Heavyweight sensation Odlanier Solis returns to Germany in December. The three-time world amateur champion and 2004 Olympic gold medallist (currently rated #2 by the WBC) is on his way to become the mandatory challenger for WBC champion Vitali Klitschko.
After defecting from the Cuban national team (along with unified featherweight champion Yuriorkis Gamboa) in December 2006, Solis gave his pro-debut in Hamburg, Germany, in April 2007 under the banner of Ahmet Oener’s ARENA Box-Promotion. „La Sombra“ had his first 12 pro-fights in Germany winning the WBC Latino and WBC International Championship. In October 2008 he moved to Miami and had his last four fights in the United States stopping Kevin Burnett, Dominique Alexander, Monte Barrett and Carl Davis Drummond.
By returning to Germany, Solis is looking to make an impression on the main market of the Klitschkos who are major stars in Europe.
Solis will be co-feature for the next title defense of WBA middleweight champion Felix Sturm. Sturm agreed with his German TV partner SAT.1 to continue their cooperation which started with Sturm’s dominant decision win over Giovanni Lorenzo in front of 20,000 frenetic fans in Cologne on September 4th.
If Vitali thinks he's going to have the kind of easy night his brother had last week, he's in for a shock," vows upcoming heavyweight title challenger Shannon "The Cannon" Briggs (51-5-1, 45 KOs).
Speaking about Samuel Peter's non-performance versus Vitali's brother Wladimir on September 11 in relation to his October 16 battle for the WBC Heavyweight Championship at O2 World Arena in Hamburg, Germany, Briggs says there is no comparison.
"After two rounds, Samuel Peter became a human punching bag," said Briggs. "When I finally get Vitali in that ring, he's going to be up against a determined Shannon Briggs. I'm his size. I'm even more powerful than he is. He can't keep me away by holding out his left arm and trying to wrap me up like those Klitschkos usually do. Vitali's next fight will be nothing like Wladimir's last fight. He is going to be fighting for his life from the opening bell."
The power-punching New Yorker feels he is fighting for more than his third championship. "I want to bring excitement back to heavyweight boxing. Knockout power excitement that makes the fans interested in the big men again. But more than that, I will be fighting for asthma sufferers around the globe."
Briggs says he has his course all mapped out. "Vitali is just the beginning. After I take him out, David Haye, the little cruiserweight with the heavyweight mouth, is next and then Wladimir after that."
Haye has been moved up to second due to some offensive remarks he made recently. "In David Haye's recent silly video rant explaining why he's terrified to fight the Klitschkos, he made a comment calling me Shannon "I need my asthma pump" Briggs. That was an insult not only to me, but to people worldwide who suffer from the disease. Because of that, he has now moved himself into the number two slot after Vitali. Originally, the plan was to knock off Wladimir after I rid the boxing world of Vitali's flailing 'kung-fu octopus' style, but Haye's now #2 on the Cannon's hit list."
A lifetime asthma sufferer, Briggs was recently introduced to a respiratory dietary supplement called Zivair that he credits with improving his stamina dramatically.
Currently in heavy training for what he acknowledges is his last run at one final championship belt, the 38 year old admits he has other areas in business and entertainment he'd like to pursue. "But first, as a gift to boxing and all it has done to change my life, I'm going to turn the power back on in boxing's heavyweight house and get these belts back in the USA where they belong, starting on October 16."
