Rock Allen (5-0, 5 KO's) is starting to be a bright shining star in the Welterweight Division. He's trained by his father, Naazim Richardson, and hails from Philadelphia. His dad is also a coach and trainer for former long-time Middleweight Champion Bernard Hopkins. Being a Philly fighter, he already has a reputation for being a tough-as-nails kind of boxer. Even though he has that kind of reputation, Rock possesses very good boxing skills. He is a slick fighter with fast hands and better than average power. I'd be willing to bet Rock couldn't get away from boxing even if he tried. Both of his brothers are boxers, Bear and Tiger, as well as his cousins Karl and Michael Dargan. It must be something in the water around where they live.

Rock is a three-time National Champion in the amateurs and also fought for the USA at the 2004 Olympics in Athens. Sad to say he lost and didn't receive a medal, but his style isn't made for Olympic boxing. The scoring system is not beneficial to body punchers or the pro style. Why body shots aren't scored, I have no idea -- you would think that they would score body shots because that's one of the most important aspects in fighting.

As a pro Rock has looked spectacular each time I've seen him fight. Although he hasn't been fighting world-class opposition, you can tell that Rock is a world-class fighter and will be fighting there in no time. He is relaxed in the ring like a seasoned veteran and has the aggression of a lion when he's on the attack. I like watching him because he does everything that his corner tells him to and works behind a solid jab. When you see him in the ring you can tell he is all business. There is no joking around and trying to be flashy, he just goes into the ring and gets to work.

Rock Allen is a fast starter, so while his opponents are trying to figure him out it's usually too late for them. Allen is in a good position of having Hopkins around for advice. I mean, who else better to learn from than Bernard Hopkins? There is a lot to be taught from Bernard and Allen has said that he has been 'all ears'. One thing that can be said for Hopkins is that he always comes prepared and Allen is looking to follow in those footsteps. Many fighters that have the same kind of skill as Allen tend to rely on the natural abilities and slack in the gym, not giving 100 percent.

Look for Rock to make a big splash in boxing in the next few years and stick around a while. I'm almost positive that he'll be a champion and as he is only 24 years old he has a fair amount of room to grow and move up in weight. His only disadvantage is his height, but with his skill I think he'll do just fine. Make sure that you keep your eyes and ears open for him because he will be someone you'll want to lay down some money on someday soon.

Grade: A