This weekend a talented fighter with a wonderful amateur boxing pedigree will take to the ring and try and prise the WBC Heavyweight Championship from Vitali Klitschko.
Cuban Odlanier Solis - who beat David Haye and the exceptionally talented and legendary Felix Savon twice in the amateurs - stands in one corner. He has sharp hands and a nice fluid style.
In the opposite corner stands an upright and mechanical fighter from Ukraine - Vitali Klitschko. He can be stiff and at times ungainly but he's incredibly effective with 41 wins and only two defeats (one loss was due to an injury and the other due to cuts).
Here's the sting in the tail though - dedication.
Klitschko always comes in well conditioned. He fights with focus and control and while not necessarily being exciting he is brutally effective at shutting down his opponent with his huge reach, often simply only needing to exert a few jabs and straight rights to gain dominance.
Solis is a different kettle of fish. He has come into fights looking flabby and lethargic. Perhaps he's come to like a party of two? No matter what his excuse, it's a shame as he has the talent but not the dedication and he freely admits to not particularly enjoying boxing.
Solis' last fight was abysmal as he laboured to a poor, poor diqualification victory over 10 sorry rounds against 40-year-old Ray Austin - someone who was blown out in two rounds against Vitali's brother Wladimir, another world champion.
This week, at the press conference, Solis has not looked he has shed much weight in preparation for what could be a life-changing chance to become a heavyweight champion.
Of course the heavyweight division is so exciting as one punch can change everything, such is the power at that level. Undefeated Solis has 12 knockouts in 17 wins and if he comes in motivated - as he should be! - he has a chance of making things difficult for Klitschko.
However, while Vitali may be nine years older than Solis, at 39, I believe he will use his extensive experience to good advantage. He may wisely take a few rounds to eye up his prey and see what he's got. But after the halfway point expect Vitali to use his height and reach to start crashing in punishing straight lefts and rights to keep the 6ft 1in Solis at bay.
I think Solis - who had more than 200 amateur fights and won Olympic Gold in 2004 - will use his own experience to cling on and I would not be surprised to see Klitschko fail to score a knockout but instead win a dominant points decision.
* Postcript: I predicted a 12 round points victory for Klitschko and...Solis was stopped in the first round.
Close - but no cigar, as they say.
My observation of the opening round was that Solis' speed gave him a good chance of troubling Klitschko for as long as the fight continued. Klitschko meanwhile seemed to be able to keep Solis on the ropes for long periods - whether this was where Solis chose to be or was made to be, who knows?
As for the ending, despite some bloodthirsty fans calling Solis a quitter I feel this is grossly unfair. Medical reports showed he had damaged his knees. Whether the punch caused his knees to buckle and the injury to occur, or whether his knees buckled because of the injury in the first place, it's hard to tell.
Cuban Odlanier Solis - who beat David Haye and the exceptionally talented and legendary Felix Savon twice in the amateurs - stands in one corner. He has sharp hands and a nice fluid style.
In the opposite corner stands an upright and mechanical fighter from Ukraine - Vitali Klitschko. He can be stiff and at times ungainly but he's incredibly effective with 41 wins and only two defeats (one loss was due to an injury and the other due to cuts).
Here's the sting in the tail though - dedication.
Klitschko always comes in well conditioned. He fights with focus and control and while not necessarily being exciting he is brutally effective at shutting down his opponent with his huge reach, often simply only needing to exert a few jabs and straight rights to gain dominance.
Solis is a different kettle of fish. He has come into fights looking flabby and lethargic. Perhaps he's come to like a party of two? No matter what his excuse, it's a shame as he has the talent but not the dedication and he freely admits to not particularly enjoying boxing.
Solis' last fight was abysmal as he laboured to a poor, poor diqualification victory over 10 sorry rounds against 40-year-old Ray Austin - someone who was blown out in two rounds against Vitali's brother Wladimir, another world champion.
This week, at the press conference, Solis has not looked he has shed much weight in preparation for what could be a life-changing chance to become a heavyweight champion.
Of course the heavyweight division is so exciting as one punch can change everything, such is the power at that level. Undefeated Solis has 12 knockouts in 17 wins and if he comes in motivated - as he should be! - he has a chance of making things difficult for Klitschko.
However, while Vitali may be nine years older than Solis, at 39, I believe he will use his extensive experience to good advantage. He may wisely take a few rounds to eye up his prey and see what he's got. But after the halfway point expect Vitali to use his height and reach to start crashing in punishing straight lefts and rights to keep the 6ft 1in Solis at bay.
I think Solis - who had more than 200 amateur fights and won Olympic Gold in 2004 - will use his own experience to cling on and I would not be surprised to see Klitschko fail to score a knockout but instead win a dominant points decision.
* Postcript: I predicted a 12 round points victory for Klitschko and...Solis was stopped in the first round.
Close - but no cigar, as they say.
My observation of the opening round was that Solis' speed gave him a good chance of troubling Klitschko for as long as the fight continued. Klitschko meanwhile seemed to be able to keep Solis on the ropes for long periods - whether this was where Solis chose to be or was made to be, who knows?
As for the ending, despite some bloodthirsty fans calling Solis a quitter I feel this is grossly unfair. Medical reports showed he had damaged his knees. Whether the punch caused his knees to buckle and the injury to occur, or whether his knees buckled because of the injury in the first place, it's hard to tell.
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