Wright looking out for No. 1

On Saturday night, New England fight fans will learn that belts do not make the man -- or the champion, for that matter.

That night, at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn., arguably the best middleweight fighter in the world, former junior middleweight champion Winky Wright (49-3), will take on Australian Sam Soliman (31-7) in an effort to put a stranglehold on the division's No. 1 rankings.

Logic seldom enters into the thinking when prizefighting is the subject, but it seems reasonable to assume that even those who run the sport would agree that Wright will be the one and only contender for titleholder Jermain Taylor if he outboxes Soliman, as expected. Wright is already No. 1 in the World Boxing Council and World Boxing Association rankings, and Soliman is the International Boxing Federation's top-rated middleweight despite the fact that disgraceful organization sanctioned a fight between Kingsley Ikeke and Arthur Abraham for its version of the world title Dec. 10 in Germany because of Soliman's ''unavailability." We can only assume Kingsley Amis and Abraham Lincoln also were ''unavailable."

Regardless of the IBF's maneuverings, if Wright defeats Soliman, who won the No. 1 rating by defeating Ray Joval last year, would it not follow that he would be the one and only No. 1 contender?

Speaking by phone from Tampa yesterday, Wright saw the logic in such thinking, but he takes nothing for granted anymore.

''People already didn't want to fight me before I beat [Shane] Mosley and Tito [Felix Trinidad]," said Wright. ''Why should Jermain be different? They don't want to fight me. It's not me. It's them. I'm right here. I'm willing, but if they don't want to fight me, there's nothing I can do. I only fight once every seven months, when I need to fight more often, because no one will fight me.

''For me, all the talk about who's the best middleweight doesn't bother me because I know what's important. I'm one of the best out there and I'm willing to prove it against anyone. I'm not going anywhere, so eventually the fans will demand we fight. The fans will make the fight even if the fighter doesn't want it. That's good enough for me."

Four days before Taylor won a boring unanimous decision from Bernard Hopkins in a match neither guy seemed much interested in turning into a fight, Taylor was emphatic about facing Wright. ''I'd be glad to fight Winky," he said. ''I'm the type of fighter, I want to know who's the best."

But less than an hour after Taylor was awarded a second straight decision over Hopkins, his promoter seemed a bit less than enthusiastic about putting Taylor in with Wright any sooner than he has to, a circumstance Wright has grown used to over his long years in pursuit of junior middleweight champions such as Terry Norris, Fernando Vargas, Oscar De La Hoya, and Mosley.

''I know Jermain wants a homecoming so I think our next fight is likely to be live on HBO in Little Rock," said Lou DiBella, who is one of several men handling Taylor's business affairs. ''From there, we'll look at the biggest fights possible. Who knows? Maybe down the line Hopkins again. But we're not going to duck anybody."

Ultimately, if Taylor holds the middleweight title long enough, fighting Wright will be unavoidable. Taylor has yet to prove himself the undisputed champion despite having temporary control of the WBC, WBA, and WBO belts (the IBF has stripped him, a move so ridiculous it will get no further discussion). He and his supporters can say he is the man, but he won't be in the public's eyes as long as Wright is out there campaigning at 160 and his challenge goes unanswered.

Ever the businessman, Wright said he understands Taylor's desire to take on a less formidable opponent in his hometown after two straight fights with a difficult opponent like Hopkins, but he contrasted that choice with the one he made to fight Mosley back-to-back before destroying Trinidad in May and sending him back into retirement.

''I understand where Jermain's coming from," said Wright. ''He did fight Bernard back-to-back. But we're the two best middleweights in the world and everyone knows it.

''Some people tell me I hurt myself looking so good beating Mosley and Trinidad. I say yes and no. Other fighters don't want to fight me, but the fans want to see the 'real.' After a while, the fans stop buying things they really don't want to see."

''Winky Wright is a name now."

A name, and a fighter, who cannot be avoided for long.

No respect

Wright's stablemate, super middleweight champion Jeff Lacy, was at the Taylor-Hopkins snoozefest last weekend in Las Vegas and described it this way: ''They called that fight 'No Respect.' It looked to me like that's all they showed each other." . . . Wright continued to say he had no interest in giving Vargas a chance to make money with him because of Vargas's decision some years ago to deny him a rematch after winning a controversial decision. Still, Wright said, ''If it's the best money fight out there for me, I take it." . . . HBO will rebroadcast the Taylor-Hopkins fight at 10 p.m. as the lead into Wright-Soliman Saturday . . . Not surprisingly, Soliman thinks all this talk about Wright's future is premature. ''When I beat Winky Wright, I'll be champion in my heart," Soliman said. ''I will have beaten the best. That's a feeling a belt alone can't give you. No one is giving me a chance, but the people don't know me." . . . Former welterweight champion Ike Quartey (38-2-1, 32 KOs) continued his comeback Saturday night, stopping the very tough Carlos Bojorquez (25-9-6) late in the 10th and final round in Las Vegas. ''I want to fight Oscar next," Quartey said, still hoping to avenge his split-decision loss to De La Hoya six years ago. Quartey, 36, retired six years ago, complaining that he could no longer tolerate the power the corrupt organizations that run the sport held over him. ''I had too much anger, too much frustration," he said. ''It wasn't just a fight in the ring. It was a fight outside the ring, too." Quartey, who is fighting at 154 pounds, is still in excellent condition and can still take as good as he dishes out, as he proved vs. Bojorquez . . . If you're a fight fan with a heart, consider buying photojournalist Teddy Blackburn's new book, ''In the Other Corner: A Tribute to Gerald McClellan." The book is worth the $50 not only for its quality but because Blackburn is sending all the proceeds to help McClellan, the former WBC middleweight champion who was injured fighting Nigel Benn in London 10 years ago. McClellan remains blind, nearly deaf, and badly brain damaged, and Blackburn has never forgotten him, although the sport has. Blackburn has visited him regularly and participated in several fund-raisers. Checks can be made to Fighters Need a Hand and sent to Blackburn at 2985 Botantical Sq., Suite 6E, Bronx, N.Y. 10458, or you can e-mail him at Tblackburn@aol.com.

Short jabs

Olympic gold medalist Audley Harrison will try to win the British Commonwealth heavyweight title in a showdown with former champion Danny Williams Saturday in London. Harrison (19-0) slowly is lifting the level of his competition, with Williams a small step up. ''I am the only heavyweight who can represent Britain on a world level," Harrison said. ''You need skills, tactics, and technique, and I have a proven pedigree of that. Danny is brave, but that isn't enough. Danny isn't in my league. Every time he has stepped up, he has lost." . . . Harrison said he chose to leave England to train in the United States because ''I was frozen out by the system. I could have stayed and made more money here, but Audley Harrison is about the world scene and it is not just about the UK market. I have headlined shows in the US that have gone on national television from coast to coast. My mission is world domination, and although I could have earned more in the UK, I decided to move. I have no regrets in my career. There is not a heavyweight fighter who doesn't take me seriously." . . . Harrison is now being advised by Al Hayman, who also works with Taylor, Floyd Mayweather, and Antonio Tarver . . . Speaking of Tarver, he was in Las Vegas last week filming scenes for the upcoming ''Rocky VI" with Sylvester Stallone. Tarver plays an undefeated heavyweight champion fighting an aging Rocky in an exhibition that gets serious. But he's more serious about his decision to leave the light heavyweight division in hopes of facing three heavyweights. ''[Mike] Tyson, [James] Toney, and [Wladimir] Klitschko," Tarver said. ''Three and out. We got the rat cheese to bait 'em, man." . . . Diego Corrales and Jose Luis Castillo have agreed to a rubber match Feb. 4, very likely in El Paso. Promoters are also looking at sites in San Antonio and Houston. Corrales stopped Castillo in the fight of the year in their first meeting last May 7, then was knocked out in four rounds in the rematch Oct. 8, partially, he believes, because Castillo was allowed to fight despite being several pounds over the 135-pound lightweight limit . . . Boston-bred trainer Freddie Roach is in Los Angeles preparing Manny Pacquiao for a rematch with Erik Morales Jan. 21. Roach just crowned another world champion when super bantamweight Israel Vasquez stopped Oscar Larios Saturday night to unify that title . . . ''The Contender" finalist Peter Manfredo steps up in class Feb. 12 at the Dunkin' Donuts Center in Providence when he squares off against hard-hitting world-rated super middleweight Scott Pemberton of New Bedford in a brawl for the mythical title of ''best in New England."