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 Joval and Soliman Do It Again – This Time The Stakes Are Higher
By David A. Avila (July 18, 2004)
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Raymond Joval and Sam Soliman are slugging it out at the Pechanga Resort and Casino today to see who gets a shot at the middleweight title. It's a rematch. Joval won their first meeting.
The victor at Pechanga has been a promised a fight with the winner of the Oscar De La Hoya and Bernard Hopkins middleweight championship bout in September. The stakes are high.
Joval, 35, recently captured a hard-fought decision against rugged Angel Hernandez, who is no stranger to these parts. The tenacious win put the boxer in the midst of the top 10 in the middleweight division.
"I've won two titles in Europe," said Joval (32-2, 14 KOs), a native of the Netherlands who trains in New York. "I know I have to come to the United States to win the world title."
No less an authority than undisputed middleweight champion Hopkins fed him that tidbit of advice.
"I was in Philadelphia and I found Hopkins and asked him to fight me. He told me I have to come to America to be known before he can fight me. He was right," Joval said.
Soliman, 30, no easy mark, yearns to fight in the spotlight after years of laboring against tough 160-pounders without much fanfare.
"In my view I consider myself having only one loss," said Soliman (25-7, 9 KOs), from Melbourne, Australia. "That was to Howard Eastman."
Now Soliman, who lost decisions to Anthony Mundine and Joval more than three years ago and hasn't loss since - gets an opportunity to avenge one of his losses.
"I want to avenge all my losses," Soliman said.
Also on the Goossen-Tutor promoted fight card, which begins at 2 p.m., will be heavyweight contender Kirk Johnson against California's rugged Gilbert Martinez.
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