Tomasz Adamek vs Odlanier Solis to bring boxing back to network TV on Dec. 22

Boxing is headed back to network TV, and if things go as expected, a solid heavyweight fight will be the headline bout. Odlanier Solis of Cuba still has an interim fight to take care of, but if he beats Leif Larsen on October 12 in Spain, he'll face Tomasz Adamek on December 22, live on NBC.

Solis (18-1, 12 KO) was one of the more highly-regarded Cuban fighters to defect in recent years, but like most of his countrymen, has fallen short of expectations. He did receive a world title shot in 2011, but blew out his knee in the first round and lost to Vitali Klitschko via TKO.

He recently returned from a long injury layoff to defeat gatekeeper Konstantin Airich with ease, but his conditioning was once again a concern, as he weighed in at 267½ pounds, which most figure is about 25 pounds over what would be a higher-end estimate for his prime fighting weight.

Adamek (47-2, 29 KO) has already won three fights this year, beating Nagy Aguilera, Eddie Chambers, and Travis Walker in a trio of pretty exciting, entertaining fights.

He did struggle with a one-armed Chambers, and Aguilera and Walker also gave him more trouble than you might like to see if you have hopes for Adamek as a world champion, but there's no doubt, I don't think, that he's firmly established himself as the world's most enjoyable heavyweight to watch fight.

And there'd be no reason to expect less from Adamek-Solis, which pits a couple of guys with good technical skills. It's actually kind of a high-risk, low-reward fight for Adamek, but that just kind of shows the type of fighter he is, too.

The card will be held at the Sands Casino Resort in Bethelehem, Pennsylvania, quickly becoming a favorite stop for Main Events and their top fighters. Gabriel Rosado defeated Charles Whittaker last Friday night at the venue, in a fight televised by NBC Sports.