Filed under: Other Sports, Boxing
The fate of the heavyweight division now lies in the hands of Britain's David Haye after Odlanier Solis's bid to dethrone WBC champion Vitali Klitschko ended with injury in the first round.Solis, a former Olympic and world amateur champion who beat Haye before he turned professional, was bidding to become the first Cuban to win a world heavyweight crown in the paid ranks, but he went over on his knee towards the end of the opening round.
The Cuban challenger was unfit to continue which sparked a chorus of boos from around the packed Lanxess-Arena in Cologne, and left Haye the only other real contender in the division that can end the Klitschko monopoly.
It was quite clear that Solis jarred his knee has he went down and the former Olympic champion hobbled out of the arena after his dream chance came to an end, but that didn't stop Vitali preaching about his power and claiming he knocked the Cuban out.
He said: "Solis was very fast but a hard punch worked for me. I have the nickname Iron Fist - I'm so sorry for everyone who wanted to see a long fight but I hit him pretty hard with my right hand and it was enough.
"It will be very interesting to listen to what the doctors say after the medical exam. But the punch was really hard. I was prepared to show a really good fight but this is boxing - one punch, the game is over."
That apparent showing of clinical boxing gave Vitali's younger brother Wladimir reason to spout about Haye being very selective in which sibling he chose to fight.
Wladimir said: "It's always very difficult to handle who is going to fight David Haye next, between me and Vitali.
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"David chose Wladimir, the weakest one, because after this performance he's definitely going to want to face Vitali maybe down the road, but Wladimir is next because he is younger and weaker."
Talk of the Londoner choosing Wladimir over Vitali because the younger sibling is less powerful is nothing but nonsense - Haye wants to fight both, and the IBF and WBO champion is available first.
Londoner Haye faces Wladimir in the summer, and while there were doubts whether Solis had what it takes to really challenge Vitali all the way if the fight had gone on, there's no such qualm about the WBA champion's chances of coming away from Germany victorious.
Despite the fact Solis beat Haye quite convincingly as an amateur at the 2001 World Amateur Championships in Belfast, the British boxer has gone on to be a much more successful professional fighter.
And it is almost a certainty that Haye will be around a lot longer than a single round when he steps into the ring against the younger of the Klitschko brothers.
Heavyweight boxing needs a shake-up, and the only way for that to happen is for the Klitschko domination to be ended.
Haye is the man to do it if he can overcome Wladimir and then negotiate a fight with Vitali before his retirement in October.
The Klitschkos' achievements in boxing can only be admired, but it's time that their control over the division came to an end to reinvigorate some interest into the weight class that was once so revered.
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Source: http://www.fanhouse.co.uk/2011/03/20/boxing-its-now-all-down-to-david-haye-to-stop-the-klitschko-br/
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