Rated R Will Grab A W Against Bradley

R is one of my favorite letters in the alphabet. It represents the rating of choice for most of my favorite films. It’s one of my favorite shorthand "words," representing the plural form of "to be." And it’s one half of my middle name. Kendall Holt’s (25-2, 13 KOs) nickname happens to be "Rated R."

Judging by my infatuation with the letter "r," you probably already know who I am picking in this fight. Sticking with the alphabet theme, let me spell out why.

1. I’ve often said that speed kills but Power breaks wills. Don’t let Holt’s modest 52% KO rate (in his wins) fool you. The guy can crack, and I’m not talking jokes.
2. The ability to Improvise is something that I think sets Holt apart in this fight. Sure, maybe he improvises because he doesn’t trust his chin (he’s been stopped twice and dropped numerous times), but his ability to fight as a jab-first boxer as well as a pressure-first power puncher has impressed me. Bradley will be impressed as well.
3. Holt has faced stiffer Competition. He boasts an impressive resume at junior welterweight. He demolished Ricardo Torres in their rematch, destroyed then-undefeated David Diaz (2005), and owns decision wins over Mike Arnaoutis and then-unbeaten Isaac Hlatshwayo (2006) and Demetrius Hopkins (2008).
4. Holt has more professional ring Knowledge than Bradley. They have boxed a similar amount of rounds; 148 for Holt to 137 for Bradley. Where I see the biggest difference is 1) who those rounds were against but, more importantly, 2) that Bradley only began fighting more than eight rounds two years ago. Is he too green?

That’s why Holt is my P-I-C-K by unanimous decision in the upcoming 140-pound unification (WBC, WBO) matchup.