Sam Soliman: Where to next for the dethroned king?

 
CAST your mind back a few weeks, shortly before Australia’s Sam Soliman was set to make the first defence of his recently acquired IBF middleweight title against Jermain Taylor at the Beau Rivage Resort & Casino in Biloxi, Mississippi.

 
Most saw the fight against Taylor as an opportunity for Soliman (now 44-12, 18 KOs) to receive a well-earnt and overly deserved payday against an opponent in Jermain Taylor, who was perceived to be past his prime and an ideal candidate for Soliman’s first title defence.

 
However, Soliman’s fairytale rise to the middleweight championship was written in a separate chapter to that of his first title defence.

 
Despite being made to look like damaged goods for the best part of five rounds, Taylor, 36, capitalised on a untimely injury to Soliman’s right-knee, scoring four knockdowns before dethroning the Australian in truly unique fashion, earning a twelve-round unanimous points decision.

 
Several weeks have since passed and the journey back to the middleweight championship will shortly begin for the now former IBF middleweight champion. With that in mind, Aus-Boxing has put together a list of the five most viable options for Soliman, 40, at this point of his career.

 

 
1. Jermain Taylor, (33-4-1, 20 KOs) – IBF middleweight champion

 
We’ll start with perhaps the most obvious of all present options to Soliman, an immediate rematch with Jermain Taylor. For the best part of five rounds, Soliman schooled Taylor, before his right knee succumbed in the most unfortunate of circumstances.

 
However, it is understood that Soliman did not have a rematch clause in his contract, which for all intents and purposes, means he will most likely not get a rematch anytime soon. As it stands, Hassan N’Dam is Taylor’s mandatory and a rematch with Soliman appears to rank low in terms of the Arkansas-native’s priorities.

 
If recent interviews by Taylor’s promoter Lou DiBella are anything to go by, Soliman will have to re-earn his shot via an official title eliminator.

 

 
2. The winner of Daniel Geale (30-3, 16 KOs) vs. Jarrod Fletcher (18-2, 10 KOs)

 
Everybody loves a local derby, especially when the two locals are of world-class ability. In the case of both Geale and Fletcher, both have challenged for versions of the middleweight championship in their last fights – and despite being on the end of stoppage defeats – there is no doubting their ability.

 
While they are set to clash on December 3rd for the IBF Pan Pacific strap, it goes without saying that Soliman and his team will have a firm eye on the outcome of this All-Australian clash. A fight between Geale and Soliman had been spoken of for some time, although never actually coming to fruition.

 
Timing is everything and a win for either Geale or Fletcher could eventuate in a title eliminator against Soliman.

 

 
3. Martin Murray (28-1-1, 12 KOs) – WBC #1 and IBF #3 middleweight

 
Murray’s name has been bandied about several times for multiple Australian’s in the past twenty-four months, most notably Garth Wood and Jarrod Fletcher. Murray and his promoter Rodney Berman of Golden Gloves in South Africa had been eager to challenge Soliman for some time, making multiple offers to Soliman’s camp.

 
While the purses on offer may not have been the best of Soliman’s professional career, they were certainly big enough for Soliman’s team to enter negotiations. However, without a belt, there would be substantially less on the table for the Australian, but Murray’s world ratings could be enough to entice Soliman in a fight with the Englishman.

 
Murray, 32, is best known for pushing former lineal middleweight champion Sergio Martinez to the brink of defeat in 2012. But in recent times, Murray has failed to impress, looking listless in wins over Sergey Khomitsky and more recently Ishmael Tetteh and Max Bursak.

 

 
4. Matthew Macklin (31-5, 20 KOs) – WBC #6, WBA #10 and WBO #13 middleweight

 
Macklin is perhaps the most winnable of the listed names for Soliman. Like Soliman, Macklin has been a perennial contender for the middleweight championship for a handful of years. Unlike most, Macklin has already challenged for versions of the middleweight title three times, losing two of those by knockout to Sergio Martinez and Gennady Golovkin, respectively.

 
In spite of his previous challenges, Macklin’s recent signing with leading British promoter Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Sport has breathed life into a near stagnant Macklin. The Irishman faces undefeated but obscure Argentine Jorge Sebastian Heiland next month in an official eliminator for the WBC middleweight title.

 
If Macklin’s most recent performance is anything to go by – a razor thin decision over journeyman Jose Yebes – Soliman might fancy his chances against Macklin and re-stamp his ticket in the middleweight championship sweepstakes.

 

 
5. David Lemieux (32-2, 30 KOs) – WBC #2, WBA #15, IBF #5 and WBO #8 middleweight

 
Possibly the most difficult assignment on this list presents itself in the form of big-punching Canadian David Lemieux. While Lemieux’s limitations have been exposed in previous losses to Marco Antonio Rubio and Joachim Alcine, Lemieux has been on a tear recently, scoring seven consecutive wins.

 
Lemieux is scheduled to face fellow middleweight contender Gabriel Rosado on December 7th in New York, but providing he is successful in overcoming the durable Rosado, a potential fight with Soliman could open up for early next year.

 
Lemeieux’s promoter, Yvon Michel of GYM has the backing of the influential Canadian television networks, meaning Soliman would be well paid to test the mettle of the hard-punching Canadian.

 
 
Photo: Scott Foster/Fightnews