Mario Alberto Miranda Maraňon (born 15 May 1960) is a Colombian former professional boxer and boxing trainer who is best known for his 1982 challenge for the WBC's world featherweight title.
Due to Sanchez's unexpected death on August 12 of that year, however, Miranda fought Laporte for the vacant world title instead, losing the contest by technical knockout.
But all that changed when Sanchez tragically died in a cat accident on August 12, 1982 in Mexico, and Miranda was then set to substitute him and fight Laporte for the vacant WBC world title instead.
Next, Miranda traveled to Colombia's neighboring country of Panama, for a fight against Francisco Fernandez, who had 10 wins and 4 losses in what was supposed to be an easy tune up for the Colombian but instead turned into a struggle.
Held on February 5, 1983 as part of a program headlined by a bout between future world champion Alfredo Layne and Aquilino Asprilla, the contest was a close one but Miranda was able to win a ten-rounds majority decision, at the Roberto Duran Arena, then known as "Gimnasio Nuevo Panama" and now named after legendary Panamanian boxer Roberto Duran.
[15] His next fight was another major contest, as he faced former WBA world bantamweight champion Jorge Lujan, also at the Gimnasio Nuevo Panama.
He fought, among others, Kiko Bejines' brother Oscar, on Thursday, December 19, 1985 at the Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles, California, in a contest he lost by a ten-rounds decision by wide scores of 99-90, 100-90 and 98-93 against him,[17] and former Julio Cesar Chavez world title challenger Dwight Pratchett, against whom Miranda became the North American Boxing Federation's junior lightweight champion by a twelve-rounds majority decision on Saturday, January 17, 1987 at the Exhibition Center in Coconut Grove.
[19] Miranda retired after a victory over a 4 wins, 2 losses and 1 draw opponent named Adolfo Gonzalez by a fifth-round technical knockout on Saturday, May 28, 1988 at the Plaza de Toro Monumental del Caribe bullring back home at Barranquilla,[20] in a fight in which he had International Boxing Hall of Famer Antonio Cervantes in his corner and which was televised to Colombia live on Tele Caribe,[21] but he decided to form what turned out to be a short lived comeback to boxing fifteen years later, beating opponent Billy Tibbs twice at the Fort Garry Place in Winnipeg, Canada, first by a four-rounds unanimous decision on Thursday, January 23, 2003,[22] and then, by the same way and also over four rounds, on Thursday, June 3, 2004.
[23] Miranda had 46 professional boxing contests, of which he won 41, lost 3 and drew (tied) 2 times, with 24 wins and only the Laporte loss by knockout.