© Jim Everett / Saddo Boxing

Tonight at Madison Square Garden, Brooklyn favorite Dmitriy Salita, 28-0-1 (16), will face Derrick Campos, 17-5 (10), for the vacant IBF Inter-Continental Light Welterweight title on the undercard of Joe Calzaghe and Roy Jones, Jr.

It is a night that Salita hoped he would be fighting for the WBA Light Welterweight title but unfortunately for him it’s something that he has only been “close to signing” on a couple of occasions, but has never come to fruition.

Salita is ranked number three by the WBA; looking back a little over a year ago he was hoping to line up a title match against then champion Gavin Rees. Rees lost the title to the WBA number one ranked Andriy Kotelnik in March of this year.

Kotelnik went on to win a voluntary defense of the title in September and was close to signing a contract to face Salita but withdrew due to an apparent rib injury. After hearing of the news, Salita issued an open letter to Kotelnik, “Last week it was your rib, and this week it's the money, make up your mind which excuse will be used not to take the fight. It is obvious to me that you don't want to fight me.”

Forced to find another opponent, Salita remains upbeat and is focused on the task at hand knowing that he needs to keep winning regardless of the opponent to get his title shot. More...