Richard ‘The Boxing Prophet’ Solomon’s Picks Of the Week
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.
Johan Perez vs. Mauricio Herrera
Herrera should be the lineal Junior Welterweight Champion right now. He dominated Danny Garcia earlier this year, but was robbed by the judges. This is his fight to lose. Sure, Perez is very tall and can punch. However, if Herrera isn’t still depressed about the Garcia fight and brings his A game Saturday night, he should win. It won’t be easy, Perez will come forward and throw hard punches. The key for Herrera is to use his jab and boxing ability to avoid the power of Perez. At the end of the day, I see Herrera doing enough to win the fight. He deserves good karma. There is always that blind judge though. One will find a way to score the fight in favor of Perez. Thank the good Lord we have 3 judges scoring the fight. My pick: Herrera wins by Split Decision.
Juan Manuel Lopez vs. Francisco Vargas
This could be the toughest fight of the night to predict. Lopez always enjoys a good slugfest. He is a great offensive fighter with tremendous power. His main weakness is his glass jaw and let’s not forget about his awful defense. Vargas is undefeated and at times is a slick boxer. He also has power in both hands. This fight won’t go the distance. Lopez has to hurt Vargas early and prove to him that the veteran is not close to being a “shot” fighter. Vargas should box and go to the body of Lopez. Make him tired. This is a big step up in class for Vargas and yes I can see Lopez scoring an easy and early, violent KO win. But most PPV cards have an upset. This is mine. Hope I’m not wrong. Lopez has no legs left and his chin will betray him. Vargas won’t fight like he’s a deer in the headlights. Both men will hit the deck, but Vargas will be the last man standing. My pick: Vargas wins by a 6th Round TKO.
Abner Mares vs. Jonathan Oquendo
It’s great to see Mares back in the ring after almost nearly a year off. He is hoping to shake off any lingering effects he still has after suffering a 1st Round KO loss to Jhonny Gonzalez. Many fans, including myself called it the Upset Of The Year. Remember, it wasn’t long ago that Mares was on the brink of being one of the best Pound For Pound fighters in the world. We will see how he responds to adversity. Oquendo has decent power and is game, but does not have the same skills as Mares. It might take a few rounds for Mares to get his boxing legs back, but once he finds his rhythm, the fight is over. Mares returns in solid fashion. My pick: Mares wins by an 8th Round TKO.
CANELO VS. LARA
I applaud Canelo for taking this fight. Kid has got guts. Alvarez seems to have learned a lot in his loss to Mayweather. He needs to come forward and throw lots of punches. Also, surprise Lara and use his very underrated jab. Sometimes, Canelo struggles with fighters who show him good movement. Alfonso Gomez, Austin Trout and Floyd Mayweather are all good examples. Floyd is the best fighter alive today. He handled Canelo with ease. But, Canelo did adjust well and knockout Gomez, as well as beating Trout by decision, in what I thought was a fight that could have gone either way. Lara should stay on the outside, use his jab and lateral movement. In other words, box. It’s called the Sweet Science for a reason. Hit and not get hit. This is the key for Lara to win the fight. problem is, I honestly don’t know which Erislandy Lara will show up this Saturday night. Will it be the fighter who dominated Paul Williams (FORGET ABOUT THE THREE BLIND MICE!!!!) and Austin Trout or dare I say, the warrior who got dropped twice by Alfredo Angulo, but rallied to score a TKO victory. The latter would be a suicide mission for Lara. Sure, he has to earn Canelo’s respect, especially early in the fight, but don’t slug with him. I always thought Lara was a solid counterpuncher. This also could give Canelo fits. Alvarez has shown in past fights that he gets winded late. I am so tempted to go with the huge upset and pick Lara. However, at the end of the day, Lara does not have enough power to KO Alvarez and we all know he can’t and won’t get a decision victory. All things equal, the fight should be scored this way: Lara’s accuracy and ring generalship against Alvarez’s come forward approach. I would be shocked if either man won easily. Boxing politics or bad judging, call it whatever you want. This is the Boxing world we live in. My pick: Alvarez wins a Unanimous Decision.
The Boxing Prophet’s Record (5-2)
RCM’s Record (3-3)
RICHARD’S RADIO SHOWS: richard-the-boxing-prophet-solomon
TWITTER: @boxingprophet68
FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/#!/richard.solomon.5?fref=ts
FOLLOW US ON TWITTER: @REALCOMBATMEDIA
LIKE US ON FACEBOOK: REALCOMBATMEDIA
CHECK OUT OUR QUALITY SPONSORED PRODUCTS
NUTRIENT RICH HEMP PLANT PROTEIN
IMPROVE BRAIN FUNCTION WITH ‘ALPHA BRAIN’
IMPROVE YOUR ENERGY WITH SHROOMTECH
INCREASE ENDURANCE WITH THE CARDIO MASK
INCREASE YOUR STRENGTH WITH T-PLUS
COMMENTS
English