Sam Soliman to make first title defence against Jermain Taylor

 
AFTER months of negotiations with multiple opponents, IBF middleweight champion Sam Soliman is set to make the first defence of his world championship abroad, having come to an agreement to face former undisputed middleweight champion Jermain Taylor.

 
While the announcement is yet to be made officially, it looks as if Soliman will make a surprise voluntary defence against Taylor in the US. Despite not having an official date or location, it appears likely that Soliman will face Taylor in the later stages of 2014, with a possible date touted for early December in Las Vegas.

 
It goes without saying that the choice to make a title defence against Taylor is certainly from left field.

 
Taylor, 35, hasn’t campaigned at middleweight since leaving the division in 2008, shortly after being knocked out by Kelly Pavlik in Atlantic City. In spite of this, Taylor holds an IBF #15 rating at middleweight, paving the way for the fight to be made.

 
Although the fight may not be the most anticipated, Soliman will make a confirmed career high payday, as Taylor’s advisor Al Haymon – arguably the most influential figure in the sport – has worked tirelessly to secure this opportunity for Taylor.

 
Taylor (32-4-1, 20 KOs) rose to notoriety almost a decade ago when he ended the legendary middleweight title reign of then undisputed champion Bernard Hopkins, before ousting him a further time in a rematch. It goes without saying that Taylor has a credible resume, highlighted by wins against the aforementioned Hopkins as well as victories over Kassim Ouma, Cory Spinks and Jeff Lacy.

 
However, the fight against Soliman has been met with mixed reviews abroad, with many US scribes citing Taylor’s inactivity and previous injuries as a cause for concern.

 
Taylor was forced to take a leave of absence in 2009 after suffering a minor subdural hematoma, otherwise known as a brain bleed following back-to-back knockout losses to both Carl Froch and Arthur Abraham.

 
Since returning, Taylor has won four consecutive fights at super middleweight, albeit against modest opposition.

 
Soliman, 40, and his team, lead by manager David Stanley, have been in lengthy discussions with several notable fighters in the middleweight division. There was talk of a title defence in Monte Carlo against Martin Murray, although the figure offered was substantially lower than what was reported in the media.

 
Considering the fight against Taylor is relatively low risk for a high six figure purse, Soliman (44-11, 18 KOs) with a victory can then go into possible unification fights against divisional leaders Miguel Cotto or Gennady Golovkin with heavier pockets.

 
Given the longevity of his career and the length of his road to the middleweight championship, nobody can despise Soliman for taking the most lucrative option for his first defence of his middleweight title.