For years fringe welterweight contender Cosme Rivera has been one of my favorite fighters and Friday on Rivera will be in a 12-round main event in Cosme Rivera vs Raul Pinzon. The reason I like watching Rivera is that he is the consummate pro. Sportsbook.com has Cosme Rivera as a -250 boxing betting favorite.

Rivera, 30-11, 22 KO’s, doesn’t do anything flashy but he does everything well, box, slug or counterpunch. The 5’10” Mexican Cosme is coming off a tough decision loss to contender Andre Berto last July, but the tough vet planted Berto on the canvas with a left uppercut in the 6th. Rivera is a crafty tactician that moves effectively behind a well-schooled defense and can also fight equally as efficient inside with a good body attack.

The 31-year-old Rivera’s opponent Columbian Raul Pinzon, 15-1, 14 KO’s, is a brawler that comes forward and swings for the fences with big right hand power. Pinzon has fought mainly in his native Columbia against limited opposition and was beaten by a close decision when he stepped up in class last October against Euri Gonzales, 15-0, 10 KO’s. Pinzon is tough and hungry but he can be nailed with right hands quite easily. The stocky 5’7” slugger is a wide puncher without much ring savvy so he will most likely try to turn this match into a dogfight against the taller, straighter punching Rivera.

Can Cosme put himself back in yet another big fight with a win over Pinzon? Will Pinzon overwhelm the old vet with his aggression? EinsteinPicks's Brad Marchetti has connections in the boxing world. Ride the EinsteinPicks boxing money train that pays out in cold hard cash. Marchetti has a huge GUARANTEED winning play on this exciting telemundo welterweight fight between Cosme Rivera vs Raul Pinzon.

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