SAM SOLIMAN DOMINATES
NADER HAMDAN!
By Tony Nobbs
02.06 - Sam 'King' Soliman got off the canvas to win
a convincing unanimous decision over Nader Hamdan in
front of a packed house at the Panthers RLFC in Sydney
tonight, retaining his IBF Pan Pacific Middleweight
Title for the second time.
After an untidy opening two rounds the bout turned
into a crowd pleasing affair with Soliman's awkward
style and relentless attack proving too much for the
previously unbeaten Team Fenech fighter who entered
the ring rated number five by the WBC.
Soliman's supporters however, had to survive a brief
scare in the fourth round. After clearly winning he
third stanza where he had Hamdan cut and on the backpedal,
the IBF number fifteen walked on to a smashing right
hand from Nader in the opening seconds. The punch would
have knocked down a wall but the tough 'King' of Egyptian
heritage was up immediately with a smile and back in
control by the half way mark of the round. Hamdan returned
to his corner cut over both eyes.
For the remainder of the fight, Soliman smothered his
challenger with a two fisted spray to both the head
and body and on more than one occasion Hamdan looked
in real trouble of not only suffering his first loss
but being stopped by the Dave Hedgecock trained Titlist
with only four knockouts to his credit in now 18-7 record
with a concerned referee Johnny Wright, just back from
the IBF convention in Puerto Rico, checking the now
32-1, 15 KO, Hamdan in the corner between rounds nine
and ten and trainer Jeff Fenech telling his charge he
had only one more round to get back in the fight.
Showing why he's called 'Lionheart', Hamdan had his
best round of the last eight, coming out with the jab
and widening his stance but it appeared Sam was taking
the three minutes off as he reasurted his dominance
in the final two sessions.
After the fight a jubilant Sam said " I just want
to thank my Lord Jesus Christ. I asked him to be in
my corner tonight . I take my hat off to Nader, he is
a true Sydney warrior and I hope he can get a World
Title one day. That knockdown was no fluke, he hit me
with a clean right hand. I am so fortunate to have a
great team behind me, I was prepared well for tonight".
Official scores were 118-110, 117-112, 117-113 and
Eastside scored it 117-111 with round four a 10-9 for
Hamdan. Soliman scaled 158.62 lb, Hamdan, 159.42 lb.
Contrary to popular belief, Sam's touch down in the
fourth was not the first of his career. The Melbourne
Marvel was given a count by ref Alan Simpson after being
dropped, albeit briefly by a clubbing right hand from
Peter Kinsella in the sixth round of his 1997 Australian
Cruiserweight Title winning effort.
Soliman's manager Stuart Duncan is due to fly out to
the USA this week to secure an elimination bout with
Panama's IBF no.8 Tito Mendoza.
Hamdan was gracious in defeat. It was his first step
up against a world class opponent and though soundly
beaten, he showed enormous heart and should be congratulated.
In the main event to the Jeff Fenech promoted PPV card
IBF number 10 Super Middleweight Danny Green (167.20
lb) went to 16-0, all by KO, proving too strong for
Australian Lt. Heavyweight Champ Jason Delisle, (166.1
lb) 11-2-2, 5 KO. Three knockdowns in round five forcing
an automatic stoppage. Team Fenech's Green retains his
IBF Pan Pac Title and picks up the vacant OPBF Belt
as well as avenging a loss at the 2000 Australian Amateur
Titles in the Lt. Heavy division. On paper, this was
one of 30 year old Green's biggest tests to date.
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