By Chris Williams: Odlanier Solis (17-0, 12 KO’s) weighed in at 246 1/2 pounds at Friday’s weigh-in ahead of Saturday’s fight against WBC heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko (41-2, 38 KO’s) in Cologne, Germany. While 246 doesn’t sound like a lot of weight for a heavyweight, it does when you look at how soft Solis looks and note his limited 6’1″ height. Vitali came in at 249 lbs, but at six inches taller at 6’7″ and looking a lot more lean. Heavyweight boxing isn’t a bodybuilding competition but it’s not a good thing for a fighter to look as if they need to cut another 20+ pounds the way that Solis is looking.

That extra weight is useless for Solis and it’s absolutely impossible to imagine a fighter, who if not for the extra fat on him, should be weighing in the neighborhood of the low 220s for the Klitschko fight. Solis is just not big enough either way to win this fight and the extra flab on him doesn’t help him any. Solis has been working out for several months, sweating hard to take off weight and get ready for the biggest pro fight of his career.

However, Solis is only 13 pounds lighter from his last fight against Ray Austin from last December when Solis weighed 260 and looked way overweight. Solis will probably fight better than he did in the Austin fight but he needs to look a lot better against Vitali to win, not just a little. Solis needs to be able to move around the ring for 12 rounds to avoid Vitali’s spearing jabs and powerful short left hooks and right hands. Solis won’t be able to do that by coming into the fight still looking fat and overweight.