By Ryan Maquiñana
Rising middleweight Peter Quillin will face former two-time world title challenger Sam Soliman in the second half of a four-man tournament to determine the mandatory challenger for IBF champ Daniel Geale of Australia.
“I agreed to take the fight because it’s going to take me closer to a world title,” Quillin (25-0, 19 KOs) said. “We’re still waiting for negotiations, so there’s no date yet and nothing’s set as far as the venue, but we’ll see.”
As part of the delegation of pros summoned by Freddie Roach to Colorado Springs,
“Kid Chocolate” spent the past month helping prepare Team USA for this week’s AIBA World Championships.
“I’m doing something to give back to boxing someway, somehow,” he said. “It was a great to be an example for the young fighters. I’ve just been keeping myself in shape and picking up some health tips from Team USA. I’m very fortunate to have that experience.”
The New York resident now sets his sights on Australia’s Soliman (39-11, 17 KOs) and the winner’s bounty, a final IBF eliminator against the Oct. 7 winner of Russia’s Roman “Made in Hell” Karmazin (40-4-2, 26 KOs) and Osumanu “Ozzie” Adama of Ghana (19-2, 14 KOs).
“I’ve seen him in the Winky Wright fight,” Quillin said of Soliman. “He throws a lot of punches, and he’s awkward so he can be dangerous. But that’s in the past. If you’re talking in the present at middleweight, you have to talk about ‘Kid Chocolate.’ I’m going back to Wild Card this Saturday to start training camp.”
“King” Soliman, known to American fans for his solid effort in a wide points loss to Winky Wright six years ago, vowed to turn the tables on the unbeaten Quillin.
“There were a few other middleweights who pulled out of fights against me in the IBF Box-Off including former champion Sebastian Sylvester,” Soliman told Ray Wheatley of Fightnews. “I am sure Quillin will be a tough fight, but I am confident I will be the winner and give him his first professional loss.”
Ryan Maquiñana is the boxing correspondent at Comcast SportsNet Bay Area. He’s a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and Ring Magazine’s Ratings Advisory Panel. E-mail him at rmaquinana@gmail.com , check out his blog at www.maqdown.com or follow him on Twitter: @RMaq28.