Even though Manny Pacquiao’s next fight is set for April 12th at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, he has yet to have an opponent set in stone. However, one of the names that continue to be thrown out there is WBO junior welterweight champion Ruslan Provodnikov.
Provodnikov has quickly become one of the biggest names in boxing due to his aggressive style and knockout power. He is a very entertaining fighter and he is a dangerous fighter. And to make matters worse, he is also trained by Freddie Roach who has been the long-time trainer of Manny Pacquiao.
Even though Pacquiao and Provodnikov are said to be good friends who have spared against one another on multiple occasions in the past, Provodnikov would have no problem with knocking Pacman out if the fight were to happen.
“First, there is nothing wrong with this [fight], it’s business. Boxing history has shown us many examples where best friends go out and fight with each other. Although we can’t really call ourselves [best friends] with Manny – we were friends, we knew each other and we were always talking when we met. In that fight [with Brandon Rios], Manny showed that I have a good chance [to win],” Provodnikov said to Russia Beyond The News.
Ruslan Provodnikov is exactly the type of fighter that Pacquiao needs to avoid at this point in his career. Think about it: If Pacquiao was knocked out cold by Juan Manuel Marquez in their fourth fight, what do you think Provodnikov will do to him?
Marquez is not known as a power puncher and he sure as heck is not known as an aggressive fighter. Not only does Provodnikov punch a heck of a lot harder than Marquez, he will continue to put pressure on Pacquiao. If a fight between the two were to happen, we would expect to see Pacman backing up for the entire fight.
That’s why this fight does not make sense for Pacquiao. Pacman is accustomed to being the hunter, not the hunted. Unfortunately, if he tried to be aggressive against a much bigger and stronger Provodnikov, he would likely get knocked out cold once again.
Of course Pacquiao would benefit from the fact that Freddie Roach has already said he would work Pacquiao’s corner instead of Provodnikov, but make no mistake about it – this is not a fight Roach wants to see.
“I hope that fight doesn’t happen because I don’t want to lose either one of them because they’re both good friends and hard workers in my stable,” said the 53-year-old trainer. “Sometimes these things happen, it’s part of sports.”
A Manny Pacquiao vs. Ruslan Provodnikov bout would be a very bad idea for Pacman.
