Newz Forum: BOXING: Soliman Outpoints Joval in IBF Bout

The Associated Press
TEMECULA, Calif.
Sam Soliman outpointed Raymond Joval in an IBF middleweight elimination bout on Sunday.

The 12-round win made Soliman, of Melbourne, Australia, the mandatory challenger to current IBF middleweight champion Bernard Hopkins.

Soliman floored Joval, of Rotterdam, Netherlands, with a right late in the fourth and dominated every round. Joval finished with his face swollen and a cut over his left eye.

Two judges scored the bout 120-107 and the third had it at 119-108.

Soliman (27-7, 9 knockouts) was previously outpointed by Joval (32-3, 14 KOs) in a 2001 IBO middleweight title bout.

Earlier, heavyweight contender Kirk Johnson stopped Gilbert Martinez in the eighth round of a scheduled 10-round co-feature.

Martinez (18-8-2, 7 KOs), of Roseville, Calif., had lost every round when the ringside doctor stopped the fight due to a severe cut over his right eye. Johnson (35-2-1, 26 KOs), of Nova Scotia, broke his right hand and will likely be inactive for several months.