This one, if it comes off, will be bloody and brutal and the winner may turn on who has already absorbed too much punishment?
?If Team Rios wants to do it, yes. If not, we have other options in Russia?We might have even more money for Rios versus Ruslan in Russia!??Manager Vadim Kornilov
?I think Ruslan can knock Rios out the way Rios knocked out Alvarado.??Kornilov
?Although there would be no title at stake for Brandon Rios and Ruslan Provodnikov fight, the real fans recognize it as a big fight. Why? Because we would finally get our monies worth instead of being blinded by a light while unscrupulous promoters and managers plunder our pockets for every penny they can pinch.??Robbie Bannatyne
Soft whispers and questionable rumors are beginning to gain traction about the possibility of these two all-action warriors meeting in the ring (though the name of Timothy Bradley loomed large as a Rios opponent until recently). If it turns out to be Rios vs. Provodnikov, we might have another Matthysse-Provodnikov or Rios-Alvarado (pick one) on our hands. Said another way, the possibility for a Fight of the Year becomes distinct.
Provodnikov (24-4) has lost three of his last five and has taken some harsh punishment. Brandon Rios (33-2-1) is coming off a brutal stoppage of whipping boy Mike Alvarado on January 24, 2015, ending their trilogy on a high note and may have gotten back his groove.
Style-wise, both men?like Gatti and Ward?personify the savagery of boxing and both hold minimal regard for defense. Neither man is inclined to surrender an inch increasing the likelihood that such a match would produce uncommon fireworks and finally test Ruslan?s ability to stay vertical, especially after eating a large supply of Rios? patented and jolting uppercuts. On the other hand, the Russian?s late round surge of violence would test Brandon?s stamina.
Some fights are mismatches; some are fan-friendly. This one, if it comes off, is guaranteed to be bloody and brutal and the winner may turn on who has already absorbed too much ring punishment.
