Mike Alvarado loves to fight. If the WBO junior welterweight champion isn?t careful, though, his preference for fan-friendly slugfests could cost him against Russia?s Ruslan Provodnikov on Saturday night. Provodnikov lured Timothy Bradley, a much better boxer than him, into the type of brawl that clearly favored Provodnikov on March 16 in Carson, Calif. Bradley somehow survived severe trouble in five separate rounds that night to win a unanimous decision in what emerged as a candidate for “Fight of the Year.” Losing to Bradley (31-0, 12 KOs, 1 NC) won?t stop Provodnikov (22-2, 15 KOs) from employing the same strategy against Alvarado in their HBO main event from Broomfield, Colo., near Denver. Even Alvarado acknowledged that the temptation to appease Provodnikov and produce another memorable battle might be too tough to resist. It won?t help that Denver?s Alvarado (34-1, 23 KOs) will feel additional pressure to provide entertainment in the biggest hometown fight of his career. “I have a good game plan,” Alvarado said on a conference call Monday. “I know I?m going to box the way I need to box to win this fight. But you never know. [It could] turn into a crazy war.” Alvarado, 33, suggested the Provodnikov clash could match his first fight against Brandon Rios, an epic encounter a year ago in Carson. That?d be beneficial for an expected sellout crowd at 1stBank Center and those viewing on television, but not Alvarado, whom Rios stopped in the seventh round of their first fight. Alvarado proved during his rematch against Rios that he is capable of boxing better than most thought, particularly when faced with an opponent that constantly puts pressure on him. When Provodnikov pressures him, it?d be better for Alvarado if he used his brain and his legs more than his heart and his chin. He?s more likely to successfully defend his title and move on to bigger fights and larger paydays that way. Fights against Filipino superstar Manny Pacquiao and/or Rios (31-1-1, 23 KOs), who?ll meet Nov. 23 in Macau, China, and maybe Bradley await Alvarado if he defeats a very hungry challenger who expects Alvarado to succumb to a slugger?s urges. “I think this is going to turn into a fight,” Provodnikov said. “If I made Timothy Bradley fight me, then I don?t see anyone else trying to run away and box with me.” –
