By Dave Lahr: Forget about unbeaten Odlanier Solis’ weight issues, he’s going to win his fight against WBC heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko (41-2, 38 KO’s) on March 19th at the Lanxess Arena, in Cologne, Germany. Solis may come into the fight weighing 260 or 270, but it won’t matter one bit.

Solis’ hand speed will still be blazing fast and much quicker than the slow-handed Vitali, and he’s also going to have much better boxing skills to go along with them. Too much is being made of Solis’ weight. The guy still fights incredibly well even with a few extra pounds around his midsection.

He’s still essentially the same fighter he was when he captured the heavyweight Gold Medal in the 2004 Olympics while fighting for his home country of Cuba. Solis has lost nothing since then and will prove it against the 39-year-old Vitali on 3/19. By the time they set foot in the ring, Vitali will be almost 40-years-old and that’s not a good age for a big slow, lethargic heavyweight like Vitali.

If you want a good idea of how the Solis-Vitali fight is going to go, take a good look at Solis’ dominating performance against 40-year-old Ray Austin in his last fight. Solis’s hand speed and combinations was too much for Austin to handle all night long.

Austin’s slow punches were no match for Solis speed and ability to get past his long reach. I expect the same thing to happen against Vitali, only much worse because Solis will be fighting much harder because the WBC title will be on the line as well as a lot of money.