Story of Sam King Soliman

Hi. My name is Sam King Soliman, ranked 3# in the World by the WBA and fighting Mundine for the Super Middleweight World Title in early March 2007. It was 1996 when I was a young battler with a dream of becoming World Champion that I found the Champion within me.

At the age of 19 I received a call from a promoter by the name of Kieth Ellis offering me a shot at the Australian Cruiserweight title. I was a real dreamer who took fights at any weight division, anytime, anywhere… with no manager, just a trainer and a father whom loved me very much but didn’t want me hurt so he never wanted me to step into the ring. I accepted the fight right away and even though I had a record of 1 fight for 1 win, I was a 72.5kg middle weight being asked to fight an 86kg cruiserweight and was offered it in just 4 days notice, I had no hesitation in accepting.

My friends, family and critics who have heard or followed the Cruiserweight champ Peter Kinssella’s career could not believe I was silly enough to take such a bout with a guy with an 18 fight record, in his hometown and at that weight division with such short notice. My trainer believed I could do it though and lo & behold I jumped on the plane from Melb, got to the weigh-in the next day, jumped on the scales with mini weight plates in my baggy shorts pockets in order to make the weight for the officials to allow and sanction the bout, then got in the ring the next day to fight this giant Irish/Australian Champ.

With only one 4-round fight under my belt, which I'd won comfortably 4 weeks earlier, I was ready for battle. It was a sellout crowd as I looked around the Arena with plenty of nerves but at the same time excitement knowing that I'm here fighting for my country as the sub-main event to one of my childhood idol boxers, Joe Bugner versus an opponent he'd ended up knocking out that night.

Ding, ding the bell went and I outboxed the big fellow over 12 rounds and in the 12th I KO'd him with an overhand right and even though I had broken two medicarple bones with that punch, I created history in winning a fight that stunned a sellout crowd of around 2000 people. There was pandemonium that night and I became the Australian Champion in just my 2nd pro fight, with only my trainer believing I could pull it off.