Odlanier Solis: Another Hopeless Heavyweight
By Idris “Drees” Newton
I have a question for you guys: Was I suppose to learn something about Odlanier Solis or be impressed by his bout with Ray “I’m a bum, I know, you don’t have to tell me” Austin?
Who thought Austin was going to be anything but an overused speed bump for the fast rising Solis? Did you? I bet some of you did. The reality is Ray came in to do exactly what he always does which is make the other guy look GREAT. When has he ever done anything different with a good opponent? Can you tell me? So there was no surprise whatsoever when I witnessed the masochistic (I had to watch this) display that was Austin/Solis.
The fight began at a very lethargic pace, with Solis throwing and landing combinations in bursts here and there. Austin would throw an uninspired jab-straight combo every now and again with little affect on Odlanier’s forward progress.
Much of the fight continued on this way, with the Cuban prospect coming forward with hands held high to the face, jabbing, jabbing then following with a hook. He would sometimes mix in a body shot or two, and land a crushing uppercut when Austin would try to take the fight inside (really he just laid on Solis like a poncho). Sound boring? Try watching this fight! I mean, it became so sad at one point, Austin just decided to fall asleep on Solis who managed to slide from under him and watch as he fell to the ground. It gets better…as if one nap wasn’t enough, Ray lullaby-ed himself to sleep again while almost dragging Odlanier over the ropes to what would have been a catastrophic fall that would bring to mind a WWE episode.
It had to end at some point and it did by disqualification as if Ray Austin needed to add insult to injury and embarrassment. He decided to throw an illegal punch after he and Solis were rescued from imminent peril. The Ref at this juncture decided it was time to grant us all respite and end the horrid fight.
It was an obvious and shameless showcase fight as are all Odlanier’s fights thus far. At this point, the act is getting a tad bit old. Granted there aren’t many viable talents in the “Over”weight division but please, you aren’t expecting me to believe that you could, in any fairy tale land fantasy, possibly defeat “Dr. Iron fist”?
Are victories, albeit fairly impressive victories over guys like Monte Barrett suppose to convince the boxing world that you won’t be just another crying face full of regrets, not to mention blood? Did anyone see Cristobal’s face? It was a sad site to behold. I can’t help but contend that you Mr. Solis will inexorably follow that same bludgeoned path.
Trust me, I would definitely hope you at least put on a good show but there is absolutely no evidence to support that kind of speculation. I would have to see you up against an Ibragimov or maybe even Tomasz Adamek before you can just step in the ring with the man many think Beat “The Lion” Lennox Lewis. I’ll even accept Nikolay Valuev as a buffer.
At the same time who else is there for you to fight? I guess I should commend you on wanting better opposition and that you aim for the best guys, unlike some fighters (“Hayemaker”). With that said, you are, against C level competition at least, a very impressive fighter. You have some very dangerous qualities for a fighter like Vitali who is notorious for moving his head in an awkward Naseem-esque fashion.
Those quick strike one-two combos could pay some dividends early on in the scoring. A slow starting Klitschko can be caught by a few right hooks over that “how low can you go” left hand that only comes up to paw and jab and occasionally hook, which he is very brilliant at, by the way. Ironically, it is that loose yet stinging lead hook that will give Solis the most pause as he is a proponent of holding his hands in front of his face to block jabs.
In Vitali’s most recent fight, he looked quick, crisp and sharp against a very game but overmatched Shannon Briggs in October. He would end up pounding on the face of Briggs throughout the fight all the way to the finish, leaving the “Cannon” looking like Arreola’s twin brother. It didn’t take much for Klitschko to dominate the fight with Briggs having the head movement of a still life painting; he constantly tenderized Shannon’s face like a T-bone steak. By the end, you knew he was in a fight with a guy sporting iron fists.
As Odlanier’s chin has yet to be tested professionally, I can only guess at how it will hold up under the assault that is Vitali’s evenly paced attack. Will he crumble at the point of contact, or will he press on and take the fight to Klitschko, or will he adjust and use some technical strategy against the best and slickest boxing heavyweight in the world? Although he is slow looking, he has so fast hands and seems to think his attack into action which is a plus and a rare quality in much of the heavyweight division. In the end, that will be the only way he can make that bout a competitive one. We all see what happens to fighters who try to rush “Dr. Iron Fist.”
In all fairness, there aren’t many who could even give either Klitschko brother a challenge besides maybe David Haye. So don’t feel badly when you get handled soundly, now that you are the mandatory. Let us be frank, you aren’t a draw anywhere but Cuba, Odlanier. Otherwise you are just some Cuban guy to the casual boxing viewer and that’s not attractive to die hard boxing enthusiasts, who are starving for a real show. Where would they buy this fight? Even in Cuba, I doubt you get a significant amount of Pay-Per-View buys. I’ll even go out on a limb and say you wouldn’t even get high ratings there on a free broadcast. No to be insulting, but to be honest, Solis’ previous fights only give me more questions. No answers.
Long story short, he needs more grooming, more battles, and much more TV time before he is a legitimate draw in the bid to fight either Dr. Klitschko (Iron Fist or Steel Hammer). In any case, Odlanier will inevitably end up just another tune up/filler for the Runaway “Haye” ride that is David. The only fight that anyone wants to see get made in the heavyweight division, although, I think Haye/Adamek would be really good, I’m really just ready to see the Klitschko’s back in the ring against a top level fighter. We haven’t had a truly up for grabs kind of fight since Vitali/Lennox. Odlanier Solis may turn out to be the guy down the line if he can get into better shape but not now.
We’ll just have to sigh and accept that David Haye maybe the only challenge (if he really is one) left for Klitschkos. And if what they did in their most recent fights is any indication of what is to come then we can only get use to the fact that the unification of the division will only happen through family ties.