‘Odlanier Solis’

Former Cuban amateur standout Odlanier Solis (17-1) is set to return to action on October 14th in Germany. On March 19th "La Sombra“ slipped at the end of a competitive first round against WBC heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko and suffered various knee injuries forcing him to undergo three surgeries in March and April. More...

Heavyweight contender Odlanier Solis is still at St. Wolfgang Hospital in Bad Griesbach (Germany) waiting for his next knee surgery after suffering a bad knee injury in the WBC heavyweight champioship bout against Vitali Klitschko on March 19th.

In a first surgery the arterior cruciate ligament in his right knee had been replaced and his meniscus had been sewed. On April 15th the articular cartilage damage will be fixed. More...

Michael Sprott will fly the flag for Britain in the Prizefighter International Heavyweights on May 7 at London’s Alexandra Palace, aiming for back-to-back titles in the series.

The 36 year-old is the current UK Prizefighter Heavyweight Champion after lifting the trophy in October but has found opportunities to kick on in his career limited, with just one four-rounder since that night at York Hall. More...

Fresh off his one round stoppage over Odlanier Solis on March 19th, WBC Heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko has indicated that he would like to get back in the ring on June 4th and emerging contender Franklin “Yah Yah” Lawrence believes he has as much any right with his recent credentials to be Klitschko’s opponent that night.

Lawrence of Indianapolis has a record of 14-2-2 with nine knockouts and is coming off a tenth round stoppage over former U.S Olympian Jason Estrada back on January 29th. More...

It was almost two weeks ago that WBC Heavyweight Champion Vitali Klitschko made quick work of Cuban-born challenger Odlanier Solis in Cologne, Germany. In fact his ring entrance lasted longer than the fight – which saw him defeat Solis in the first round.

There was some confusion at the time as to what had happened but Klitschko – having landed a left to the temple of his opponent – then watched as Solis struggled to get to his feet with an apparent leg injury.

The day after the fight, Vitali made a statement saying “I feel I hit him hard. This was a knockout, what happened after that…ligaments…knee….it’s his problem”.

Clearly disappointed that his fans had witnessed less than three minutes of their man boxing – Vitali jokes that next time he won’t touch his opponent for three rounds so it’ll last a bit longer!

WBA Champion – David Haye was not impressed by the result. The Brit – now at training camp in Miami – referred to Solis as another ‘fat bum’. More...

Four days after the dramatic ending of the WBC heavyweight championship fight between Odlanier Solis and Vitali Klitschko and the controversial discussions regarding the result, promoter Ahmet Oner apologizes for his behaviour at the press conference after the fight. More...

On Saturday night in Cologne (Germany) WBC no. 1 rated heavyweight Odlanier Solis was stopped on his way to dethroning champion Vitali Klitschko by a serious knee injury. "La Sombra" was brought to hospital directly after the fight where an anterior cruciate ligament rupture, articular cartilage damage and meniscal tear in the right knee were diagnosed. "I haven’t seen a knee torn apart like this in a long time", senior physician Dr. Joern Michael stated after doing an arthroscopy.

Solis will most probably undergo surgery on Thursday at the clinic of knee specialist Dr. Jürgen Eichhorn who was recommended to Solis and promoter Ahmet Oner by Prof. Walter Wagner, head of the German boxing commission’s medical department.

"We want to guarantee the best possible treatment for Solis", says Oner. "It is our goal to bring him back to the ring as soon as possible. But of course only if he is 100 percent fit and ready to fight."

Oner hopes that Vitali Klitschko will give his mandatory challenger another shot at the title after the unfortunate accident of last Saturday. "Vitali knows exactly what it means to lose a fight due to an injury", adds Oner. "He has been asking Lennox Lewis for a re-match for years and years and it didn’t materialize. We hope that Vitali will not put Solis in a similar situation like he has been in. Solis has earned a second chance." More...

After a long and protracted call from Team Solis to face WBC heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko, former amateur star Odlanier Solis didn't pose much of a challenge to Klitschko on Saturday night at Lanxess Arena in Cologne, Germany.

The bout started with Klitschko immediately imposing his will upon the challenger, advancing upon the much shorter Solis behind a steady range-finding jab that looked to simply be a setup for a right hand.

Klitschko stayed close to Solis, crouching his 6'7 frame down to that of the 6'1 Solis, the champion's face right in front of the challenger, trying to get Solis to punch.

The quicker Solis didn't have a problem hitting Klitschko, throwing, some left hooks and the odd right hand that did connect but Klitschko just brushed them off as inconsequential.

Klitschko did land a short right hand to the head of a crouching Solis about midway through the first frame but the challenger got in a good right of his own a short time later. More...

Big heavyweight action hits Germany once again tonight as WBC champion Vitali Klitschko makes a defense against mandatory challenger Odlanier Solis at Lanxess Arena in Cologne.

This bout has been a long time coming, or at least Team Solis has been calling long and loud for it in their seemingly unending press campaign to get the older Klitschko brother in the ring.

And that has been a bit of a trend for most of Klitschko's title fights since returning from a four year exile and without fail, all of those bouts were very one-sided affairs with the champion just outfighting the competition.

However, Klitschko is nearing 40 years of age and logically it has to be assumed that the calendar will catch up with the Ukrainian giant at some point, but will that take place this evening?

Former Cuban amateur star Solis definitely thinks that will be the case but will he be able to succeed in an endeavor that has been past every opponent save Lennox Lewis over the last eight years?

Solis could be the best boxer that Klitschko has faced since the Lewis bout but it is hard to tell. The 30 year old challenger hasn't tangled with anyone truly dangerous over the course of his four year pro career as the recent lineup of Ray Austin, Carl Davis Drummond and Monte Barrett stand as the height of Solis' pro opposition to date. More...

The first round goes to the challenger. Cuban Olympic gold medalist Odlanier Solis weighed in at 247 lbs. and was a lot lighter than most fans and experts had expected at today’s official weigh-in for the WBC world heavyweight championship tomorrow (Saturday, March 19th) in Cologne.

While Vitali brought his usual 249.5 lbs. Solis showed up in great shape and weighed in around his pro career low of 246.6 lbs. in March 2008. More...

Odlanier Solis wants to make a historical statement in the ring next Saturday (March 19th) when he faces WBC heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko at Lanxess-Arena in Cologne, Germany. Instead of running his mouth about how he will win the fight, the Cuban superstar remained very calm at today’s press conference.

"Talk is cheap", stated Solis. "You don’t win fights with your tongue, you win them with your fists in the ring." More...

Not since Jack Dempsey’s Broadway Restaurant closed in 1974 has a heavyweight champion graced The Great White Way; until this week. Epix will present the closed captioned simulcast of the Vitali Klitschko vs. Odlanier Solis WBC heavyweight championship on a jumbotron screen in Times Square (Broadway at 44th St.), This Saturday! March 19, beginning at 6 p.m. ET. More...

On March 19th 2004 Olympic gold medalist Odlanier "La Sombra" Solis wants to become the first ever Cuban professional heavyweight champion against WBC titlist Vitali Klitschko at Lanxess-Arena in Cologne, Germany. Only one week later, on March 26th, Yuriorkis Gamboa defends his WBA and IBF championships against Jorge Solis from Mexico. More...

While WBC heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko hasn’t even started his preparation for his next title defense on March 19th in Cologne, mandatory challenger Odlanier Solis and his team have already spent one week in their high altitude camp. More...

Maybe Odlanier Solis’ first "shots“ landed long before his WBC heavyweight championship fight against Vitali Klitschko even started.

In the last couple of weeks the Cuban mandatory challenger repeatedly criticized Klitschko’s lack of respect. At today’s first press conference for the March 19th showdown at Germany’s biggest indoor arena (Lanxess Arena) in Cologne Vitali actually showed a lot of respect for his next opponent. More...