By Scott Gilfoid: Before anyone rags on the injured Odlanier Solis for his disappointing 1st round blowout loss to WBC heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko last weekend in Cologne, Germany, try and imagine how WBA heavyweight champion David Haye would have done if he was in the ring with Vitali instead of Solis. Although Haye was dismissive of Solis’ performance against Vitali, saying “He [Solis] will unfortunately go down as yet another fat bum,” I think Haye is kidding himself that he would have done any better than Solis in a fight against Haye.

I don’t see Haye blowing out a knee in a fight against Vitali, but I can easily see Haye getting knocked out in the opening round as soon as Vitali lands his first big right hand or left hook to Haye’s weak chin. The only thing I can see that would even make this fight get to beyond the 1st is if Haye runs from Vitali. To be sure, that’s probably what would happen. It would be like a replay of the Haye vs. Nikolay Valuev fight with Haye off to the races, sprinting around the ring trying to not get hit. No way do I see Haye trying to land power shots against Vitali the way that Solis was in the 1st round last Saturday night.

If you look at Haye’s fight against 39-year-old Audley Harrison, Haye and Harrison both looked petrified of each other in the first couple of rounds. Haye didn’t throw anything to speak of until the 3rd. Against Vitali, you forget about Haye thinking offense. It will jabs and running from Haye while Vitali stalks him around the ring winning rounds by default.