Odlanier Solis defeated Ray Austin via 10th round DQ to win the WBC Eliminator for the right to challenge champion Vitali Klitschko in 2011. The technically superior and more epxerienced Solis, a former Olympic gold medalist, scored a knockdown with a jab in round five and bettered the tough but game American for most of the sloppy fight which came to an end after round ten. In that round Solis battered and bloodied an exhausted and swollen Austin who appeared to have reached his limit and was looking for a way out. At the end of the round Austin attempted to lean on Solis over the top rope and the two hulks came close to falling over into the first row in a 500-plus pound mass. When that strange move failed, Austin then threw a light, grazing punch at Solis’s chin at the bell on the break. Clearly, Austin was outclassed but he appeared to be fighting like a man who believed he might win on points no matter how much punishment he endured. Austin just couldn’t take any more though. Austin’s promoter Don King reportedly controls 100% of Austin and much less of Solis who also is promoted by Ahmet Oner, so you can figure it out.
Now Solis will take on WBC champ Vitali Klitschko, probably in Germany in March or April. After the fight, Solis, who weighed in at 260, said he punished Austin for some of his pre-fight comments about sending him back to Cuba. He also confidently stated he would beat Klitschko to win the heavyweight title. King also said that his man Solis will beat Klitschko. Without question, Solis is a formidable threat and could pose the toughest challenge to Vitali since the Lennox Lewis fight in 2003.
The co-feature showcased IBF Light Heavyweight champion Tavoris Cloud who floored tough Colombian veteran Fulgencio Zuniga twice but was forced to go the 12 round distance. Cloud won a unanimous decision however this was not his best work and he will need to up his game if he can secure more meaningful opponents in 2011.