Soliman Walking Into A Sturm

[Adam Smith]

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Lucas Matthysse firmly has his sights set on light welterweight supremacy this year and the Argentine kicked off 2013 in impressive fashion when destroying Mike Dallas Jnr in one round. Dallas was separated from his senses before he hit the canvas as Mattysse landed a concussive short right hand on the button. Matthysse will face far sterner tests if he is to top the 140lbs division but you can’t deny his devastating power.

The first tip of the year when southwards when Selcuk Aydin decided to box negatively against the aging Jesus Soto Karass. If 2012’s Aydin would’ve shown up I’m certain he’d have dispatched of Soto Karass but he didn’t and I got it wrong.

‘The biggest fight in Australia’s history’ (according to local commentators) took place on Wednesday evening when Daniel Geale sought redemption against Anthony Mundine. In 2009 Mundine dealt Geale his one and only loss with a controversial split decision win but Geale made his old rival look every bit his 37 years. The IBF middleweight champion outboxed Mundine from start to finish and only looked uncomfortable when the challenger adopted some rather agricultural tactics.

Geale said after the fight that America is the next destination on his list. That’s good new because there’s some big fights to be had at 160lbs.

This Week’s Action

The wait goes on for some decent domestic action and it’s the German scene that takes centre stage this weekend.

Felix Sturm (odds of 1/7) is on the comeback trail after a string of lucky decisions final caught up with him last time out. The former long-term WBA middleweight champion needed the judges’ help against Matthew Macklin and martin Murray in 2011 and was on the wrong end of a close decision against Daniel Geale last September.

I thought the Geale loss would result in Sturm’s career going one of two ways; retirement after a long and reasonably successful time in the game or a ring return chasing some big fights in America. Neither has happened. Sturm has picked an easy comeback fight against Sam Soliman (5/1) in Germany. Sturm made 13 straight defences of his title in Germany and flatly refused to seek the big showdowns around the world with the likes of Sergio Martinez and Julio Cesar Chavez Jnr.

Soliman is 39 and been going the distance with some distinctly average Australian middleweights recently, Mundine showed us just how mediocre that division Down Under is against Geale, and I expect 34-year-old Sturm to walk straight through him. The 15/4 available on Sturm to score a KO is more than decent value considering he could do the job with his quality jab alone. The last non world class fighter to face Sturm was Ronald Hearns and he lasted seven rounds. Soliman will get similar treatment.

Jurgen Brahmer vs Eduard Gutknecht is the most competitive bout of the weekend when they face off for the EBU light heavyweight title. Brahmer is a loose cannon, twice pulling out of a WBO title fight with Nathan Cleverly and being inactive for 18 months before registering two low key wins last year.

Brahmer is 4/6 to beat 30-year-old Gutknecht who has been out the ring since last March. And lost on his one and only trip to world class competition, a 2010 decision loss to Robert Stieglitz.

This fight could be a bore fest between two inactive and average operators. No bet here.

The News

Golden Boy Promotions have announced they’ll be promoting Lamont Peterson after his upcoming fight against Kendall Holt in February. GBP are big fans of Amir Khan and now promote Danny Garcia, Lucas Matthysse, Marcus Maidana, Victor Ortiz and Peterson from the same stable. It could be an interesting year for Khan.

The Bet

Felix Sturm to KO Sam Soliman at 15/4. Sturm isn’t a knockout artist by any means but that price is simply too big.

Quote Of The Week

"If Price and Fury fought each other you would find out how good they are. I think Price stops him. That's my opinion.”

David Haye analyses the domestic heavyweight scene but Tyson Fury has his sights firmly set on the Klitschko’s.

"I'm going to snatch that WBC title" and “rid boxing” of the Klitschko’s, he said this week.

[BDUB]

Sturm to reclaim his greatness.

[CJ's Sex Slave]

Will Sturm continue to duck GGG?