rokko
03-22-2011, 03:50 AM
chris mannix sports illustrated--------------------
Vitali Klitschko (left) needed less than one round to dispense of Odlanier Solis. But was Solis concealing a pre-existing injury?
Here's what we know about Odlanier Solis after Saturday night's one-round TKO loss to Vitali Klitschko in Cologne, Germany:
1. He sustained a serious knee injury that will require surgery.
2. He knew he had a knee injury and went ahead with the fight anyway, according to stories in the German media and other reports.
Some would praise Solis' willingness to fight through the injury, to put himself in front of a 6-foot-7, 250-pound human wrecking ball despite a bum leg. Some would call Solis brave or valiant and declare that he has the heart of a champion.
I don't.
If it's true that Solis covered up a pre-existing injury -- a Cologne Arena spokesman told boxingscene.com that Solis' manager, Jose Perez, "knew about the previous problem, but it was thought it would go away if there was enough training and the muscle stabilized the knee" -- then Solis should be ashamed. A crowd of 20,000 packed the arena for the fight and television networks around the world (including Epix, the fledgling premium channel that broadcasted the fight in the U.S.) ponied up millions for the right to cover it.
Solis cheated all of them. He put himself in a fight he knew (or should have known) that he couldn't finish. The reason is obvious: Solis earned a reported $1.8 million, a career-best payday for the longtime Cuban amateur. Praise? He doesn't deserve it. He should be fined by the WBC and sued by the networks that bought the fraudulent performance.
Don't expect to see Solis in a meaningful fight anytime soon, either. He needs surgery to repair a torn ACL and meniscus in his right knee, a procedure that will likely sideline him until early next year. And when he gets back, don't count on Klitschko offering him another shot. A source close to Klitschko told SI.com that he is furious about reports that Solis knew about his injury and has no intention of giving him a rematch.
If Solis wants another crack at the title, he will have to earn it. He will have to beat a few contenders -- real ones, not Monte Barrett or Ray Austin -- and prove he is a legitimate challenger and not the disgrace he would seem to be.
Vitali Klitschko (left) needed less than one round to dispense of Odlanier Solis. But was Solis concealing a pre-existing injury?
Here's what we know about Odlanier Solis after Saturday night's one-round TKO loss to Vitali Klitschko in Cologne, Germany:
1. He sustained a serious knee injury that will require surgery.
2. He knew he had a knee injury and went ahead with the fight anyway, according to stories in the German media and other reports.
Some would praise Solis' willingness to fight through the injury, to put himself in front of a 6-foot-7, 250-pound human wrecking ball despite a bum leg. Some would call Solis brave or valiant and declare that he has the heart of a champion.
I don't.
If it's true that Solis covered up a pre-existing injury -- a Cologne Arena spokesman told boxingscene.com that Solis' manager, Jose Perez, "knew about the previous problem, but it was thought it would go away if there was enough training and the muscle stabilized the knee" -- then Solis should be ashamed. A crowd of 20,000 packed the arena for the fight and television networks around the world (including Epix, the fledgling premium channel that broadcasted the fight in the U.S.) ponied up millions for the right to cover it.
Solis cheated all of them. He put himself in a fight he knew (or should have known) that he couldn't finish. The reason is obvious: Solis earned a reported $1.8 million, a career-best payday for the longtime Cuban amateur. Praise? He doesn't deserve it. He should be fined by the WBC and sued by the networks that bought the fraudulent performance.
Don't expect to see Solis in a meaningful fight anytime soon, either. He needs surgery to repair a torn ACL and meniscus in his right knee, a procedure that will likely sideline him until early next year. And when he gets back, don't count on Klitschko offering him another shot. A source close to Klitschko told SI.com that he is furious about reports that Solis knew about his injury and has no intention of giving him a rematch.
If Solis wants another crack at the title, he will have to earn it. He will have to beat a few contenders -- real ones, not Monte Barrett or Ray Austin -- and prove he is a legitimate challenger and not the disgrace he would seem to be.