11.04.04 – IBF No.4 middleweight Sam “King” Soliman today issued this challenge via his manager Stuart Duncan and promoter Dan Goossen. “With Robert Allen now fighting Bernard Hopkins on June 5, the No.1 position will open up, and if Ray Joval or Jermain Taylor can’t come to terms – I am quite happy to take on both of you ‘literally,’” said Sam Soliman. “Sort it out yourselves, either one of you first, and then we’re quite happy to fight the other to maintain our No.1 position. Anytime Anywhere! A pretty simple message, were prepared to take this route if this is what it takes to prove our worth to fight Bernard Hopkins.”
“Neither of you can avoid me,” said a confident Soliman, from him home base in Melbourne Australia today. b>“I don’t care which one of you it is, nor do I care where it is,‘you can have your brother as a judge and sister as a referee,’ they aren’t going to save you,” laughed Soliman.
“I know Joval will avoid me like the plague, cause we met once before and he was lucky to get a decision against me in his own backyard back in 2001. He’s had 7 fights since then and I’ve had 14 winning every one other than a highly controversial points decision loss against WBA super middleweight champion Anthony Mundine. (Also back in 2001)
“‘Jermain, whenever you’re ready’. He is a talented up and coming boxer who I’m tipping will wreak havoc amongst the 160lbs division, however he hasn’t encountered anyone like me yet. ‘I’ve got more combinations than his local Chinese food restaurant. With my angles and work rate – he is custom built for me,’ bring it on!
“I’ve proven my worth in the last 14 fights having taken on and beaten world rated opponents including Satoru Suzuki, who was WBA No.10 at the time and Japanese champion, along with WBA rated Tokutaro Toyozumi. WBC top five rated Nader Hamden whose record was 32-0, Cornelius Carr (34-3), unbeaten Cameroon Olympian and Australian champion Sakio Bika. It’s interesting to note we’ve travelled to their backyard each time. Amongst the remainder a South American champion and former IBO world champion and an unbeaten prospect, Eric Teymour in Scotland.
“And the message to Bernard is loud and clear, if Robert Allen gets a runny nose or a change of heart, give Dan Goossen a call cause ‘we’re ready’. Allen backed out of fighting me in April last year, and despite repeated offers won’t get in the ring with the ‘King’.
“Tito Trinidad wants the payday but hasn’t been in the ring in 20 months, I say prove you still have it Tito, try the ‘King’ as a warm up. And to Fernando Vargas – he probably wouldn’t be stupid enough as he knows I’d send him straight back into retirement.”