14.12.06 – Triple A Man” Sam “King” Soliman (33-8, 13 KO’s) will finally receive his long dreamed of rematch with Anthony “The Man” Mundine (27-3, 21 KO’s) on Wednesday night March 7 at the Sydney Entertainment Center, with the chance to win the vacant WBA super middleweight “regular” title as a princely reward. Dubbed “The Man – The King – The fight for the Crown.” Promoter will be Tony Mundine Snr, Anthony’s father and trainer.
In September 2001, late substitute Soliman gave the phenomenally talented Aboriginal Mundine what was then the toughest test of his brief boxing career, stretching the former Rugby League star to a controversial split decision in Wollongong, NSW, about an hour drive south of Sydney, and home to the St George-Illawarra Dragons who Mundine played for during his successful RL career. Two fights later, Mundine challenged Sven Ottke for the IBF 168 lb title in Germany in just his 11th outing-being knocked out in round ten after putting up a quite competitive performance. Soliman has since won 20 out of 21 bouts with his only defeat being a decision to Winky Wright in December last year.
Mundine of course has won and lost the WBA regular title wining the vacant strap with a unanimous decision over Antwun Echols in 2003 and losing it via split points to Manny Sciaca in ’04. An unsuccessful challenge against Mikkel Kessler last year was probably his most spirited outing prior to his twelve round unanimous verdict over Aussie rival Danny Green last May. The regular title opportunity came about after Kessler destroyed Markus Beyer to unify the ‘BA & ‘BC belts in October, thus becoming “Super Champion.”
Truthfully, both are much improved fighters since 2001. Who has improved the most? We will find out soon enough. The awkward windmill type Sam figures to give Anthony trouble again but will have to have more success with “punches landed” than he did in the first encounter as well as the Wright contest that was also some what controversial. (This writer is one of the minority who actually felt Mundine deserved the “W” in fight 1 – albeit by a razor thin edge. Their’s no favoritism, I was in Sam’s corner the night he claimed his first National title, in his second fight, in 1997. Mundine co-incidentally was ringside that night, there to support prelim boxer Jeff “Sonny” Malcolm, who I also seconded).
The always active and popular Soliman’s last bout was on November 17 when he got of the deck to eke out a ten round nod over Enrique Orceales in California. Mundines last start was a routine four round knockout (body shot) of useful Argentine Ruben Acosta. Acosta’s only loss previously was a ten round decision to newly crowned WBA middleweight “regular“ champion Mariano Carerra.
So the stage is set for another high profile domestic rivalry and if Wednesday’s press conference to announce the fight is any indication (Mundine, who will start favorite, arrived wearing a crown and siting on a throne) it will have a build up with plenty of theatrics and with both men at or near the top of their game should live up to the hype and prove beyond doubt who is the real “King.”
“I’ll fight you on the inside, I’ll fight you on the outside, I’ll fight you at angles, I’ll beat you to a pulp,” Mundine, 31, told Soliman, 33.
“I’m going to be The Man, be the winer and be the best and I’m gonna go on to bigger and better things.”
Everyone is talking about Soliman, everyone’s talking about how hard he is… this, this and that. Mark my words, I’m going to show you that this could be the easiest fight of my career.”
“Soliman throws pitter patter punches. I’m going to show him the A-B-C’s, the 1-2-3’s.”
But there was more…
“I’m gonna take care of you, you prostitute. After the fight you should join the circus.”
“Talking about circuses, I’m probably the best thing since the circus. I bring you drama, I bring you suspense, I bring you laughter, I bring you emotion.”
“This is their (Soliman’s camp) day in the sun – this is their day to shine.”
But the sun is going to be so high you are going to be burnt. It don’t matter if you throw 5000 punches because 4992 of them are gonna miss.”
“You know in your heart you’re going to get whipped. I ain’t the same man you fought five years ago, baby.”
They shouldn’t be calling him the King, they should be calling me the King. I’m gonna get up on my throne.”
4 division Australian and one time Commonwealth middleweight champion Soliman, as hard working professional fighter you would find, a man who would be a deserving and respectful champion, will never win a war of words with Mundine. He knows that. He will get down to the gym, at his manager Stuart Duncan’s training camp in the Victorian country, spar hundreds of rounds, run the miles, spend the hours in the gym with trainer Dave Hedgecock to prepare himself for his first opportunity at a major alphabet crown (he did lose a home town decision in ’01 to Ray Joval for the IBO bauble – he of course later dominated the Dutchman in California in ’04 to earn the IBF 160 lb top spot).
He will come to fight as he always does- give it his all and throw a “billion” punches. If enough of them land, he could full fill his ambition of becoming a world title holder. Like Mundine, should he win, he then can target Calzaghe and Kesler to be considered the real “King”of the division.