, and get it signed by the legendary trainer. (Anyone who could whip Muhammad Ali into shape has a story to tell.) Doors open at 6:30 p.m. for fights beginning at 7:30 at the Hard Rock Live at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. Tickets cost $25 to $150 and are available by clicking www.ticketmaster.com or calling 954-523-3309.
Tue., Oct. 30, 6:30 p.m., 2007