Filipino icon Manny Pacquiao is a heavy favourite to beat Jorge Solis of Mexico when they meet at the The Aladrome in San Antonio, Texas on April 14. They will be fighting for the WBC International super featherweight title.
The 27-year-old Solis will be the tallest boxer to face Pacquiao and is awkward and tricky, but can be effective with his left jab and straight rights. He is unbeaten with a record of 32-0-2-1nc; 23.
Solis who is the Mexican featherweight champion and also holds the WBA Fedecentro featherweight title had a good 2006 with wins over Hector Javier Marquez, Adalberto Borquez, Lizardo Moreno and Fernando Omar Lizarraga.
However, Solis has not fought at the same high level as Pacquiao and his only strengths are his mobility and agility which could give Pacquiao problems.
Some two years ago a then agile Erik Morales did enough to win a close decision over Pacquiao and in drawn fight with Juan Manuel Marquez a master counter-puncher, Paquiao had problems.
Solis from Guadalajara, Mexico has been training in high altitude for the first time in his career and his game plan will be to outsmart the Filipino over 12 rounds.
However, the question is can he keep off the marauding Pacquiao 43-3-2 through 12 rounds.
Meanwhile it has been reported that former East Texas heavyweight Reagan “Buddy” Turman who fought as a professional from 1954 to 1967 passed away on Sunday in a Longview, Texas hospital at the age of 73.
Turman who had a career record of 45-15-2; 32 fought in Europe and England and came up against fighters like Jack Bodell, Ivan Preberg Piero Tomasoni. He also fought Pete Rademacher, Archie Moore and Bob Cleroux.
Upcoming world title fights:
April 6, 2007 Tabkwang Stadium, Saraburi Province, Thailand Pongsaklek Wonjongkam vs. Tomonubu Shimizu (WBC flyweight)
April 7, 2007 Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, Wales Joe Calzaghe vs. Peter Manfredo (WBO super middleweight) Enzo Maccarinelli vs. Bobby Gunn (WBO cruisetrweight) Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan Yutaka Niida vs. Katsunari Takayama (WBA minimumweight)
April 14, 2007 The Alamodome, San Antonio, Texas Manny Pacquiao vs. Jorge Solis (WBC International super featherweight title) Jorge Arce vs Christian Mijaes (WBC super flyweight) Brian Viloria vs. Edgar Sosa (WBC light flyweight) Ivan Calderon vs. TBA (minimumweights) Julio Cesar Chavez Jr vs. Anthony Shuler (welterweights) Bernabe Concepcion vs. Benjamin Flores (super bantamweights) Victor Ortiz vs. Tomas Barrientes (super lightweights) Maribel Zurita vs. Emily Kelly (flyweights) Joseph Rios vs. Jeremy Valdez (bantamweights)
April 20, 2007 Oliver Tambo Sports Centre, Khayalitsha, South Africa Malcolm Klassen vs. Mzonke Fana (IBF junior lightweight)
April 28, 2007 Club Barranquilla, Barranquilla, Colombia Ricardo Torres vs. Carlos Maussa (WBO junior welterweight) K?nig-Pilsener-Arena in Oberhausen, Germany Javier Castillejo vs. Felix Sturm (WBA middleweight ) Stipe Drews vs. Silvio Branco (WBA light heavyweight) Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Connecticut Acelino Freitas vs. Juan Diaz (WBA and WBA lightweight)
May 3, 2007 Ariake Coliseum, Tokyo, Japan Hozumi Hasegawa vs. Simpiwe Vetyeka (WBC bantamweight) Edwin Valero vs. Nobuhito Honmo (WBC super feather) Nobuo Nashiro vs. Alexander Munoz (WBA super fly)
May 5, 2007 MGM Grand, Las Vegas, NV Oscar De La Hoya vs. Floyd Mayweather (WBC super welterweight)
May 12, 2007 Emperors Palace Casino, Kempton Park, GT, South Africa Silence Mabuza vs. Mbwana Matumla (IBO bantamweight) Isaac Hlatshwayo vs. Joseph Makaringe (IBO welterweight) Corrie Sanders vs. Chris Koval (heavyweights) Kgotso Motau vs. Anthony Little (middleweights)
May 19, 2007 FedEx Forum, Memphis, Tennessee Jermain Taylor vs. Cory Spinks (WBC and WBO middle) Edison Miranda vs. Kelly Pavlik (middleweights)
May 26, 2007 Poland Krzysztof Wlodarczyk vs. Steve Cunningham (IBF cruiserweight)
June 2, 2007 Moscow, Russia Shannon Briggs vs. Sultan Ibragimov (WBO heavyweight)
June 4, 2007 Yokohama, Japan Eagle Kyowa vs. Akira Yaegashi (WBC strawweight)
June 9, 2007 Madison Square Garden, New York, NY Miguel Cotto vs. Zab Judah (WBA welterweight)
June 23, 2007 Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas, NV Ricky Hatton vs. Jose Luis Castillo (IBO light welterweight ) Clinton Woods vs. Julio Gonzalez (IBF light heavyweight)
July 21, 2007 TBA Bernard Hopkins vs. Winky Wright (at 170lbs/77.27kg)
