Young undefeated middleweight prospect Dominic “Lights Out” Wade will take on the toughest opponent of his career when he faces former champion Sam “King” Soliman in the main event of ShoBox: The New Generation on Friday, June 26, from Little Creek Casino Resort in Shelton, Wash.
Wade (17-0, 12 KOs), of Washington, D.C., and Soliman (44-12, 1 NC, 18 KOs), of Melbourne, Australia, will clash in the 10-round middleweight main event of the TGB Promotions tripleheader. In other televised bouts, former Marine and 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Captain Jamel “Semper Fi” Herring (11-0, 7 KOs), of Rockville Centre, N.Y., and 19-year-old former amateur standout and unbeaten super welterweight Erickson “Hammer” Lubin (10-0, 7 KOs), of Orlando Fla., will be featured against opponents to be determined in separate bouts.
If triumphant, Wade will begin to transition from promising prospect to legitimate contender in his quest to become the next ShoBox graduate to win a world championship. To date, 61 ShoBox alums have captured world titles.
While Wade is unbeaten, Soliman is vastly more experienced, having competed in four world championship fights. He held the IBF Middleweight World Championship before suffering a debilitating knee injury and losing via unanimous decision to Jermain Taylor in his first title defense last October. Soliman, who was leading on the judges’ scorecards at the time of the injury, will make his first start since losing the 160-pound title.
“This is a great opportunity for me to face a former world champion,” Wade said. “While he’s more experienced I truly believe my time has arrived and I plan to show the boxing world that I’m ready for the next level.”
“I know what it takes to be a world champion, the sacrifices needed to endure, the battles that need to be won. My road to regaining the world title begins on June 26 against Dominic Wade,” said Soliman.
“We’re very excited to work once again with the terrific SHOWTIME and Little Creek Casino Resort teams on this exciting fight card,” said Tom Brown of TGB Promotions. “Wade vs. Soliman is an excellent cross-roads bout. Additionally, Lubin and Herring are two of the best prospects in boxing.”
Wade, 25, will be making his 2015 debut and third appearance on the network. In his first ShoBox fight – and first 10-rounder — he stepped up in class and won a close but clear decision over Nick Brinson in June 2014. The aggressive-minded 5-foot-11½-inch Wade, a top amateur before going pro in March 2009, is 6-0 with four knockouts since returning to the ring in February 2013 after a two-year layoff due to promotional problems.
A well-conditioned, power puncher who is steadily ascending in the world rankings, Wade’s four stoppages have come inside two rounds (one in the first, three in the second). Wade, who had over 160 amateur fights, is coming off a second-round TKO over Eddie Hunter last Dec. 20, in Shelton.
The 5-foot-8½-inch Soliman keeps a relentless, almost non-stop pace and delivers punches from odd angles. Tough and durable, Soliman can be very awkward and he is always well-conditioned. This combination makes Soliman a very difficult fighter to face. He went 0-2 in WBA 168-pound world title fights before dropping a notch in weight to capture the IBF Middleweight World Championship with a decisive 12-round decision over Felix Sturm in a rematch on May 31, 2014.
The 41-year-old Soliman, who lost the title in his first injury-marred defense against Taylor, is 9-1-1 with one No Contest since May 2008. A former kickboxing world champion, Soliman has been knocked out just once – in 2007 by then WBA Super Middleweight World Champion Anthony Mundine. The veteran has had a successful yet unusual 18-year career that began with a four-round fight but then followed with three straight 12-rounders (all went the distance) in three different weight divisions over a period of five months.
The 5-foot-10-inch Herring was the 2012 United States National Champion at 141 pounds and captained the 2012 U.S. Olympic Games boxing team. The 29-year-old turned pro in December 2012 and has remained active since with five fights in 2013 and four in 2014. Herring, who will be making his ShoBox debut, is making his second start of this year, coming off a lopsided eight-round decision over Hector Marengo in March.
Herring served nine years in the Marine Corps including two tours of duty in Iraq. The Long Island native enlisted about a year after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Herring considered giving up the sport multiple times, particularly after the death of his infant daughter, Ariyanah, due to sudden infant death syndrome in 2009 – three years to the day before the Olympic Games opening ceremony in London. But he was persuaded by coaches and teammates to stick with it.
At 19 years of age, Lubin is one of the youngest boxers to appear on ShoBox (Francisco “Panchito” Bojado, at 18, was the youngest.). Lubin is a heralded blue-chip prospect who will be making his ShoBox debut and 11th start since turning pro in November 2013. A southpaw with good punching power, skills and movement, Lubin will be making his third start this year and his fourth scheduled eight-round bout.
Lubin had a remarkable amateur career. He was the 2013 National Golden Gloves champion at 152 pounds, the 2012 National PAL Champion at 141, the 2012 Junior Olympic National Champion at 138 pounds and the 2011 National Junior Olympic Champion at 132 pounds.
