(Photo: ARENA) By Dan Ambrose: Former 2004 Olympic heavyweight Gold Medalist Odlanier Solis (17-1, 12 KO’s) will be in action tonight against Russia’s Konstantin Airich (23-5-2, 17 KO’s) in a scheduled 12 round bout for the vacant IBF Inter-Continental heavyweight crown at the Convention Center in Pharr, Texas.
Solis should win this fight unless he gets hit with one of Airich’s big right hands, causing Solis’ recent surgically repaired right knee to collapse on him again like it did in his 1st round knockout loss to WBC heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko last year in March 2011. However, Solis has got got to make a strong effort to lose a ton of weight if he doesn’t want his heavyweight career to end prematurely. He’s great hand speed and boxing skills, but he’s just way too heavy for his 6’1″ frame to carry around.