Former IBF Middleweight champion, SAM SOLIMAN, is on the comeback trail after winning the respect of millions of boxing fans around the world by raising the bar on courage and determination by fighting with a knee injury that would have caused 99% of fighters to quit.
Soliman injured his medial ligament in the 6th round when defending his IBF Middleweight title in Biloxi, Mississippi on October 8, against Jermain Taylor, former four-time world titleholder, and now IBF Middleweight champion. Soliman was ahead on all three judges’ score cards at the time.
“My rehabilitation program is being overseen by one of Australia’s leading Sports Physicians, Dr. Peter Fuller, and I was told today that if all goes the way it has since the fight, and I stay to plan, I can fight at the level I need early next year,” Soliman said.
Soliman’s manager, David Stanley said: “Sam lost the title, but he won over the hearts of the US boxing public and boxing media around the world with a truly courageous Arturo Gatti like effort. A re-match with Jermain Taylor would generate a lot of interest.”
Team Soliman are now talking with Taylor’s management about the re-match.
Soliman’s manager David Stanley said: “We enjoyed an excellent relationship with Team Taylor, and there is mutual respect both for what Taylor did to win the fight, and for what Soliman did to finish it.”
“A Team Taylor insider we talked to after the fight said they would consider a re-match, and our US agent and lawyer, Kurt Emhoff, is now working on a formal request for a rematch as Taylor’s next defense.”
Soliman said: “We gave Team Taylor a shot. It’s now in their hands. I respectfully ask Team Taylor to return the honor we extended to them, and let’s do it early next year.”
“A re-match, giving us a chance to go to war a second time would be pretty entertaining because both of us are true warriors,” Soliman said.
“I have a lot of respect for Jermain Taylor. He was very respectful to me leading up to and after the fight. Jermain is as humble as they come. Some of the comments made in the media were unfair; Jermain is a really good guy.
“I was only able to get through those last six rounds because of the great preparation I had through the efforts of my team Christian Ennor, Nigel McCarthy, David Tuinauvai, David Stanley, Kurt Emhoff, Rich Ryan; and the promise I made to the children at the Blythedale Children’s Hospital in Valhalla, New York that I would never quit if they promised to never quit.
“Taylor is the former undisputed champion of the world and I know he would have felt better if he had won the fight by out boxing or by knocking me out to became a world champion. In a rematch he will have the chance to just that,” Soliman said.
“Having lost the belt in the way I did, its undisputable, Jermain and I have some unfinished business.
“I believe Taylor has the pride of a true champion and will grant us the rematch. I would do the same if I was in his situation.”
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