Ruslan Provodkinov vs.Christopher Algieri at the Barclay Center in Brooklyn, NY
By James Lopez, RCM Boxing Correspondent
Brooklyn, NY (June 12, 2014)– Ruslan Provodkinov (23-2, 16 KO’s) one of boxing’s hottest commodities has been involved in some of the most memorable bouts in recent years. His last two bouts involved the 2013 fight of the year with Timothy Bradley and a 10 round war with Mike Alvarado. Growing up in an impoverished lifestyle from a lone small village in Siberia, Provodkinov has become a fan favorite amongst the boxing community due to his power punching aggressive style. His opponent will be against unbeaten prospect Chris Algieri (19-0, 8 KO’s).At first glance this seems like a mismatch but any boxing expert will tell you Algieri has a legitimate shot on pulling off the biggest upset of the year thus far. Algieri has already achieved a master’s degree in clinical nutrition and world title belt in kickboxing. On June 14, 2014 he will have his biggest task of his life thus far in facing the dangerous “Siberian Rocky”at the Barclay Center in Brooklyn New York.
Here is the Breakdown of Ruslan Provodkinov and Chris Algieri
Height and Reach
Chris Algieri at 5 ft 11 in. with a reach of 72 in. clearly has the size advantage against Ruslan Provodkinov who stands at 5ft 6 in. with a 66 in. reach.Algieri always fights tall and is more of a volume puncher than Provodkinov despite constantly fighting off his back foot. Look for Algieri to continuously pump the jab to maintain his distance and set up his combinations. This will be the game plan against the always pressure fighter Provodkinov who has shown the ability to cut off the ring very well. Now even though Algieri likes to move around the ring he will not always be at a safe distance for the entire night. Expect Provodkinov to have Algieri against the ropes and let his combinations off. Algieri will try to clinch and smother Provodkinov’s punches then reset and start moving around the ring again.
Combinations to look for
When Algieri’s opponents cut the ring off he likes to maintain a high guard. He has shown to be vulnerable against body shots and hooks around his guard. Unfortunately these are the same punches Provodkinov likes to throw. Provodkinov throws many short hooks from either hand and doesn’t really straighten his punches. Look for these hooks to land when Provodkinov cuts off the ring. Also Algieri likes to throw many jabs per round, expect Provodkinov to try and counter a lazy jab with the overhand right as he did against Mauricio Herrera.
Now Provodkinov has shown he is not the hardest target to hit. Look for Algierito land uppercuts followed by straight rights. He also tends to throw the left hook to the body and short hooks upstairs.Algieri’s high volume and versatile attack will allow him to win rounds as long as he doesn’t get hurt by Provodkinov’s power in the early rounds.
Power and Chin
Chris Algieri does not have enough power to hurt Provodkinov but just enough to keep him honest. If Provodkinov’s power proves too much for Algieri to get comfortable in the early rounds it will not be a good night for him. This will cause Algieri to become gun shy to avoid any exchanges with Provodkinov and ultimately make it impossible to win the fight. Expect Provodkinov to continue pressuring the entire night because his solid chin and heavy hands allow him to do so.
Conclusion
There is a reason why Ruslan Provodkinov is a heavy favorite to win the fight. His constant pressure and heavy hands are expected to give him the KO victory at the end of the night. Chris Algieri does have a chance at taking the WBO Welterweight title belt as long as he stays composed through Provodkinov’s firepower, keeps the fight on the outside, and outworks Provodkinov in spots.Now there are two possibilities that can happen at the end of the night. The fans are treated to another Provodkinov onslaught that results in a stoppage or a new champion emerges in the stacked light welterweight division.
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