In a sport famous for routinely snubbing its patrons with carrot-dangling gimmicks, it?s refreshing to see an alluring fight come together with few roadblocks. On Saturday night, Ruslan Provodnikov and Lucas Matthysse face off at Turning Stone Resort and Casino in a junior welterweight bout that should serve as reminder of the kind of spectacle boxing can still put on.
Brutish, heavy-handed bullies with a propensity to move forward, Provodinkov (Beryozovo, Russia) and Matthysse (Buenos Aires, Argentina) are old-fashioned sluggers who would fit right in with the kind of prizefighting culture?now long gone?that once saw its fighters enter the ring ten times a year. If the buildup to the fight has seemed nothing less than cordial between the fighters, it certainly isn?t out of false modesty. Both understand that they?re rare breeds, and that their particular styles, when meshed together, might leave a boxing legacy behind. Both men hit hard, true, but it?s less the punching power than the sort of quality that you can?t see?the dangerous, naked resolve reserved for untamed spirits?that has both fighters quietly admiring the other?s accomplishments. As Provodnikov succinctly explained, it?s ?Character, as well as the will to win [that is] going to be the difference in this fight.?
Provodnikov, AKA ?The Siberian Rocky,? has two wins in his last four outings. He eviscerated Mike Alvarado in 10 rounds to win the WBO junior welterweight title but gave it up several months later to Chris Algieri, in a match many believed Provodnikov won. Nevertheless, Algieri made it clear?if not already made apparent by Timothy Bradley and Mauricio Herrera before him?that Provodnikov could be kept at bay with a jab and constant lateral movement. Still, this shouldn?t obscure the fact that Provodnikov, 24-3 (17), has often looked less disfigured than his opponent, even in defeat. Provodnikov knows his limitations and has been frank about them: ?I have to admit, runners are not my style?I like guys who are in front of me and fighting me.?
After charitably dispensing of Jose Luis Castillo in five rounds of a Kremlin cirque du soleil production last November, Provodnikov now knows that the clock is ticking and that he will need to turn out real wins against marquee names to keep his afloat in the junior welterweight division. After losing a decision to Danny Garcia, ?La Maquina,? 36-3 (34), rebounded with a TKO victory over recent PBC dud John Molina Jr., but not before tasting the canvas twice. Many are pointing to Matthysse?s superior boxing skills?his ability to slip and slide and use the jab?to eke out a victory, but don?t count on Matthysse to put on what he?s been referring to in his interviews as an ?intelligent? fight plan.
If his last fifteen fights have been any indication, ?intelligence??or anything like it? won?t be the prevailing theme. A respected body-puncher, Matthysse won?t find it as easy to hit the core of a shorter fighter who prefers to hunch forward. And because Provodnikov prefers to plod behind looping hooks and haymakers, Matthysse would be wise to pop him with jabs and, if the timing?s right, to catch him coming in with a short hook of his own. It?ll be interesting to see how Provodnikov, who has not faced a fighter with knockout power in both hands, receives one of the Argentinian?s thudding blows.
On Saturday night, Provodnikov and Matthysse will duke it out in an arena where there are no bad seats and where $75 will get you a spot close to the ropes. Styles make fights, so the clich? goes, but only one kind guarantees you a barnburner.
