

Richard ‘The Boxing Prophet’ Solomon’s Picks Of the Week
By Richard Solomon, RCM Boxing Radio Co-Host
Richard’s love of boxing preceded his love of solid food. Doctors report he came out of his mother’s womb throwing a jab. As a child he would only ever count from 1 to 10, and his favorite superhero didn’t wear a cape- he wore leather gloves that were A Thrilla In Manila. With his uncanny ability to predict fights, his parents gave up dreams of him becoming President and set their sights higher: Boxing Prophet.
His claim to fame: telling the whole world in Feb of 1990 that James Buster Douglas was going to beat Mike Tyson. Through jeers and laughs he stuck to his prediction. Rich was an overnight sensation. A folk hero in his town. The prophet was born. His parents wept.
For every 10 fights Richard predicts – he guarantees 8 out of 10 are correct. He prides himself on not only picking the winner of the fight, but also whether it’s by decision or knockout – being so bold as to even pick the exact round.
Richard went to Adelphi University and holds a Master’s degree in Special Education. He teaches preschool children with learning disabilities and special needs. His kids are fighters and Richard genuinely appreciates and nurtures that spirit in them.
Richard started his career on Adelphi radio in a weekly sports talk show and went on to co-host other boxing radio shows during his career. He is now the RCM Boxing Radio Co-Host since April 2013.
David Lemieux (32-2, 30KOs) vs. Gabriel Rosado (21-8, 13KOs)
Lemieux has been on a hot streak as of late. He is riding a seven-bout winning streak that has included six knockouts into his middleweight collision with Rosado. Rosado has fought four unbeaten fighters in a row, but has lost each bout. I remember what a solid prospect Lemieux was before he got stopped in the seventh round by Marco Antonio Rubio back in 2011. He also lost a majority decision to Joachim Alcine eight months later and it seemed Lemieux had been exposed. More than three years later, Lemieux is coming off a spectacular victory over former title challenger Fernando Guerrero. Lemieux dropped the southpaw four times on his way to an easy third round stoppage in May. Rosado, on the other hand, is winless against unbeaten boxers over the course of his past four bouts. He was bloodied and stopped in two title challenges by Gennady Golovkin and Peter Quillin respectively. Rosado also lost to Jermell Charlo and suffered a disputed split decision loss-turned-no-contest against J’Leon Love. Make no mistake about it, Gabriel Rosado is a very durable fighter. He’s been in the ring against a lot of tough guy. He has the better resume than Lemieux and is due for a win. Lemieux is at his best when he lets it rip with solid combinations and forgets the scientific stuff and Gabriel Rosado’s fighting heart will give him the chance to do just that. Also, Rosado’s facial tissues, especially the area above his left eyelid, have become vulnerable as of late. This is exactly why Rosado can’t afford to spend too much time banging on the inside. He has to fight smart and be more tactical. Try and frustrate Lemieux, forcing him to continually reset. This is not going to be an easy fight for Lemieux. We should learn a lot about how much he has developed over the past three years.Lemieux is the kind of come-forward fighter whom Rosado can have some success against. I would not be shocked at all if Rosado fought Lemieux on even terms, or better, during most of the fight. But. like I stated earlier, Rosado’s history of getting cut over the eyes will eventually catch up to him. A busy fighter like Lemieux is going to have a very good chance of opening it up. On the other hand, part of me thinks the judges “Owe” Rosado. I mean really, if he didn’t have bad luck, he’d have no luck at all!!!! Lol. Rosado will bring his best but Lemieux’s power and busy work rate will cut Rosado above his eyes. The last few rounds will be target practice for Lemieux. My main concern for Lemieux is how his chin will hold up during this war. It’s so hard not to root for Rosado, but my gut feeling tells me he will once again come away with a heart breaking loss. My Pick: Lemieux wins by Majority Decision.
Jean Pascal (29-2-1, 17KOs) vs. Roberto Bolonti (35-3, 24KOs)
Bolonti has got to find a way to turn Pascal’s notorious aggression against him. Weathering the early storm in the first few rounds is going to be the key. If he gets overwhelmed early, the fight could and will get away from him in a hurry. The Argentine does have a solid jab, which he would be smart to use as a weapon. Boxing effectively and having enough sting in his punches to earn Pascal’s respect and maybe even hurt him are very important for Bolonti to pull off the huge upset win. Needless to say, there is so much on the line for Pascal in this fight. The former champion is the more skilled and experienced fighter and he should have little trouble executing his game plan. I expect Pascal to use his aggression and attacking style to force Bolonti into a defensive posture. Bolonti has been dropped in previous fights but never stopped. Pascal isn’t a big puncher. So, unless Bolonti fights “scared”, Don’t think Pascal can get what he really wants which is the knockout win. Have to be honest with you, I am no fan of Pascal. I feel he wants no part of Sergey Kovalev at all. His manager and promoter are kind of forcing him into taking the fight. Truth be told, I think he would be better served by fighting Adonis Stevenson. But that’s a different story entirely. Never say never, but barring something totally shocking, it’s almost impossible to find a way for Bolonti to win this fight. The talent and experience gaps just seem too much for him to overcome. I would be amazed if Pascal loses more than three rounds in this fight. Don’t want to sound like a “Hater”, but if the fight does happen, Sergey Kovalev will knock out Jean Pascal inside of eight rounds!!!! My Pick: Pascal wins by Unanimous Decision.
Here are my picks for some other notable fights taking place this weekend: Thomas Dulorme (21-1, 14KOs) over Hank Lundy (25-3-1, 12KOs) by Split Decision. Hugo Centeno (21-0, 11KOs) over James De La Rosa (23-2, 13KOs) by Unanimous Decision. Juan Francisco Estrada (30-2-2, 22KOs) over Joebert Alvarez (14-0-1, 6KOs) by a 7th Round TKO. Juergen Braehmer (44-2, 32KOs) over Pawel Glazewski 23-2, 5KOs) by a 10th Round TKO.z