Moments ago at the Miccosukee Resort in Miami, Florida, Edison Miranda halted Willie Gibbs in the first round with a right hand bomb, ending the contest at 2:59. Gibbs tried to contest things from the outside but Miranda broke through late in the round and Gibbs was unable to beat the count. The win ups Miranda’s record to 27-1 with 24 knockouts while Gibbs falls to 20-2 with 16 knockouts.

Miranda was coming off of a controversial loss to Arthur Abraham and now has added more spark to his career with this thrilling knockout. Fights such as an Abraham rematch or showdowns with either Jermain Taylor or Winky Wright would be intriguing for the young Colombian and most likely a treat to boxing fans as well.
 

On the undercard, Illinois’ Jose Hernandez showed true grit, coming back to stop previously undefeated Jason Litzau. Hernandez dropped the 23 year old Litzau at the end of the first round with a right hand, but he was out boxed and out brawled from that point on, with a loss seeming apparent. But Hernandez walked through fire, refusing to budge from Litzau’s shots, as he tried to break down his younger foe. In the 8th round a crashing right hand from Hernandez dropped Litzau to the canvas and Jason was unable to beat the count.

It was a disappointing ending for Litzau, who showed a true fighter’s spirit throughout the evening, engaging in several fierce exchanges with Hernandez. Litzau falls to 20-1 with 18 knockouts but he still has plenty going for him. He is young, exciting, fights with his heart, and has several offensive tools to work with. If he tightens up his defense, we could be seeing him again in the future. Hernandez record moves up to 22-3 with 14 stoppages and we may see him yet again on some scale, as his effort showcased his heart and perseverance.