In what was billed as a “2015 Fight of the Year” contender, boxing fans got everything they wanted. They got boxing, fighting, brawling, and everything in-between.
Junior welterweights Lucas Matthysse (36-3, 34 KOs) and Ruslan Provodnikov (24-3, 17 KOs) put on a show for the sell-out crowd at the Turning Stone Resort in Verona, NY, and both men paid a price.
Provodnikov was cut just under his left eye early in the second round, and the wound seemed to give him trouble the entire fight. However, even after taking a beating for much of the fight; Provodnikov seemed to begin to turn the tide after a dominate sixth round from Matthysse. Even after stunning Matthysse multiple times late in the fight, Provodnikov wasn’t able to capitalize and lost in a 2-1 decision.
Matthysse was far-and-away the better boxer in the match. His footwork, swift, sharp jabs, and stinging uppercuts gave Provodnikov fits, and combined with his inability to get himself out of trouble; ultimately cost him the fight.
Fight of the Year? We will see but it definetly lived up to the hype and WILL be a strong contender. Check out the highlights below: