I have a habit, when a big puncher hasn't won a fight by knockout in a while, of predicting that his next fight will end in a KO for that fighter. Usually, I'm wrong. But this time, I think I'm on to something.

Winky Wright is not a big puncher. And he hasn't won a fight by knockout in a while. That's why when he faces Sam Soliman at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Connecticut on Saturday night, I'm predicting a TKO victory for the Winkster. Why? Hear me out.

Wright, 49-3 (25), is in top form. He scored a shutout in his last fight against Felix Trindidad, one of the most dangerous punchers in the game, and made it look easy. Before that, he decisioned Shane Mosley twice. Wright went from being a talented but obscure fighter that travelled the world looking for fights because nobody wanted to fight him, to being the pound-for-pound junior middleweight champ, sudden millionaire, that ...

Nobody wants to fight. That's the one thing that hasn't changed. Wright looked so good sending Trinidad back into retirement, that even as a champion with all the titles, Wright still can't land a big name fight. Mayweather, De La Hoya, Vargas. Once again, the dangers of fighting a skilled fighter without a big name and having him make you look bad far outweighed the rewards. Oscar De La Hoya new that years ago. Trinidad wants no part of a rematch. Wright's got the right stuff, and here's why he'll stop Soliman.

It's probably safe to say that Wright wasn't looking for Soliman in the daytime with a flashlight. Soliman is who Wright had to resort to fighting when all the others priced themselves out one way or another. And after the masterful performance against Trinidad, Wright has the right to fight Yosemite Sam for all I'm concerned. Soliman, 31-7 (12), is absolutely no threat to Wright whatsoever, and another victory via lopsided decisions isn't going to win Wright any more big paydays. But a knockout victory for Wright will turn some heads, presenting a new dynamic that many haven't seen. Who's to say that Wright wouldn't have stopped Trinidad had their fight been a fifteen rounder?

Okay, so maybe I'm stretching it a little, but wouldn't it be ironic if a fighter like Wright scored an emphatic KO victory in a year where most of the so-called big punchers have been firing blanks? Wright-Soliman is not exactly a scintillating matchup, but with the exception of the Corrales-Castillo fights, most of the big pay-per-views, including last Saturday's Hopkins-Taylor II, dubbed "No Respect", have not lived up to their potential.

So that's why I'm picking Wright by stoppage. It's the least I could do for a guy who doesn't get enough respect.

Prediction: Wright KO 10