Odlanier Solis suffered a serious knee injury during his shortlived WBC heavyweight title challenge against Vitali Klitschko.
Cuban fighter facing extended lay-off
Odlanier Solis suffered a serious knee injury during his short-lived heavyweight title defeat against WBC champion Vitali Klitschko.
Solis lasted just three minutes in the first round on Saturday night against the world champion, who was awarded a technical knockout by referee Jose Guadalupe Garcia.
The previously undefeated Cuban twisted his right knee as he fell backwards after Klitschko landed a short right hook on his temple.
With Solis shaky on his feet Garcia stopped the fight, much to the disapproval of Klitschko and the 19,000 fans in the Cologne Arena.
But a subsequent examination at Cologne's University Hospital revealed that he had torn his cruciate ligament and damaged cartilage in the fall.
Surgery
Further tests on Sunday will reveal whether the 30-year-old will have to undergo surgery.
"I do not think there will be any other outcome than Solis will have to take a long break to recover," said his promoter Ahmet Oener.
According to German daily
Die Welt, Solis, the WBC's top-ranked challenger, had already experienced problems in his right knee.
Cologne Arena spokesman Malte Mueller-Michaelis confirmed: "We knew it, but we didn't want to let it jeopardise the fight against Vitali.
"His manager Jose Perez knew about the previous problem, but it was thought it would go away if there was enough training and the muscle stabilised the knee."
