SOLIMAN SHUTS OUT BRITEZ!

By Tony Nobbs

14.08 - IBF number ten Middleweight King Sam Soliman (19-7, 4 KO) scored a twelve round unanimous points victory over former IBO Champion Ramon Britez (34-18-1, 23 KO) of Argentina in Melbourne on Tuesday night. All three judges carded 120-108 for the IBF Pan Pacific Champion who will now fight Tokutaro Toyozumi (14-2-3, 6 KO) for the OPBF Title on September 7 in Japan.

"He was a tough, awkward Argentine with an iron chin" said Soliman of his southpaw opponent who lost a tight twelve rounder to Ricky Thornberry in Queensland last year for the WBA Fedelatin 168 belt.

"I really busted him up. He was cut, bleeding from the nose, bleeding from the mouth but he kept on coming. My knuckles are bruised from hitting him for twelve rounds. The judges had me winning every single round so I must be happy".

Soliman is rated 15 by the WBC and unanimously outpointed Nader Hamden in June in Sydney. Hamden at the time was rated number five by the WBC and the Melbourne fighter is predicting a knockout win over Toyozumi.

"I'm definitely going for the knockout in Japan. You will see a KO next to that fight on my record" said the 29 year old four division Australian Champion.

"I really hope Bernard Hopkins doesn't give up the Title. We are so close, everything is falling into place. I don't want him to move up or down a division. I don't want to have to fight a number one or two contender for the Title. I want to fight the Champion".

Soliman, like several in the Australian fight game sees a bright future for the sport in this country.

"I have to tell you. I'm so excited about what I am seeing. I am eighty five percent certain that Australia will see these fighters - Paul Briggs: Lt. Heavyweight. Danny Green: Super Middleweight. Sam Soliman: Middleweight. Lovemore Ndou: Junior Welterweight. Robbie Peden: Junior Lightweight. Skinny Hussein : Super Bantamweight. Vic Darchinian and Hussein Hussein: Flyweight - win World Titles by July 2004!

Look at the ratings. All the good talent that is coming through and the good people who are involved like my manager Stuart Duncan. And another, there are so many: Nathan Sting - he just won a Title. At Bantamweight. We have always had good Bantamweights.

I really see Australia again being put on the boxing map in the next year. Back to when we had World Champions like Lionel Rose and Johnny Famechon, the golden era of boxing in the 60's and 70's.

When we were respected the world over".