By Dan Ambrose: Unbeaten heavyweight contender Odlanier Solis (16-0, 12 KO’s) faces 39-year-old Ray Austin (28-4-4, 18 KO’s) on December 17th in a WBC heavyweight title eliminator bout at the American Airlines Arena, in Miami, Florida. The winner of the bout will become the mandatory challenger for World Boxing Council heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko. At this point, you’d have to figure that the unbeaten 30-year-old Solis will be a heavy favorite to beat the aging and light hitting Austin. However, it depends on what kind of condition Solis is in for the fight. Since turning pro in 2007, Solis’ weight has gone upwards and he’s recently weighed in at a portly 270.
That’s a lot of weight for any fighter, but when you take into account that Solis is only 6’1″ and was fighting at 200 pounds only five years ago while an amateur fighter in Cuba. Solis won an Olympic Gold medal in the 2004 Olympics. However, since he stopped fighting as an amateur, Solis has really packed on the pounds and let his body grow outwards. Still, even though Solis has put on a whole of weight, he’s looked sensational in breezing through his first 16 bouts. However, Solis’ opposition has been mostly poor and he’s going to be taking a step up in gade when he fights the 6’6″ Austin.
Solis will have to fight aggressively against Austin, because he can’t let him fight on the outside and try to dictate the fight. Austin challenged IBF heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko in 2007, but was stopped in the 2nd round. Austin has rebounded since then, winning his last four bouts against the likes of Andre Golota, Domonic Jenkins, Julius Long and DaVarryl Williamson. Those are decent fighters but not in the same class as Solis. Austin is going to have problems against the fast and powerful Solis. The winner of this fight will have big problems in trying to deal with the size and power of Vitali Klitschko.
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