Tonight, the ‘Siberian Rocky’ Ruslan Provodnikov (23-2, 17 KOs) returns to the ring to take on undefeated Chris Algieri (19-0, 8 KOs) at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY.
Provodnikov will be making his first defense of his WBO junior welterweight title that he won in October when he defeated Mike Alvarado.
The 30 year old Russian shot onto the scene after his classic fight in March of 2013 with the then WBO welterweight champion Timothy Bradley in what turned out to be 2013 Fight of the Year. His come forward, relentless style and knockout power makes him one of the most fan-friendly fighters in boxing.
His opponent, Chris Algieri, also 30, Is from Huntington New York. In his last fight in February, Algieri won a ten round unanimous decision over Emmanuel Taylor. Despite his undefeated record and a near five inch reach advantage (72in to 67.5in) over Provodnikov, he is a huge underdog because he has yet to prove himself against an elite-level opponent.
Should Provodnikov be victorious over Algieri, he may move back up to welterweight to seek a rematch with Bradley or face Manny Pacquiao in a high-profile superfight in November.
The co-main event will feature undefeated WBO junior middleweight champion Demetrius “Boo Boo” Andrade (20-0, 13 KOs) who will make his first title defense against No. 1 contender and mandatory challenger Brian “The Lion” Rose (25-1-1, 7 KOs). Andrade is the first member of the 2008 Olympic boxing team to win a major title.
The fights will be televised on HBO Boxing After Dark beginning at 10 PM EST.
Tonight’s bouts in order of broadcast:
(Replay) Sergio Martinez vs Miguel Cotto 12 rounds, for Martinez’s RING Magazine and WBC middleweight titles
Demetrius Andrade vs. Brian Rose 12 rounds, for Andrade’s WBO junior middleweight title
Ruslan Provodnikov vs. Chris Algieri 12 rounds for Provodnikov’s WBO junior welterweight title
