madjack
30-07-2002, 02:44 AM
Soliman wants The Man
By ADRIAN WARREN
26jul02
AAP
AUSTRALIA'S latest international boxing champion Sam Soliman wants to fight both Anthony Mundine and Danny Green, but first has his sights set on fighting for a minor world title in September.
Victorian Soliman, who based himself in London for most of the last two years, won the vacant International Boxing Federation Pan Pacific middleweight title in Melbourne on Wednesday with an easy points win over New Zealander Sean Sullivan.
It was the first fight in Melbourne in three years for the nomadic boxer who has fought in Holland, Germany, Fiji, the United States, England and Scotland.
While he said he's now based back in Australia, Soliman is poised to return to London for a September 18 crack at the vacant World Boxing Federation middleweight title.
Standing between him is the lightly regarded WBF Frenchman Chardan Ansoula who has logged 11 victories and 4 losses, and won his last 6 bouts.
Soliman hoped winning the WBF title would earn him a rematch against Mundine who scored a controversial points win over the Victorian last year.
While the WBF title was a division below super middleweight in which Mundine campaigns, Soliman felt he would have better chance of attracting "The Man" if there was another championship at stake.
Earlier this week, Olympian and unbeaten professional Green challenged world ranked super middleweight Mundine to a $500,00 winner-take-all bout which The Man's manager described as "degrading".
A scheduled bout next month against the unbeaten Jeff Fenech-trained Sakio Bika could fall through after Soliman suffered a small fracture in his right hand in the second round against Sullivan.
Soliman said he was basing himself back in Australia as he was now getting more opportunities than he had overseas.
Prior to relocating to London, Soliman won three Australian titles at different weights and then captured the Commonwealth middleweight crown during his time in Britain.
His record stands at 15 wins and 7 losses, but six of those defeats came in title bouts, and he has never been stopped.
His girlfriend Shanee Martin will fight for the British Women's Super Flyweight title a week prior to his WBF championship contest
By ADRIAN WARREN
26jul02
AAP
AUSTRALIA'S latest international boxing champion Sam Soliman wants to fight both Anthony Mundine and Danny Green, but first has his sights set on fighting for a minor world title in September.
Victorian Soliman, who based himself in London for most of the last two years, won the vacant International Boxing Federation Pan Pacific middleweight title in Melbourne on Wednesday with an easy points win over New Zealander Sean Sullivan.
It was the first fight in Melbourne in three years for the nomadic boxer who has fought in Holland, Germany, Fiji, the United States, England and Scotland.
While he said he's now based back in Australia, Soliman is poised to return to London for a September 18 crack at the vacant World Boxing Federation middleweight title.
Standing between him is the lightly regarded WBF Frenchman Chardan Ansoula who has logged 11 victories and 4 losses, and won his last 6 bouts.
Soliman hoped winning the WBF title would earn him a rematch against Mundine who scored a controversial points win over the Victorian last year.
While the WBF title was a division below super middleweight in which Mundine campaigns, Soliman felt he would have better chance of attracting "The Man" if there was another championship at stake.
Earlier this week, Olympian and unbeaten professional Green challenged world ranked super middleweight Mundine to a $500,00 winner-take-all bout which The Man's manager described as "degrading".
A scheduled bout next month against the unbeaten Jeff Fenech-trained Sakio Bika could fall through after Soliman suffered a small fracture in his right hand in the second round against Sullivan.
Soliman said he was basing himself back in Australia as he was now getting more opportunities than he had overseas.
Prior to relocating to London, Soliman won three Australian titles at different weights and then captured the Commonwealth middleweight crown during his time in Britain.
His record stands at 15 wins and 7 losses, but six of those defeats came in title bouts, and he has never been stopped.
His girlfriend Shanee Martin will fight for the British Women's Super Flyweight title a week prior to his WBF championship contest