By Dave Lahr: WBC heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko’s heavyweight reign is about to end on Saturday against the hard hitting highly skilled former 2004 Olympic Gold Medalist Odlanier Solis (17-0, 12 KO’s) in their battle in front of what will likely be 19,000 German fans at the Lanxess Arena, in Cologne, Germany. A lot of boxing experts and fighters are picking the 30-year-old Solis to win this fight and it’s for good reason – he’s talented and better than Vitali. He’s going to beat Vitali on Saturday, take his title and maybe, just maybe, send Vitali into a permanent retirement.

Solis reminds a heck of a lot of former heavyweight champion Sonny Liston with the way that Solis constantly comes forward looking to walk down and punish his opponents powerful combinations. Solis isn’t quite as active and light on his feet as a prime Liston was, through. Liston bounced around a little, punched harder and had a much better jab than Solis. However, Solis reminds me of Liston in a lot of ways but isn’t quite as dangerous as the old Liston was.

Solis is close enough to Liston to batter and take out the 39-year-old Vitali on Saturday and set up one of those revenge of the brother scenarios where Vitali’s brother IBF/WBO heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko is carted in to attempt to avenge Vitali’s loss. It’ll make for good boxing for fans and I can see that happening as long as Wladimir gets by WBA heavyweight champion David Haye in June or July. I don’t see Vitali beating Solis, that’s for sure. Solis has too much Liston in him and he’s going to walk Vitali down and punish him at close range until chopping him down with some brutal hooks to the head. It’s going to be a loud crash when the 6’7″ Vitali hits the canvas. I just hope the ring posts don’t collapse inward as Vitali falls.