Kehoe: WHO BELIEVES SOLIMAN CAN TAKE OUT WRIGHT?
By TSS Predictions December 6th, 2005
Can anyone outside of Australia really say they honestly believe Sam Soliman, with seven losses, at age 32, all 5′8″ of him with not quite a 50% knockout ratio, is going to arrive in the US to take out – arguably – one of the top 5 pound-for-pound fighters in the world? Sure he was “robbed” in his 2001 IBO middleweight championship fight against Raymond Joval in Amsertdam; still, we all get the picture. Winky Wright would have to have come down several notches to lose to even a hungry, motivated Soliman. Wright KO10 Soliman.
Patrick Kehoe is a featured writer at The Sweet Science. To read more of his work
December 6th, 2005 at 8:01 pm
Patrick you are right of course, but the IBF somehow has Soliman rated number one. Despite this Ikeke and Abraham will vie for the suddenly “vacant” IBF title. Just imagine the thinking that went into these three decisions: 1. Rating Soliman number one on the basis of having zero wins against world class opponents, 2. Vacating the title from the one and only undisputed champion Jermain Taylor, and 3. Excluding the number ranked contender from a fight for the “vacant” title. Ask the IBF to explain all of that.
December 6th, 2005 at 9:02 pm
Mate, I’m from Australia and let me tell you, he’s up against it. Soliman is awkward, and he will go twelve (there is money to be made on that I think), but, in the end, how do you outslick Winky? I like Soliman, he has been unlucky a lot in his career, but in our country, we would colloquially describe his chances as “pretty f****** unlikely”.
Cheers.
December 7th, 2005 at 9:12 am
i think the fight will be pretty equal early on, but as the fifth and later rounds roll on you’ll see Wink prove why he is a master Technician.
December 7th, 2005 at 7:18 pm
Winky KO’ing Soliman?
I HIGHLY doubt it.
Sam has been down only once but never been hurt. Winky didn’t even punch hard as a Jnr Middle, let alone full blown middle.
Sam is one of the fittest boxers in the world and it will go 12. He may not beat Winky but a lot of people will be surprised.
December 8th, 2005 at 11:36 am
Winky KO10 Soliman……two words: YEAH RIGHT!
Winky will almost certainly win the fight by UD, but the only way that I see Winky winning by KO is if
(a) Sam Soliman is so frustrated that he starts speaking the most famous Spanish words in boxing: NO MAS…. or
(b) if the referee has pity on a damaged Soliman and stops the fight due to unanswered punches.
The latter is a remote possibility (in my opinion) only because of the fact that Winky’s KO’s have been more by accumulated punches than by power. Does that mean I think it will happen? Don’t bet on it. Sam Soliman is a well conditioned boxer and hasn’t been KO’d before.
Again, in my opinion, the reason why Wright isn’t getting the pay-per-view money he deserves is because he lacks that KO power. As far as boxing skills are concerned - he is sen-sa-tion-al.
If I were managing Winky, I would tell him to put more weight on to get more power and go for the other big names such as Lacy, Callazaghe, etc. The extra pounds should most certainly add more power behind his punches. His defensive skills should save him from fighting bigger men and will allow more money in the bank.
Right now, the only money fight I see him having at middleweight is probably on his way out of boxing - Bernard Hopkins. I think he knows that and that’s why he tried to call out Pretty Boy Floyd and De La Hoya, because there really isn’t anything else money-wise that can boost him into the next tax bracket. Jermain? Not really. It will be a good fight, but I don’t think that, with the 75-25 purse split, the money will take him further than his fight with Tito did.
Winky UD 12 Soliman.
December 8th, 2005 at 7:56 pm
Trying to hit Sam is similar to snatching flies from the air. Trying to hit Winky is similar to punching a man on the other side of a six-foot fence. Although Sam has seven losses a quick check of his career will reveal most of those losses were contested. As an Australian I’m pleased Sam finally has a shot at a boxing star but cannot see him penetrating Winky’s fence-like defence. Sam isn’t the type of fighter to stand and slug - he’s an accumulator of points and has the ability to frustrate any fighter. But against Winky Sam will be the frustrated one after 12 uneventful rounds and a lopsided decision going to Winky.