By Dave Lahr: There’s no doubt that unbeaten Cuban Odlanier Solis (17-0, 12 KO’s) is more skilled than WBC heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko (41-2, 38 KO’s) going into their March 19th fight at the Lanxess-Arena, in Cologne, Germany. Solis is 30-years-old, nine years younger than the 39-year-old Vitali.

Solis is also much faster than the aging Ukrainian. If you add together the advantages of being younger, faster and better skilled, it more than outweighs the benefits that Vitali has in the way of superior size, power and experience. Vitali is the stronger puncher and the taller fighter at 6’7″ compared to the 6’1″ Solis, but what good is power and experience if you can’t land your shots because you’re too slow?

That’s going to be Klitschko’s problem in this fight with the younger Solis. This is the best fighter that Vitali will have ever faced during his 17-year pro career and it’s coming at a really bad time for Vitali because he’s getting up there in age. Solis has to make sure that he pushes the fight and makes Vitali fight at a much faster pace than what he’s been accustomed to fighting in the past. Vitali is like an old car with over 300,000 miles on him. If you let Vitali fight at a slow pace, he can go another 100,000 easily. But if you force him to fight hard for long period of time, you’ll see Vitali fold up like he did in his loss to Chris Byrd. Solis has to fight hard, go for the delicate skin around Vitali’s eyes, and not allow him his rest breaks in the way of clinching. Solis can’t let Vitali rest his wearing bones. He’s got to take the fight to him and make him look like an old man.