Odlanier Solís
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Odlanier Solís Fonte (born 5 April 1980) is a Cuban former
professional boxer Professional boxing, or prizefighting, is regulated, sanctioned boxing. Professional boxing bouts are fought for a purse that is divided between the boxers as determined by contract. Most professional fights are supervised by a regulatory auth ...
who competed from 2007 to 2016. He challenged once for the WBC
heavyweight Heavyweight is a weight class in combat sports and professional wrestling. Boxing Professional Male boxers who weigh over are considered heavyweights by 2 of the 4 major professional boxing organizations: the International Boxing Federation an ...
title in 2011. As an
amateur An amateur () is generally considered a person who pursues an avocation independent from their source of income. Amateurs and their pursuits are also described as popular, informal, autodidacticism, self-taught, user-generated, do it yourself, DI ...
, he won a gold medal at the
2004 Olympics The 2004 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad (), and officially branded as Athens 2004 (), were an international multi-sport event held from 13 to 29 August 2004 in Athens, Greece. The Games saw 10,625 athletes ...
;
2001 The year's most prominent event was the September 11 attacks against the United States by al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror. The United States led a Participan ...
,
2003 2003 was designated by the United Nations as the International Year of Fresh water, Freshwater. In 2003, a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition 2003 invasion of Iraq, invaded Iraq, starting the Iraq War. Demographic ...
, and 2005 World Championships;
1999 1999 was designated as the International Year of Older Persons. Events January * January 1 – The euro currency is established and the European Central Bank assumes its full powers. * January 3 – The Mars Polar Lander is launc ...
, and 2003 Pan American; and
2001 Goodwill Games The 2001 Goodwill Games was the fifth and final edition of the international multi-sport event. The competition was held in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, from 29 August to 9 September 2001. A total around 1300 athletes took part in 14 sporti ...
.


Amateur career

His first international success was in 1998, winning the title at the Pan American Juniors championship in
Toluca Toluca , officially Toluca de Lerdo , is the States of Mexico, state capital of the State of Mexico as well as the seat of the Municipality of Toluca. Toluca has a population of 910,608 as of the 2020 census. The city forms the core of the Grea ...
and the Juniors World championship in
Buenos Aires Buenos Aires, controlled by the government of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Argentina. It is located on the southwest of the Río de la Plata. Buenos Aires is classified as an Alpha− glob ...
. In 1999 he won the Cuban championship beating
Félix Savón Félix Savón Fabre (born 22 September 1967) is a Cuban former amateur boxer who competed from 1980 to 2000. Considered one of the all-time greatest amateurs, he became three-time Olympic gold medalist, and the World Champion six times in a ...
. Until 2004 he defended his title five times consecutively. In 2005 he switched from
heavyweight Heavyweight is a weight class in combat sports and professional wrestling. Boxing Professional Male boxers who weigh over are considered heavyweights by 2 of the 4 major professional boxing organizations: the International Boxing Federation an ...
to
super heavyweight Super heavyweight is a weight class in combat sports and bodybuilding, competitive bodybuilding. Boxing In amateur boxing, the super heavyweight division is a weight class division for fighters weighing in excess of 91 kilograms (200 pounds). Int ...
and lost in the final to
Michel López Núñez Michel may refer to: * Michel (name), a given name or surname of French origin (and list of people with the name) * Míchel (nickname), a nickname (a list of people with the nickname, mainly Spanish footballers) * Míchel (footballer, born 1963), ...
. In 2006 he won the title again for a seventh time. He was part of the
Cuba Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island country, comprising the island of Cuba (largest island), Isla de la Juventud, and List of islands of Cuba, 4,195 islands, islets and cays surrounding the main island. It is located where the ...
n team that won the
2006 Boxing World Cup The 2006 Boxing World Cup was held in Baku, Azerbaijan from October 15 to October 22. Preliminaries Pool A * * * * Preliminary round standings Pool B * * * * Preliminary round standings Final * Ukraine and Azerbaijan shared the ...
. His record was 227 victories, 14 losses. He never lost at a major event (world championships, Olympics) and beat fellow Cuban
Félix Savón Félix Savón Fabre (born 22 September 1967) is a Cuban former amateur boxer who competed from 1980 to 2000. Considered one of the all-time greatest amateurs, he became three-time Olympic gold medalist, and the World Champion six times in a ...
in two of their three fights. One of those fights was in the Cuban Olympic boxing trial finals in 2000, and the win normally would have allowed Solis to fight in Sydney. Savon, however, was the two-time defending Olympic champion and a gold medal would have equaled the record that
László Papp László Papp (25 March 1926 – 16 October 2003) was a Hungarian professional boxer from Budapest. He was left-handed and won gold medals in the 1948 Summer Olympics in London, the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki, and the 1956 Summer Olym ...
of Hungary and countryman
Teófilo Stevenson Teófilo Stevenson Lawrence (; 29 March 1952 – 11 June 2012) was a Cuban amateur boxer who competed from 1966 to 1986. Stevenson won the Val Barker Trophy (1972) as well was honored with the Olympic Order (1987) and is one of only three bo ...
set with three consecutive boxing gold medals. Thus, Savon was given the spot over Solis, who did not participate in the Olympics at all.


World Championships

Solís became world champion in
2001 The year's most prominent event was the September 11 attacks against the United States by al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror. The United States led a Participan ...
in
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and in 2003 in
Bangkok Bangkok, officially known in Thai language, Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estim ...
at heavyweight (201 lbs/91 kg limit), in
2005 2005 was designated as the International Year for Sport and Physical Education and the International Year of Microcredit. The beginning of 2005 also marked the end of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples, Internationa ...
in
Mianyang Mianyang ( zh, s=绵阳, t=綿陽, w=Mien2-yang2, p=Miányáng; Sichuanese Pinyin, Sichuanese romanization: ''Mien-iang''; formerly known as Mienchow, zh, t=綿州, p=Mianzhou, links=no; Sichuanese romanization: ''Miencheo''; ) is the second lar ...
at super heavyweight. In 2001 he beat Russian Olympic silver medalist of 2000
Sultan Ibragimov Sultan-Ahmed Magomedsalihovich Ibragimov (, ; born 8 March 1975) is a Russian former professional boxer. He competed from 2002 to 2008, and held the WBO world heavyweight title from 2007 to 2008. He was ranked by '' The Ring'' as the world's s ...
in the semifinals on points and in the final British
David Haye David Deron Haye (born 13 October 1980) is a British former professional boxer who competed between 2002 and 2018. He held multiple world championships in two weight classes, and was the first British boxer to reach the final of the World Amat ...
by TKO. Haye gave Solis a standing eight count in the first round and was up by 7 points, but Solis came back strong, turned the score around in the second round and won the fight by stoppage in the third. At the time of stoppage, score was 31–17 in favour of Solis. In 2003 he won on points in the final against Russian archrival Aleksandr Alekseyev who would win the next world championship. Also, Solis defeated Sultan Ibragimov once more (13-7) in four rounds in the XXXIII Chemistry Cup in Halle, Germany, on March 10, 2002.


Olympic Games

Solis earned a spot on the Cuban Olympic boxing team for the
2004 Summer Olympics The 2004 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad (), and officially branded as Athens 2004 (), were an international multi-sport event held from 13 to 29 August 2004 in Athens, Greece. The Games saw 10,625 athletes ...
in
Athens Athens ( ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Greece, largest city of Greece. A significant coastal urban area in the Mediterranean, Athens is also the capital of the Attica (region), Attica region and is the southe ...
and succeeded the three-time champion Savon as the heavyweight gold medalist.


Amateur highlights


Olympic Games

*
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in
Athens, Greece Athens ( ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Greece, largest city of Greece. A significant coastal urban area in the Mediterranean, Athens is also the capital of the Attica (region), Attica region and is the southe ...
(heavyweight) ** Defeated Aleksandr Alekseyev (Russia) 24–21 ** Defeated
Wilmer Vasquez Wilmer or Wilmers may refer to: Places *Wilmer, Alabama, United States, an unincorporated community * Wilmer, Louisiana, United States, an unincorporated hamlet *Wilmer, Texas, United States, a city * Wilmer, British Columbia, Canada, a settleme ...
(Venezuela) 24–4 ** Defeated
Naser Al Shami Nasser Al Shami (; born June 27, 1982) is a Syrian boxing, boxer, who competed in the heavyweight division (– 91 kg) at the 2004 Summer Olympics and won a bronze medal. Career At the 2002 Asian Games he was defeated by Shoukat Ali and w ...
(Syria) RSC–3 (1:29) ** Defeated
Viktar Zuyev Viktor Valeryevich Zuyev, also spelled sometimes as Viktar Valeryevich Zuyeu (, Łacinka: ''Viktar Valierjevič Zujeŭ''; ; born May 22, 1983) is a former amateur boxer from Belarus, best known for winning the heavyweight silver medal at the 200 ...
(Belarus) 22–13


World Cup

*
2005 2005 was designated as the International Year for Sport and Physical Education and the International Year of Microcredit. The beginning of 2005 also marked the end of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples, Internationa ...
in
Moscow, Russia Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...
(heavyweight) **Defeated Ilgar Mamedov (Azerbaijan) RSC–2 **Defeated Georgel Gavril (Romania) RSC–3 **Defeated
Mukhtarkhan Dildabekov Mukhtarkhan Qabylanbekuly Dildabekov (, ''Mūhtarhan Qabylanbekūly Dıldäbekov''; born March 19, 1976) is a Kazakh boxer, best known to win the silver medal in the Super Heavyweight division (+91 kg) at the 2000 Summer Olympics. Career ...
(Kazakhstan) 27–20 **Lost to
Islam Timurziev Islam Yahyayevich Timurziev (; 9 January 1983 – 31 August 2015) was a Russian amateur boxer, best known for winning gold in the 2006 European Amateur Boxing Championships. Career Born in Nazran, Ingushetia, Timurziev started boxing in 1996. He ...
(Russia) 26–27


Pan American Games

*
1999 1999 was designated as the International Year of Older Persons. Events January * January 1 – The euro currency is established and the European Central Bank assumes its full powers. * January 3 – The Mars Polar Lander is launc ...
in
Winnipeg, Canada Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Manitoba. It is centred on the confluence of the Red River of the North, Red and Assiniboine River, Assiniboine rivers. , Winnipeg h ...
(heavyweight) **Defeated Angus Lewis (Virgin Island) walk-over **Defeated Livin Castillo (Ecuador) 14–2 **Defeated Marcelino Novaes (Brazil) 13–2 **Defeated Mark Simmons (Canada) 4–2 *
2003 2003 was designated by the United Nations as the International Year of Fresh water, Freshwater. In 2003, a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition 2003 invasion of Iraq, invaded Iraq, starting the Iraq War. Demographic ...
in
Winnipeg, Canada Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Manitoba. It is centred on the confluence of the Red River of the North, Red and Assiniboine River, Assiniboine rivers. , Winnipeg h ...
(heavyweight) **Defeated
Gerardo Bisbal Gerardo Miguel Bisbal Melero (born 11 September 1984 in Ponce, Puerto Rico) is a heavyweight boxer from Puerto Rico. He is best known for having been the first Puerto Rican boxer to win medals in three Central American and Caribbean Games. He ...
(Puerto Rico) RSCH-2 **Defeated
Jason Douglas Jason Douglas (born February 14, 1973) is an American film, television and voice actor, known for portraying Tobin on AMC's '' The Walking Dead'', voicing Beerus in the anime film '' Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods ''and the series '' Dragon B ...
(Canada) 16–2 **Defeated
Kertson Manswell Kertson Manswell (born October 28, 1976) also known as The Pride of Tobago, is a heavyweight former professional boxer from Trinidad and Tobago. Amateur career At the 2002 Commonwealth Games, Manswell won the silver medal, losing the gold to Can ...
(Trinidad & Tobago) 15–3


World Junior Championships

* 1998 in
Buenos Aires Buenos Aires, controlled by the government of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Argentina. It is located on the southwest of the Río de la Plata. Buenos Aires is classified as an Alpha− glob ...
, Argentina (heavyweight) **Defeated Steffen Kretschmann (Germany) 8–1 **Defeated Evgeniy Arkhipov (Russia) 8–2 **Defeated Sebastian Ceballos (Argentina) 7–5


Others

* Three times World Senior Champion (2001, 2003, 2005) * Six time Cuban National Champion (1999–2004) *Chemiepokal – 2002, 2003, 2004 *Central American and Caribbean Championships – 1999 *Pan American Boxing Championships – 2005


Notable defeated fighters

*Cubans: Felix Savón (2 wins, 1 loss),
Robert Alfonso Robert Leosdan Alfonso Acea (born November 11, 1986) is a Cuban professional boxer. He is best known for his victory at the 2007 Pan American games in the super heavyweight division. Career Alfonso beat Newfel Ouatah but lost to Russian Evgen ...
3 wins,
Michel López Núñez Michel may refer to: * Michel (name), a given name or surname of French origin (and list of people with the name) * Míchel (nickname), a nickname (a list of people with the nickname, mainly Spanish footballers) * Míchel (footballer, born 1963), ...
(3 wins, 3 losses),
Osmay Acosta Osmay Acosta Méndez Duarte (born April 3, 1985) is a Cuban former amateur boxer, who competed between 2001 and 2010, best known to win the 2007 PanAm Games at Heavyweight with 201 lbs (91 kg) limit. Career Acosta is a 1,85 m tall f ...
(RSC), Yoan Pablo Hernández (2 wins) TKO & 10-1. *Non-Cubans: Islam Timurziev (1 win, 1 loss), Roman Romanchuk (1 win, 2 losses),
Vyacheslav Glazkov Vyacheslav Valeriyovych Glazkov (, born 15 October 1984) is a Ukrainian former professional boxer who competed from 2009 to 2016. He challenged once for the IBF heavyweight title in 2016. As an amateur, he won a silver medal at the 2007 World C ...
(1 win),
Kubrat Pulev Kubrat Venkov Pulev (; born 4 May 1981) is a Bulgarian professional boxer. He has held the World Boxing Association (WBA) heavyweight title ( Regular version) since 2024. At regional level, he has held multiple heavyweight championships, includ ...
(2 wins, 1 loss),
Sultan Ibragimov Sultan-Ahmed Magomedsalihovich Ibragimov (, ; born 8 March 1975) is a Russian former professional boxer. He competed from 2002 to 2008, and held the WBO world heavyweight title from 2007 to 2008. He was ranked by '' The Ring'' as the world's s ...
(2 wins),
David Haye David Deron Haye (born 13 October 1980) is a British former professional boxer who competed between 2002 and 2018. He held multiple world championships in two weight classes, and was the first British boxer to reach the final of the World Amat ...
(1 win). Solís finished his amateur career with a record of 227 wins, 14 losses.


Defection

He defected from the national Cuban boxing team in December 2006, during training in
Venezuela Venezuela, officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many Federal Dependencies of Venezuela, islands and islets in the Caribbean Sea. It com ...
for the Pan-American Games in Rio de Janeiro. With him, came two fellow amateurs and reigning Olympic champions,
Yan Barthelemí Varela Yan may refer to: States * Yan (state) (11th century BC–222 BC), a major state in northern China during the Zhou dynasty * Yan Kingdom (Han dynasty), first appearing in 206 BC **Prince of Yan title held in various dynasties of China * Yan (Thr ...
and
Yuriorkis Gamboa Toledano Yuriorkis Gamboa Toledano (born 23 December 1981) is a Cuban professional boxer. He held the World Boxing Association (WBA) featherweight title ( Regular version) from 2009 to 2011, and the International Boxing Federation (IBF) featherweight ti ...
. After escaping to Colombia, they arrived in Miami. Solís, who plans to reside in Germany, signed a professional promotional contract with German-based First Artist.


Professional career

Solís made his professional debut on 27 April 2007, weighing in at a much higher weight at 250+ lbs than as an amateur (where he weighed at a solid 200 lbs) but knocked out 32–7 veteran
Andreas Sidon Andreas Sidon (born 4 February 1963) is a German professional boxer. A professional since 1999, he has faced former world champions and contenders Nikolay Valuev, Odlanier Solis, Danny Williams, and Andrzej Wawrzyk. Debut Sidon turned profess ...
47 seconds into the first round. In the next 18 months he racked up an 11–0 record against creditable opposition at this stage of a professional career, and in October 2008 he defeated Chauncy Welliver for the WBC international heavyweight title.


Solís vs. Barrett

Solis fighting out of Miami, Florida, made his third successful defense of the WBC International Heavyweight title with a second round stoppage of
Monte Barrett Monte Barrett (born May 26, 1971) is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1996 to 2014. He challenged once for the WBA heavyweight title in 2006, and fought many top heavyweight champions and contenders during his career. Am ...
of Queens, New York. Solis, now 15–0 with 11 KOs, a Cuban defector with an extensive amateur career, fought a very cautious first as a careful counterpuncher, preferring to feel out the experienced Barrett, age 38, 34–8, 20 KOs, to see if he had anything left. In the second, Solis opened up with a long left to Barrett's chin that decked him. Barrett just beat the count. In the barrage from Solis that followed, Barrett went down from a slip under pressure, got up, then got knocked out.


Solís vs. Drumond

On 20 March 2010, Solis fought and defeated Carl Davis Drumond by fourth-round TKO to retain his WBC International Heavyweight title and to win the WBA Fedelatin Heavyweight title. After toying with Drumond for the first three rounds Solis unleashed a barrage of punches during the last 20 second of round three and would have knocked Drumond down had he not been saved by the ropes, making Drumond not want to come out for the fourth round.


Solís vs. Vitali Klitschko

Solis defeated Ray Austin in a WBC title eliminator when Austin was disqualified in the 10th round. Solis connected with combinations to the head in the 10th, with Austin seemingly out on his feet and repeatedly holding Solis to avoid additional shots. The win set up Solis to fight
Vitali Klitschko Vitalii Volodymyrovych Klychko (; ; born 19 July 1971), known as Vitali Klitschko, is a Ukrainian politician and former professional boxer. He serves as mayor of Kyiv,mandatory challenger In professional boxing and some other combat sports, a mandatory challenger is an opponent whom a champion must either fight (in a mandatory defence) or be forced to vacate their title as champion. The opposite of a mandatory defence is a ''volunt ...
. On 11 January, it was official confirmed that the fight between Vitali Klitschko and Solís was going to take place in
Cologne Cologne ( ; ; ) is the largest city of the States of Germany, German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and the List of cities in Germany by population, fourth-most populous city of Germany with nearly 1.1 million inhabitants in the city pr ...
, Germany, on 19 March 2011. Both fighters promised a victory by knockout. On 19 March 2011, the two boxers took to the ring in front of a sell-out crowd of over 19,000. In the first round of the fight, after the ten-second warning bell rang, Solis threw a left and right which didn't connect, to Klitschko's chin. Vitali Klitschko returned the favor with a short right to Solis's left temple. What followed has been extensively debated by fans and pundits. Some claim that as he was already falling to the ground, Solis injured his right knee while making an effort to prevent himself from hitting the ground. Others maintain that he simply injured his knee, while backpedalling, and was unable to continue. Some believe he was injured prior to the bout but didn't disclose it for fear of not getting paid. The slow motion shows that he was momentarily stunned by the almost grazing temple punch, and his foot froze to the canvas, whilst his leg and body continued backwards, causing an injury to his ankle. He was not able to continue and the fight was ruled a 1st rd KO.


Post Klitschko comeback

Solis launched a comeback following his rehabilitation from knee surgery and scored three consecutive victories over the next three years including points wins over
Konstantin Airich Konstantin Airich (born 4 November 1978) is a German former professional boxer who competed from 2007 to 2016. Professional career Airich's first defeat was against Danny Williams in a controversial fight. In the sixth round, Williams landed a ...
and undefeated prospect
Leif Larsen Leif Andreas Larsen Distinguished Service Order, DSO, Distinguished Service Cross (United Kingdom), DSC, Conspicuous Gallantry Medal, CGM, Distinguished Service Medal (United Kingdom), DSM and Bar (9 January 1906 – 12 October 1990), popularly ...
. Problematically though it seemed Solis had lost a certain amount of his punching power and foot speed.


Consecutive losses and decline

In 2015 Solis lost two consecutive bouts to former world title challenger, veteran, Tony Thompson. The first was by a close split decision and the second by TKO as Solis retired in his corner for reasons unknown midway through the bout. Since his losses to Thompson Solis has won two bouts against low level opposition. His current ranking according to boxrec is 42 in the world and there has been no speculation regarding a substantive ring return.


Professional boxing record


References


External links

*
Amateur record
(archived)
Odlanier Solis Q&A
at BoxingInsider {{DEFAULTSORT:Solis, Odlanier 1980 births Boxers at the 2003 Pan American Games Boxers at the 2004 Summer Olympics Super-heavyweight boxers Heavyweight boxers Defecting sportspeople from Cuba Living people Olympic boxers for Cuba Olympic gold medalists for Cuba Olympic medalists in boxing Boxers from Havana Medalists at the 2004 Summer Olympics Cuban male boxers AIBA World Boxing Championships medalists Pan American Games gold medalists for Cuba Pan American Games gold medalists in boxing Medalists at the 1999 Pan American Games Medalists at the 2003 Pan American Games