Boxing 
World rated super Middleweight contender Edison “Pantera” Miranda and #4-rated WBC heavyweight contender Manny “El Toro” Quezada top a star-studded cast of boxers who will face formidable opposition on the next Goossen Tutor Promotions boxing event at the Tachi Palace Hotel & Casino in Lemoore, CA on Thursday night, October 22, 2009.
A 28-year old native of Colombia, Miranda (32-4, 28 KO) recently signed to a promotional agreement with Goossen Tutor and Warriors Boxing and will make his debut under its banner when he takes on Mexican super Middleweight Champion Francisco “Panchito” Sierra (20-2, 19 KO) for the NABO Super Middleweight Championship in the scheduled 12-round main event.
After stopping Howard Eastman in the seventh round of an IBF Middleweight Title Elimination bout for his 26th straight win to start his career, Miranda sustained his first loss when he dropped a hard-fought decision to World Champion Arthur Abraham. After impressive wins over contenders Willie Gibbs and rising star Allan Green, he was stopped in seven by Kelly Pavlik in a WBC Middleweight Title Elimination bout. Miranda then moved up to super middleweight and won his first two bouts before losing to Abraham again. He bounced back with another pair of victories before dropping a 12-round decision to NABF and NABO Super Middleweight titleholder Andre Ward in his most recent outing back in May.
In joining Ward as a member of the Goossen Tutor stable of boxers, Miranda (now ranked #9 by the IBF and WBC), looking for that last piece of the puzzle to get him over the top, has put his day-in, day-out boxing future in the hands of renowned trainer Joe Goossen, who has guided the likes of Michael Nunn, Rafael and Gabriel Ruelas, Joel Casamayor and Diego Corrales to World Championships.
“I am extremely excited to have my first fight with Joe being for a title,” Miranda said through an interpreter. “Dan Goossen is one of the most successful promoters in the business and his brother, Joe, one of the top trainers. I now have a great team with Warriors and my managers to guide me toward my dream of being a World Champion, and I look forward to making a big impression with the fans at the Tachi Palace.”
In a scheduled 10-round Heavyweight Attraction, local favorite Manny Quezada (28-4, Wasco, CA) will square off with Nicolai “Stone Man” Firtha (16-6-1, 7 KO, Akron, OH).
Quezada, 31, vaulted up to #4 in the WBC heavyweight rankings by virtue of his first-round destruction of Travis Walker in the third defense of his WBC CABOFE belt in his last ring appearance back in July at Tachi. “El Toro” has certainly enjoyed performing in the friendly confines on Tachi, as he has been victorious in 15 of his 16 efforts there—including his last 13 straight bouts.
“The Tachi Palace is like my second home,” said Quezada, who lives 45 minutes north of the casino. “It definitely feels that way when I fight there. So I am excited about being back and I can’t wait. It’s fun, for sure hearing my local fans cheering for me.
“I get really motivated fighting there. Everybody knows me there and the fans get me ready when I come out. I know times are tough right now and I am thankful that they come out and support me and I won’t let them down. I’m going to be ready to fight and make sure they can enjoy themselves that night.”
Featured on the undercard will be a pair of undefeated boxers from the Goossen Tutor stable -- Philadelphia-bred heavyweight Malik Scott and another local attraction, junior Welterweight Mike Dallas, Jr., of Bakersfield, CA.
The 28-year old Scott (32-0, 11 KO) recently inked a multi-year extension to continue on with Goossen-Tutor as his promoter and Joe Goossen as his trainer. Idle since last December when he decisioned Raphael Butler, Scott got himself back into boxing condition by sparring with stablemate Chris Arreola during preparation for his World title confrontation with Vitali Klitschko.
Dallas Jr. (10-0-1, 2 KO) is coming off the biggest victory of his young career. On the Andre Ward-Shelby Pudwill undercard in Temecula, CA three weeks ago, the 22-year old Jackie Kallen-managed gladiator went toe-to-toe with New Yorker Vincent Arroyo in a battle of unbeatens and emerged with a unanimous decision win. No stranger to Tachi, he has won all five of his bouts contested there and will look to take another step in his progression up the junior Welterweight ranks.
One other local bout has Bakersfield’s Ephraim Martinez (2-0) opposing Hugo Ramos (2-3-1, 1 KO, Palm Springs, CA) in scheduled four-round super bantamweight action.
“We’ve put on some terrific, competitive shows for our great fans at the Tachi Palace & Casino over the years, but this one ranks right up there with the best of them,” Dan Goossen exclaimed.
“In Edison Miranda and Manny Quezada we have a pair of exciting, hard-hitting contenders who will be in line for World Championship shots in the very near future with victories. Malik Scott is another young heavyweight with great promise as his perfect record shows, and needs to go out there and let the fans see the power he’s capable of delivering. And Mike Dallas, Jr. passed a big test his last time out and will return to his fighting home to entertain his fans. I believe we’ll see KOs in virtually each fight on Oct. 22.”
Tickets for the October 22nd event – priced at $600, $400, $75, $50 and $25 – may be ordered online at www.tickets.com; by phone at 1-800-277-2255 or at the Tachi Palace Gift Shop, 17225 Jersey Avenue, Lemoore, CA 93245.
