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This Saturday, Cuban heavyweight sensation Odlanier Solis (17-1) will return to the ring after a 14 months layoff due to the bad knee injury he suffered when challenging WBC champion Vitali Klitschko in Cologne, Germany in March 2011. In Pharr, Texas “La Sombra” challenges IBF intercontinental champion Konstantin Airich (23-5-2).
“This is a very tough fight for a comeback after such a long layoff“, says promoter Ahmet Oner. “Airich is a true powerhouse with great stamina and two of the hardest fists out there. Solis has to be very careful and he cannot go into the fight at anything less than 100 percent.“
IBF #12 and WBO #11 rated Airich, a 33-year old German who was born in Kazakhstan, is coming off two impressive KO-wins over Varol Vekiloglu (19-4-1) and Ondrej Pala (30-3) which earned him the IBF i/c and the WBO European championship.
“I know Konstantin from my times in Germany“, states Solis. “We have done sparring a couple of times. He is a tough guy and he is always coming to fight and win. But I don’t care who I step in the ring with. I want to prove that I am the best boxer in the world so I will beat whoever crosses my way.“
One of the most important questions will be how Solis handled the long break and how his right knee has recovered from the injury and the following three surgeries.
“To be honest“, says trainer Pedro Luis Diaz Benitez who most recently led Miguel Cotto to his excellent performance against Floyd Mayweather jr. “His knee is better than ever before. I would even say that his right knee is better than the left one now.
“We will have no problems. We worked very hard for this comeback. Solis has been in training camp for almost three months. He is in great shape because we know that we have to be in shape against a strong opponent like Airich.“
Since Solis, a multiple time world amateur champion and 2004 Olympic gold medalist, turned pro in 2007 the Cuban defector has been criticized for carrying too much weight.
“His weight is not an issue“, adds the coach. “People should judge Solis from his performance in the ring. See how fast he is, see how he moves in the ring. Who cares about the scale and five pounds more or less as long as the fighter knows how to use his body to wear down his opponents?“
The “Fight Night in Pharr“ which is promoted by Main Events, Cavazos Boxing Promotions and Arena Sports-Promotion also features the return of unbeaten lightweight prospect Jerry Belmontes (15-0) taking on Dominican Remesis Gil (7-3-5). The bouts will be broadcasted on TeleFutura’s “Solo Boxeo Tecate“.
