Wherever I May Roam

By Gary Todd
Fightbeat Contributor

Warriors of the past have traveled the vast continents of the world to fight in battle. They return to their own land, sometimes they win, sometimes they lose, but they always come back to fight another day.

When Australian middleweight, Sam Soliman touches em up with American Ronald Winky Wright on the 10th of December, he will be facing a fighter, who like himself, has traveled the world , living the hard life as a prize fighter.

Soliman made his debut as a professional fighter in 1997, but had been training and fighting as a kickboxer for years . His love for training had served him well through the years and he was always ready and willing to fight anyone from junior middle, to cruiserweight. He has won domestic titles at middleweight, super middle, and cruiserweight, before traveling to England to fight for the Commonwealth middleweight title, against Neville Brown, in a fight in which he won by 9th round tko. Like Wright, when no one wanted to fight him, he would pack his bags and go looking for a fight anywhere he could find one. Scotland, England, all over Europe, Japan, and America, fighting his way up the rankings, frustrating his opponents in the ring, while imposing his happy go lucky personality on to the minds of the boxing fans, wherever he roamed.

In his career so far, Soliman has had his highs and lows, but since 2001, when he was controversially beaten over 12 rounds by fellow Aussie, Anthony "The Man" Mundine, Soliman¡'s career has kicked on, and he has established himself as a world class middleweight. 19 wins straight, winning OPBF , and IBF Pan Pacific titles. In this game, nothing comes easy, but through persistent hard work from him and his team, he is now fighting the cream of the crop, for a chance at some really juicy fruits.

"Winky" Wright is a boxing superstar. How can you not respect him as a fighter. Great defense, solid jab, fantastic chin, and superb performances against Shane Mosley and Felix Trinidad, in recent times.

The thing with Winky, he has always had these attributes, but he wasn't always a superstar. He worked hard, fought consistently well. Well enough that no one wanted to risk their O, so he had to go and pick a fight elsewhere. [ South Africa, Europe, South America, and England. ]

After dominating the early 90's in the USA, and building up a good record, [ 25-0 18kos] he was matched to fight the legendary Julio Cesar Vasquez, in 1994 for the WBA Junior middleweight championship of the world. The fight went the championship distance but Vasquez had too much dynamite in his fists for the southpaw from Florida, decking him at will. Although outgunned by Vasquez, this loss paved the way for him to realize his dream of being a world champion. In 1996, after fighting his way back into top contender position, he was matched to face WBO junior middleweight champ, Bronko Mc Cart . Mc Cart was a hardman, and in a too close too call fight, Wright won by a split decision over the 12 rounds.

Now a world champion , he took his show on the road, fighting on the undercards to British world champions, Nigel Benn, and Prince Naseem Hamed, winning easily.

Confident, arrogant, and under prepared, he traveled to South Africa to defend his title against the big punching Harry Simon. [ 16-0 ] Wright fought with heart but Simon edged him out to snatch his championship belt back to the shanty towns of Temba.

After a short break, it was back to America and back to the boxing drawing board.

Fernando Vargas was a fighter on the road to stardom. Exciting, Aggressive, balls as big as Mexico. Not the best opponent for Wright at that stage of his career, but Vargas held the IBF junior middleweight title, and a title shot is a title shot.

The ferocious one had been putting everyone to sleep and Winky had had just one fight/one win, since his devastating loss to Simon in South Africa. Come fight night, Vargas was too strong and aggressive and he defended and kept his IBF belt, by winning over the 12 rounds.

Many insiders thought that would be it for the traveling man but he came back again nine months later and since that time, he hasn't missed a beat. Hard fights, going the distance was a way of life for him, but he was still grinding out the win. In 2001, he became a two time world champion with a big win over Robert Frazier, to win Tito Trinidad's vacated IBF junior middleweight title, and in 2004, he dominated Sugar Shane Mosley , to become the undisputed junior middleweight champion of the world. As I said before, how can you not respect him. Mosley was the only man willing to fight him and give him a chance at some real money, and real exposure. Wright was humbled by Mosley, but not for long.

No doubt about it, Mosley had given him a lifeline and he grabbed onto it with his clenched fists and when Mosley asked for the rematch, Winky threw back the line in return. Many thought the outcome would be different. It was. Mosley threw more punches, looked stronger, but he just couldn't get past the two pillars protecting Wrights head. Wrights defense and brilliantly accurate jabbing won the rematch for him, in an entertaining 12 round chess match.

It was now late 2004. Rumors were circulating around boxing circles that the great power puncher, Felix Tito Trinidad was thinking of coming back for some more huge money mega fights at 160. Tito had came back successfully in October, battering Ricardo Mayorga in impressive fashion, pulverizing the crazed one into a dazed one, at junior middleweight. The talk was a much anticipated rematch with Bernard Hopkins, DeLa Hoya, and promoters, fighters, and the fans were licking their chops at the thought of the return of the big punching, nice guy from Puerto Rico. So was Wright. He wanted a piece of that action and wasted no time telling anyone who would listen. Not long after, the fight was signed for May, 2005. Trinidad came back, but not the Trinidad we remembered, and definitely not the one who hammered Mayorga the year before.

The legend from Puerto Rico was out of shape, blown up, and come fight night he was a shadow of his former self. He had a plan A, and that didn't work and Wright out boxed and out thought him , to win easy over 12 rounds. Great win on the record for Wright, not to mention the multi million dollar purse tucked away in his suitcase.

Searching for greatness, Wright now wants to challenge Bernard Hopkins or Jermaine Taylor for the undisputed middleweight titles and also more big pay days..

Sam Soliman is next in line and he is hungry , hungry to win, hungry for some big pay days of his own. Who would have thought , two traveling men, roaming the world for years, and now on the same road to glory.

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