PECHANGA INDIAN RESERVATION -- With his boxing career at a crossroads more than a year ago, Raymond Joval sought advice from the best. Bernard Hopkins, the reigning WBC, WBA and IBF middleweight champion, was happy to help.

"He said, 'Brother, you've got to come to America to get your shot at me,'" Joval said earlier this week. "At the time, I was boxing out of Amsterdam. I talked to my family, my wife and my kids, and I decided to give it a shot.

"And this is my big shot."

Now, the only thing separating Joval from a bout against his mentor is Sam Soliman.

Joval will take on the unpredictable Australian in a nationally televised, 12-round IBF middleweight title elimination bout at 2 p.m. today at Pechanga Resort & Casino grand ballroom.

The winner earns a mandatory title shot against the winner of Hopkins' Sept. 18 scheduled bout against Oscar de la Hoya.

"This is a big fight for me," said Joval, who is 32-2 with 14 knockouts in his career. "I came back to the United States a year ago for a shot at a title, and I'm getting closer to it."

Soliman, the IBF Pan Pacific Champion, is also excited about the idea of a fight with Hopkins.

"I know all (Joval) wants is a shot at Bernard. I do, too," he said. "(Joval is) 35. He's out there for his last hurrah. I know he's only got so much longer, so he's going to give it everything he's got.

"But I know I'm going to win the fight."

Soliman, 30, said he has been obsessed with beating Joval since their first matchup, a January 2001 bout in Amsterdam that Joval won by majority decision.

Following the fight, Soliman claimed hometown judges allowed Joval to escape with a win. Joval, naturally, said Soliman had a case of sour grapes.

"But he gave me 12 good rounds," Joval said. "We had a great fight."

Since then, both fighters raised their profiles considerably.

Joval, a 5-foot-10 puncher, has used a plodding and effective style of fighting to win his past seven fights. The most recent victory was by decision over Angel Hernandez in February at Desert Diamond Casino in Tucson, Ariz.

Meanwhile, Soliman has gone a blistering 15-1 since the loss to improve to 26-7 with nine KOs. He hasn't lost since falling to Anthony Mundine in September 2001.

Soliman said his recent hot streak and Pechanga's neutral site can mean only one thing.

"Right now, I'm focused on knocking this bloke out, winning the fight, bringing home a title, and coming back here to defend it every time," he said. "I've been training as if I'm facing Bernard Hopkins. But first I have to get past Joval."

If you go

WHAT: Championship Boxing

WHEN: Today, 2 p.m.

WHERE: Pechanga Resort & Casino, Grand Ballroom

TICKETS: $65, $45, $35. Call 877-711-2WIN for information

TV: FSN

FEATURED FIGHTERS: Sam Soliman (25-7) vs. Raymond Joval (32-2) ,12-round IBF Middleweight title elimination bout

ALSO: Kirk Johnson (34-2-1) vs. Gilbert Martinez (18-7-2), 10-round Heayweight bout; Rudy Dominguez (10-0) vs. TBA, 6-round Featherweight bout; Ricky Funez (1-1) vs. Jovanni Rubio (3-1), 4-round Jr. Middleweight bout; Rob Vertrees (3-0) vs. William Harmon (5-3), 4-round Jr. Middleweight bout; Raphael Butler (1-0) vs. Victor Ortiz (5-1), 4-round Heavyweight bout

Ryan Finley can be reached at (909) 676-4315, Ext. 2630 or rfinley@californian.com.