Ruslan Provodnikov is a Hard Hitting Winner, Mike Alvarado Quits on his Stool
By Robert Brizel, Head RCM Boxing Correspondent
Denver, CO (October 20th, 2013)–With one exception, Ruslan Provodnikov, now 23-2, 26 knockouts, Beryozovo, Russia, has fought his last 14 bouts at light welterweight. The statistic is a critical fact, as Provodnikov fought his first world title bout against Timothy Bradley at 146 pounds, way over his usual fight weight. Ruslan Provodnikov is a hard hitter to say the least. He had Timothy Bradley on one knee as the bell ended their title bout, raising questions. However, Provodnikov could not sustain his attacks at the higher weight, taking one round on and one round off at welterweight. At light welterweight, the way he dispatched Mike Alvarado to win the World Boxing Organization World Light Welterweight title, no problem there.
Provodnikov had a template to beat Alvarado, who was stopped by Brandon Rios in the eleventh round a year in a WBO eliminator, but who came back to decision Rios in 12 rounds in a rematch for the interim WBO world title last March. Points wise, Alvarado is a superior technical fighter, and wins rounds and decisions in bouts which go to the cards.
Against a hard hitter like Provodnikov, a tremendous heart is necessary for a fighter to reach the final bell. Alvarado weighed in at 141 pounds, and returned two hours later at 139.8 pounds. That mistake cost him valuable stamina to lose the weight and remain in contention for the world title. At that point, Provodnikov should no longer have been considered an underdog as he had the edge in peak conditioning and at light welterweight.
Alvarado was down twice in the eighth round and took quite a pasting. From then on, Provodnikov game Alvarado a brutal beating and bruising along the ropes, though Alvarado apparently still had good legs and kept moving. It was a huge disappointment to see Alvarado quit on his stool two rounds from the end, however. If you want the glory in boxing, you have to display the guts which are required to go with it. When Joe Frazier did not come out for the 15th round in ‘The Thrilla in Manilla’, his productive career as a boxer was essentially over. Alvarado’s chances of coming back after a loss of this type, despite his three million dollar payday, are questionable.
Nobody likes a quitter. Everyone likes a winner. Provodnikov could get the winner of Manny Pacquiao versus Brandon Rios. Since Provodnikov’s trainer, Freddie Roach, also trains Pacquiao, it remains to be seen which way Roach would swing if Provodnikov versus Pacquiao came to fruition. If not, Provodnikov could face: the winner of Zab Judah versus Paul Malignaggi; either of former WBC Lightweight champions Antonio DeMarco and Humberto Soto (both now campaigning at light welterweight); the mysterious 45-0 Argentinian southpaw Cesar Rene Huenca (who holds the WBO Latino belt); a rematch with Mauricio Herrera; or Adrien Broner, Juan Manuel Marquez, Lamont Peterson, Lucas Martin Matthysse, Kendal Holt, Amir Khan and others at either 140 or 147 pounds.
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