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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.

Timothy Bradley Jr. (31-1, 12KOs) vs. Diego Chaves (23-2, 19KOs)

Bradley returns to the ring after suffering his first loss at the hands of Manny Pacquiao in April. Most fans think justice was served because Bradley’s initial win over Pacquiao was one of the most controversial decisions in the history of Boxing. Bradley is in tough this weekend. He faces Diego Chaves. Bradley will be looking to rebound and show that he is still pound for pound one of the best fighters in the sport today. Chaves will be trying to shake off the negativity associated with his last bout. Back in August, Chaves was disqualified for giving an intentional elbow to the face of Brandon Rios. The fight was ugly and marred with fouls from both fighters, but Chaves seemed to be getting the better of Rios for much of the fight. Despite having two points deducted, I had Chaves up a point on my scorecard when he was disqualified. We’ll see if he can clean up his act against Bradley and make the fight competitive. From a speed standpoint, Chaves is underrated. He’s also a very good puncher. Before he gave Rios fits, Chaves gave Keith Thurman his toughest fight to date. Ultimately though, Thurman stopped Chaves in the 10th round. It’s a shame that Chaves is known more for his two losses than any of his twenty three wins. Let’s get right to it. How close this fight is depends on how smart Bradley fights. If he uses his speed, counterpunching skills and superior footwork, he can and should put on a boxing clinic against Chaves.

The struggle for Bradley is to not allow Chaves to drag him into an ugly street fight. Bradley should remember the way he fought against Juan Manuel Marquez and forget the second Manny Pacquiao fight and the war he had with Ruslan Provodnikov. I have a gut feeling you will see a little of both. Bradley will take several risks in this fight and brawl with Chaves in some of the rounds. Make no mistake about it, he will take some punishment along the way. However, after Bradley realizes he is not a power puncher, but a boxer, he will dominate the rest of the fight. Chaves always tries hard. He’s a grinder, but there’s a reason why Timothy Bradley Jr. is considered an elite fighter. Remember, as long as Bradley uses more of his brains than machismo, he will not make average fighters look great. My Pick: Bradley wins by Unanimous Decision.

Amir Khan (29-3, 19KOs) vs. Devon Alexander (26-2, 14KOs)

Let’s get real. Khan and Alexander both have their sights set on reaching the top of the welterweight food chain. Their targets are living legends Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao. To be honest, a loss would probably ensure that neither man ever occupies the same ring with Money or Pac-Man. Although if the sport of Boxing has taught me anything, it’s never say never!!!! Lol. Amir Khan has won three in a row since being stopped by Danny Garcia in 2012. Devon Alexander clearly represents the best competition he’s faced since the loss. Alexander lost a unanimous decision to Shawn Porter in December 2013. He came back with a win against Jesus Soto Karass in June of this year. Several fight fans thought Alexander looked great in that fight. Personally, I believe Alexander looked sluggish and barely won the fight by two points on my scorecard. Amir Khan represents the most physically talented opponent Devon Alexander has faced since he lost a technical decision to Timothy Bradley Jr. back in January 2011. Getting back to the Bradley Jr. fight, Alexander got branded as mentally soft when he “Quit” after Bradley Jr. head-butted him several times during the fight. Alexander, to his credit, has been trying to dispel those thoughts. If you look at the fighters he’s already beaten, some wonder why he doesn’t get more respect. He outpointed Randall Bailey and Marcos Maidana (By far the most impressive win on Alexander’s resume!!!!). However, he won a highly disputed decision against Lucas Matthysse. Needless to say, I had Matthysse winning by two points. I respect the fact that Alexander has been in the ring with some real solid fighters, but he needs to beat Amir Khan this weekend to make me a believer!!!!

Khan’s lightning fast hand speed and quick foot movement make him dangerous. However, his bouts frequently offer an additional excitement factor for fans due to his vulnerability. Khan has a glass jaw. Knockout losses to Breidis Prescott and Danny Garcia, as well as suffering an early knockdown at the hands of Julio Diaz back up this point. A victory over Alexander would do wonders for restoring a sense of lost credibility for Khan, as he attempts to deliver on a career that offered so much early promise. It’s sink or swim time for both fighters. Let’s cut right to the chase. Both men are similar in a lot of ways. Size, reach, speed and quickness. Khan has the slight edge in power but Alexander’s southpaw style might cause some problems for Khan. It’s a shame this fight did not take place three or four years ago. Amir Khan was one of the best shows in boxing, utilizing insane hand speed, more than respectable power and a penchant to scrap. Devon Alexander had the same blinding hand speed, high level technical skills and used the entire ring to leave opponents flustered in search of a target. Flash forward to the year 2014 and Khan’s chin has been the main event in any of his fights and trainer Virgil Hunter has taken an offensive barrage and turned it into flurry then clinch methodology. Alexander still has skills but lacks the activity or killer instinct to make his fights truly entertaining. While both fighters have suffered losses that have taken some shine off their stars, this is still a competitive, 50-50, type of fight. In terms of action, it could be a disaster of a contest with both men not doing much or it could be a very good slugfest. I se a little of both. I think Khan is the better fighter and harder puncher. Alexander is good but Khan can be superb when he is on his game. As long as his chin does not betray him, I believe Khan is the better fighter. He will use his “Klitschko” approach of jabbing, grabbing and bicycling around the ring for 12 rounds. My Pick: Khan wins by Split Decision.

Here are my picks for some other notable fights taking place this weekend.

Erislandy Lara (19-2-2, 12KOs) over Ishe Smith (26-6, 12KOs) by a 10th Round TKO. Keith Thurman (23-0, 21KOs) over Leonard Bundu (31-0-1, 11KOs) by an 8th Round KO. Abner Mares (27-1-1, 14KOs) over Jose Ramirez (24-3-2, 15KOs) by Unanimous Decision. Jermall Charlo (19-0, 15KOs) over Lenny Bottai (22-2, 9KOs) by a 5th Round TKO. Jermell Charlo (24-0, 11KOs) over Mario Lozano (28-5, 20KOs) by Unanimous Decision. Errol Spence Jr. (14-0, 11KOs) over Mike Arnaoutis (25-10-2, 12KOs) by Unanimous Decision. Matt Korobov (24-0, 14KOs) over Andy Lee (33-2, 23KOs) by a 7th Round TKO. Jose Benavidez Jr. (21-0, 15KOs) over Mauricio Herrera (21-4, 7KOs) by Split Decision.

The Boxing Prophet’s Record (48-7)

RCM’s Boxing Record (45-10)

 

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