Odlanier Solís facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Odlanier Solís
Statistics
Real name	Odlanier Solís Fonte
Nickname(s)	La Sombra ("The Shadow")
Rated at	Heavyweight
Height	6 ft 1+1/2 in
Reach	79 in
Born	(1980-04-05) 5 April 1980 (age 45) Havana, Cuba
Stance	Orthodox
Boxing record
Total fights	25
Wins	22
Wins by KO	14
Losses	3
Medal record Men's amateur boxing Representing  Cuba Event 1st 2nd 3rd Olympic Games 1 0 0 World Championships 3 0 0 Pan American Games 2 0 0 World Cup 0 1 0 Goodwill Games 1 0 0 Total 7 1 0 Olympic Games Gold 2004 Athens Heavyweight World Championships Gold 2001 Belfast Heavyweight Gold 2003 Bangkok Heavyweight Gold 2005 Mianyang Super heavyweight Pan American Games Gold 1999 Winnipeg Heavyweight Gold 2003 Santo Domingo Heavyweight World Cup Silver 2005 Moscow Super heavyweight Goodwill Games Gold 2001 Brisbane Heavyweight

Odlanier Solís Fonte (born 5 April 1980) is a Cuban former professional boxer. He competed from 2007 to 2016. He was known for his amazing amateur career. He won a gold medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics. He also won three World Championships in 2001, 2003, and 2005.

Amateur Boxing Career

Odlanier Solís started his international boxing journey in 1998. He won titles at the Pan American Juniors championship and the Juniors World championship that year.

In 1999, he became the Cuban champion. He beat a famous boxer named Félix Savón. Solís kept his Cuban title for five years in a row until 2004. In 2005, he changed from the heavyweight division to the super heavyweight division. He won the Cuban title again in 2006, making it his seventh time.

Solís was part of the Cuban team that won the 2006 Boxing World Cup. His amateur record was very impressive, with 227 wins and only 14 losses. He never lost at major events like the World Championships or the Olympics. He even beat Félix Savón twice out of their three fights. One of these wins was in 2000. However, Savón, who was a two-time Olympic champion, was chosen to go to the Olympics instead of Solís.

World Championship Wins

Solís became a world champion three times:

• In 2001 in Belfast, he won the heavyweight title. He beat Russian Olympic medalist Sultan Ibragimov and then British boxer David Haye in the final.
• In 2003 in Bangkok, he won the heavyweight title again. He defeated his rival Aleksandr Alekseyev from Russia.
• In 2005 in Mianyang, he won the super heavyweight title.

Olympic Games Success

Solís earned his spot on the Cuban Olympic boxing team for the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. He won the gold medal in the heavyweight division. He followed in the footsteps of the three-time champion Savón.

Amateur Highlights and Medals

Here are some of Odlanier Solís's top achievements as an amateur boxer:

• 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece (heavyweight)
  • Defeated Aleksandr Alekseyev (Russia)
  • Defeated Wilmer Vasquez (Venezuela)
  • Defeated Naser Al Shami (Syria)
  • Defeated Viktar Zuyev (Belarus)
• 2005 World Cup in Moscow, Russia (heavyweight)
  • Lost to Islam Timurziev (Russia) in the final.
• 1999 Pan American Games in Winnipeg, Canada (heavyweight)
  • Defeated Mark Simmons (Canada) in the final.
• 2003 Pan American Games in Winnipeg, Canada (heavyweight)
  • Defeated Kertson Manswell (Trinidad & Tobago) in the final.
• 1998 World Junior Championships in Buenos Aires, Argentina (heavyweight)
  • Defeated Steffen Kretschmann (Germany) in the final.

He also won the Chemiepokal three times (2002, 2003, 2004) and the Central American and Caribbean Championships in 1999.

Notable Opponents He Defeated

Odlanier Solís beat many strong boxers during his amateur career, including:

• Cubans: Felix Savón, Robert Alfonso, Michel López Núñez, Osmay Acosta, Yoan Pablo Hernández.
• Non-Cubans: Islam Timurziev, Roman Romanchuk, Vyacheslav Glazkov, Kubrat Pulev, Sultan Ibragimov, David Haye.

Solís ended his amateur career with an amazing record of 227 wins and only 14 losses.

Becoming a Professional Boxer

In December 2006, Odlanier Solís left the Cuban national boxing team. He was training in Venezuela at the time. He wanted to become a professional boxer. Two other Olympic champions, Yan Barthelemí Varela and Yuriorkis Gamboa Toledano, also left with him. After going to Colombia, they arrived in Miami. Solís then moved to Germany and signed a contract to start his professional boxing career.

Professional Career Highlights

Solís made his professional debut on April 27, 2007. He was heavier than he was as an amateur. He quickly knocked out his opponent, Andreas Sidon, in less than a minute. Over the next year and a half, he won 11 fights in a row. In October 2008, he won the WBC International Heavyweight title by defeating Chauncy Welliver.

Key Fights

• Solís vs. Monte Barrett: In October 2009, Solís successfully defended his WBC International Heavyweight title for the third time. He stopped Monte Barrett in the second round.
• Solís vs. Carl Davis Drumond: On March 20, 2010, Solís defeated Carl Davis Drumond by TKO in the fourth round. He kept his WBC International Heavyweight title and also won the WBA Fedelatin Heavyweight title.
• Solís vs. Vitali Klitschko: Solís earned a chance to fight for the WBC heavyweight title. He faced Vitali Klitschko on March 19, 2011, in Germany. The fight ended quickly in the first round. Solís injured his right knee and could not continue. Klitschko won by knockout.

After the Klitschko Fight

After recovering from his knee surgery, Solís made a comeback. He won three fights in a row over the next three years. He beat boxers like Konstantin Airich and Leif Larsen. However, it seemed he had lost some of his punching power and speed.

Later Career and Retirement

In 2015, Solís lost two fights in a row to veteran boxer Tony Thompson. The first loss was a close decision, and in the second fight, Solís stopped fighting midway through. After these losses, Solís won two more fights against less experienced opponents. He last competed in September 2016.

Odlanier Solís finished his professional career with 22 wins, 3 losses, and 14 knockouts.

See also

In Spanish: Odlanier Solís para niños