Junior welterweight Ruslan Provodnikov, 31, is at the top of his game right now.
The hard-hitting Russian fighter is always exciting to watch because of his propensity for violence. He will take three shots to land a big one himself. However, his style is far from reckless. Provodnikov throws heavy punches in great combinations which weakens his opponents and forces them right into his trap.
His bout vs Lucas Matthysse on Saturday, April 12th is almost guaranteed to produce a Fight of the Year candidate, of which Provodnikov is no stranger. If you recall, his fight with Timothy Bradley was voted 2012 Ring Magazine Fight of the Year and here’s a replay of the fight in it’s entirety as refresher…although the last rounds were the best of the fight.
BSO sat down with Provodnikov to talk about his preparation for his upcoming fight:
BSO: First off, how are you feeling sir?
Provodnikov: “Very good how are you?”
BSO: Wonderful, thanks. Ruslan, you have a huge fight coming up on the 18th. What does this high profile bout with Lucas Matthysse mean for the direction of your career personally?
Provodnikov: “For me, it’s just about moving forward in my career and with this type of fight, there are many different and great possibilities. I know it’s a huge step in my career. It can open big doors.”
BSO: Do you feel any added pressure, with the winner of this fight probably going on to a world title shot?
Provodnikov: “No added pressure, I’m just doing what I have to do; taking care of my business in training camp. I’m not worried about anything but winning. I’m just doing my camp requirements, doing what my trainers are telling me. For me that’s very important. That makes me feel very good. I’m positive in camp, I’m motivated so I will feel good in the fight. Doing everything my trainers tell me and following directions.”
BSO: Absolutely, is there anything you wanted to specifically focus on in training camp leading up to this fight?
Provodnikov: “My main focus was to do exactly what my trainers tell me and rely on my team to prepare me the best way possible. For me, that’s the most important thing; to focus and do what they tell me. I trust my team and my trainers.”
BSO: Speaking of trainers, you have quite a relationship with one of the more well-known trainers in the sport, Mr. Freddie Roach. Have you had the opportunity to get any work in with him, being that obviously, he’s dealing with Manny Pacquiao and his huge May 1st bout with Floyd Mayweather.
Provodnikov: “Freddie is with me everyday, he’s in my corner everyday. Manny and I work together quite often as well, Freddie has time reserved in the gym for us to work together. There’s absolutely no negative vibes around the camp, we all work together. I’m getting what I need from Freddie and the rest of my team.”
BSO: That’s quite an advantage. What else do you feel gives you the edge to beat Lucas Matthysse on the 18th?
Provodnikov: “Every fighter has their own advantages/ disadvantages, and positives & negatives. It’s hard to say, it’s hard to narrow it down. Every fighter tries to implement his own advantages, it all depends on how the fight is gonna go, and how our styles are gonna clash. So the only way to answer that question is we’ll see on April 18th.”
BSO: Your fight in Brooklyn, against Chris Algieri, you dominated the entire fight; and personally I feel that if you would’ve been able to put him down, you would’ve been awarded that victory. Do you feel you’ll need a K O on the 18th to get the victory? Or Do you think you’ll need to use points to outscore Matthysse?
Provodnikov: “I’m not worried about that. I know I have to do my job and that’s what’s important to me. Always, I try to finish the fight as quick as I can. That’s one of my strengths, that’s the way I fight. To use my power to finish the fight because, of course, the sooner the better. As far as the loss, it was the judge’s call. You know, I let the judges decide and then be responsible for that decision. Ultimately, they make the decisions, not me.”
BSO: And, my final question will be regarding your personal preference. Being that you do hail from Russia, do you prefer to fight here in America or abroad?
Provodnikov: “Definitely there’s positives and negatives here and there. There’s positives to fighting in Russia, but I like fighting here, its a different level. It’s bigger here than anywhere else in the world. Fighting on HBO and the type of match and all of that. I really appreciate that I get a lot of support here, as well as in Russia. So, there’s both advantages and disadvantages.”
Junior welterweights Matthysse and Provodnikov meet Saturday night at Turning Stone Resort and Casino in Verona, New York. The bout will be telecast as the second part of a split-site doubleheader on HBO Boxing After Dark which begins at 9:45 p.m. ET with a match between fellow 140-pounders Terence Crawford and Thomas Dulorme live from Arlington, Texas.