Tonight from a sold out 1st Bank Center in Denver, Colorado, WBO Junior Welterweight Champion Mike Alvarado (34-1, 23 KOs) will defend his title against one of the hardest pound for pound punchers in boxing, Ruslan Provodnikov (22-2, 15 KOs) of Beyrozovo, Russia.
This superb match-up will be televised on HBO World Championship Boxing, with a start time of 9:45 PM EST/PST. (Main pic courtesy of HBO)
To get every fight fan prepared for what most are anticipating to be a Fight of the Year candidate, James Gogue sizes up both fighters and maps out strategies for Mike Alvarado and Ruslan Provodnikov.
“Great styles make great fights, and Mike Alvarado versus Ruslan Provodnikov is going to be a great, great fight for the fans in attendance, as well as the millions watching across the globe,” proclaims the three decade fight trainer.
Boxing genius and fight trainer James Gogue.
“This bout is sure to enhance what has already been described by many as one of the best years the sport has seen in decades.” “Both fighters have had to prove their physical and mental durability to receive this opportunity on the biggest stage of boxing, and both men will do anything to keep from getting thrust back into the pecking order of the packed Junior Welterweight division.”
“So expect a war of epic proportions on Saturday night as Mike Alvarado and Ruslan Provodnikov fight for a portion of the Junior Welterweight crown, and more importantly, additional opportunities to showcase their skills on HBO.”
Although many are characterizing this pairing as a “coin flip” type of contest, James Gogue believes that Mike Alvarado should have the slight edge leading into Saturday night.
A mile high difference? “It’s going to be interesting to see how Ruslan Provodnikov’s stamina holds up while fighting 5,000 feet above sea level,” states the experienced boxing mentor. “He trains at the Wild Card gym in Hollywood with trainer Freddie Roach, which is only 340 feet in elevation.
Usually when a fighter knows he’s going to compete at high altitude, he’ll customarily train somewhere like Big Bear Lake or at the city in which he’s scheduled to compete.”
Denver is nicknamed the Mile-High City because its official elevation is exactly one mile or 5,280 feet (1,609.3 m) above sea level, making it one of the highest major cities in the United States.
“Alvarado usually trains in his hometown, so he’s already conditioned to fight in that environment. Even if Ruslan went to Denver two weeks before his fight date, I don’t know if that’s enough time to get acclimated with the thin air of the Mile High City.”
“So just by looking at that factor, coupled with the fact that Alvarado is the defending champion and will be fighting in front of an electric, pro-Mike Alvarado crowd, you have to give the current title holder the edge going into Saturday night’s contest.”
Mike Alvarado While most anticipate both fighters to predominately slug it out during tonight’s bout, Gogue warns every fight fan not to be surprised if the incumbent champ elects to box the hard punching challenger throughout the majority of the scheduled twelve round fight.
“Alvarado would be a fool to sit in the pocket and exchange with Provodnikov, because he would be giving his opponent the best chance to win the fight. Don’t be shocked if the champ decides to try and box the Russian born fighter from the outside for the great majority of this bout.”
“If Ruslan is successful in cutting off the ring and closing the distance, Alvarado shouldn’t try to fight in a phone booth like he did throughout the first Rios bout. If he does, Mike will more than likely get knocked out for a second time, because Provodnikov hits much harder than Brandon Rios.” Courtesy of Top Rank
“What Alvarado has to do whenever Ruslan is able to get inside is to try and tie him up until the referee steps in and creates distance between them. Once the third man in charge separates the two fighters, Alvarado needs to start working the jab while moving away from Ruslan’s power hand.”
Throw sharp, fast combinations then step to the side and out of harm’s way, while consistently turning the hard punching Russian fighter.”
“Mike Alvarado’s keys to victory are footwork, plenty of jabs, and lots of discipline. He has to stay focused throughout the entire bout, fight Ruslan at angles, and not allow the hometown fans to influence him into slugging it out with Provodnikov. It’s going to be very hard for a fighter like Mike to stick to the game plan because he possesses the heart of a fighter. He’s a warrior and loves to tangle. But when he does, Mike takes way too much punishment in the ring.” Courtesy of Carlos Sacriste
“He can’t afford to make that mistake against a real home run hitter like Ruslan, or he’ll get knocked out in his front of his friends, family, and die hard supporters.
If Mike Alvarado can stick to the game plan of boxing him effectively from the outside, he will undoubtedly retain his WBO Junior Welterweight title and further his career in the packed 140 pound weight division.”
Ruslan Provodnikov Despite seeing a clear advantage for the defending title holder, Gogue does indeed perceive a winning strategy for the hard punching challenger.
“Ruslan is one of the hardest pound for pound punchers in the entire sport,” claims the expert boxing coach. “I love this guy! While it seemed that he was confined to fighting on ESPN’s Friday Night Fights, I was telling everyone that Ruslan was an HBO worthy fighter. All he needed was an opportunity and he received it against Tim Bradley earlier this year.”
“Although he turned a lot of heads with his gritty performance against the current WBO Welterweight champ, he did lose the fight. If Provodnikov wants to continue fighting on HBO, the biggest stage of boxing, he has to win. He doesn’t want to be considered a mere opponent for the best fighters in boxing, so he absolutely needs to pull off the upset to stay under the bright lights of the big stage.”
“To defeat a fighter like Mike Alvarado, Ruslan needs to make the champ fight his fight. He must cut off the ring effectively and shorten the distance between the two.”
If Alvarado starts to pump the jab while using lateral movement, Provodnikov must time and counter with the overhand right, while immediately following up with the left hook to the body. He has to take away Alvarado’s jab and force him into a dog fight.”
“During the middle rounds of his fight with Tim Bradley, Ruslan had many lapses in activity, where he wouldn’t cut off the ring effectively and seemed to merely follow his opponent around while eating a lot of leather. If he wants to beat an underrated boxer/puncher like Mike Alvarado, it’s imperative that he cut off the ring proficiently and let his hands go when in range. If you merely follow around a guy like Mile High Mike, you’ll get knocked out in the mid to late rounds.”
Courtesy of Carlos Sacriste
“Provodnikov has to maintain that seek and destroy attitude throughout the entire fight and go for the knock-out. If Ruslan is able to move his head and work his way inside of Alvarado’s jab, he must let his hands go and throw short, compact hooks and uppercuts to the body and head.
If he’s able to land something hard against the incumbent title holder’s chin, he might be able to bait Mike into a brawl. If Ruslan is successful in making Alvarado participate in a slugfest, he will more than likely put the Colorado native to sleep…no doubt about it.”
Alvarado vs Provodnikov Prediction Despite identifying a clear game plan for both competing fighters, the expert trainer predicts a decisive victory for one of the combatants on Saturday night.
“This is going to be a great fight,” insists James Gogue. “Although I can see Mike Alvarado starting the fight at a distance, I don’t see him staying there after the first few rounds. I truly believe the crowd is going to heavily influence the action in this fight. So I think this contest will be decided by the intangibles of both fighters, like heart, determination, and intestinal fortitude.”
“Both fighters have the mental and physical toughness to walk through fire, so expect the two warriors to push each other to the brink in this fight. Although Mike is the better boxer of the two and has more experience fighting at this level, I predict that we will see a new champion crowned at the 1st Bank Center in Denver, Colorado.”
“Look for Ruslan Provodnikov to stop Mike Alvarado in the mid to late rounds of an instant classic!!”
