Through four decades of promoting boxing, 79 year old Bob Arum has had a few regrets.
Arum's Top Rank has missed out on signing some profitable fighters and, like all its rivals, has seen good boxers such as recent defector Nonito Donaire Jr. leave the TR banner.
I have to say it comes under the heading of addition by subtraction but Arum and his company made the right call on Cuban heavyweight pretender Odlanier Solis.
Last September, Arum worked out a money back deal with Ahmet Oner, irascible German promoter of the chunky, heavyhanded fighter.
Intrigued by Solis' one shot right hand power and knowing he'd get a shot at one of the Klitscho Brothers. I was a bit surprised when TR cut its ties with Solis.
I figured that was a judgement on talent which the promoter might soon come to regret.
For all its success in lower weight divisions, Arum's outfit has a checkered history when it comes to the heavyweight class.
At least Solis looked like a live "lottery ticket" in the Klitschko Sweepstakes.
But, as it turned out Saturday night in Germany, Solis was exposed in a one round, one punch Ko by Vitali, aka "Dr. Ironfist." A right hand floored the chubby Cubano and when he got off the floor, he acted as though his legs were wobbly.
Maybe his pins were shaky or maybe Solis wanted no more incoming fire from VK. Vitali himself seemed to be the angriest person in the arena in Cologne, where 19,000 paying fans turned up, at the three minute duration of this mismatch.
Here's acerbic Kevin Mitchell (Guardian), from ringside:
"Solis and Klitschko clearly are beasts from different parts of the forest.
"Klitschko, although half a foot taller and nearly 10 years older than the challenger, weighed in less than three pounds heavier than him, testimony to his discipline and Solis's lack of it – although he whipped himself into decent shape for this fight to get down to 246.9, the lightest of his career.
"It was Solis's 10th and possibly last contest in Germany. He was nearly a stone lighter than his last outing in December, when he laboured to beat the 40-year-old Ray Austin on disqualification in the 10th round of a quite farcical eliminator for this title shot.
"The 30-year-old Cuban has lunched on some poor fare since his professional debut in Hamburg in 2007, a year after he defected. Six fights ago, in October, 2008, he was fed Chauncy Welliver, a 27-year-old native American Indian, heritage he left at the door when he described himself as "The Fat Dorky White Guy". Paunchy Chauncy lasted nine of the 12 rounds, yet, astoundingly, was the reserve candidate for Wladimir Klitschko when the WBO and IBF champion was negotiating with Dereck Chisora – and Solis was being nudged up the ratings.
"If further evidence is needed of the parlous state of heavyweight boxing, I can't help you. It is nights such as this that do not just give the business a bad name but make dedicated fans wonder why they bother."
But at least Arum's decision to part ways with Solis, surely co-signed by Hall Of Fame matchmaker Bruce Trampler, was verified as a good call.
Free of Top Rank, Solis made a deal to be co-promoted by Don King and Arum expressed no regret.
"Solis is better off with King in the heavyweight division, which we're not active in. They offered us our money back and everything, and so he's going to work with Don King," Arum told Boxing Scene at the time.
That's the dreadful state of the Big Boys Division, it consists solely of Klitschkos and Hoboes.
Despite his KO power, there was nagging doubts about Solis' dedication particularly when he weighed a too fat 271 pounds for a KO victory over retread Monte Barrett and 268 for a victory over Carl Drummond.
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