Curtis Stevens and Hassan N'Dam to fight for a middleweight title shot

Middleweight contenders Curtis Stevens and Hassan N'Dam will fight an eliminator for a shot at the IBF middleweight strap, reports RingTV.com. A purse bid is scheduled for July 14. The winner will earn the right to face current titlist Sam Soliman.

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, Sam Soliman is your middleweight champion.

Soliman won the title in May beating Felix Sturm in their rematch. Soliman also won the first fight but was stripped after failing a post-fight drug test.

Curtis Stevens has been on the comeback trail after being stopped by Gennady Golovkin, a fight which produced one of the greatest reaction shots in the history of boxing. Stevens has won two straight but was mighty shaky in his last outing against Tureano Johnson. Johnson controlled the first nine rounds before Stevens finally woke up and rocked Johnson with his signature left hook earning what many felt was a premature stoppage.

Most last saw Hassan N'Dam flopping around the canvas courtesy of Peter Quillin. N'Dam hit the deck six times but made it to the final bell, losing a well-deserved unanimous decision. He's won three straight since then against nondescript opposition.

The outcome of this fight will likely depend on whether or not Stevens decides to release the Kraken early and/or often. N'Dam has demonstrated his glass chin, and Stevens has better one-punch power than Quillin.

Do you see this fight lasting long?