Marquez Vs. Alvarado on May 17th

The fight will take place at Inglewood, California on May 17th and it will be televised live on HBO. The winner of this elimination bout will be the mandatory challenger for the winner of Pacquiao Vs. Bradley. This means there is a hope of Paquiao Vs. Marquez 5 if both of them come out victorious from their fights….. Unless there is a spoiler.

I have a strong feeling that Pacquaio will come out as the winner in his upcoming fight by an impressive performance. Lets face it: Pacquiao will go for the kill against Bradley because he needs to avenge his “loss” and he will not hesitate because of Bradley’s feather dusting punching power. Bradley will not be able to outbox Pacquiao like he did with Marquez. Pacquiao is not a “wait and counter punch” fighter like Marquez. He will move in with a strong offense and that will push Bradley to fight or run. Either way he will get caught by a fighter much faster and powerful than fighters like Kendal Holt and Prodnikov who have made Bradley taste the floor.

Juan Manuel Marquez faces Mike Alvarado on May 17th at Inglewood forum

Juan Manuel Marquez (55-7-1, 40 KO’s) will be fighting former WBO light welterweight champion Mike Alvarado (34-2, 23 KO’s) on May 17th at the Forum, in Inglewood, California, USA. The winner of the fight will be facing the winner of the April 12th fight between Manny Pacquiao vs. WBO welterweight champion Tim Bradley.

Marquez, 41, wants a chance to win a 5th division world title; whereas Alvarado is just looking to get his career back in order after getting stopped in the 10th round last October by the tough as nails Ruslan Provodnikov.

It’s unknown why Marquez feels that he needs to win another world title in order to somehow validate his career, as he’s already shown he’s a Hall of Fame type of fighter. Winning another world title is pretty much a meaningless thing at this point, especially if it comes against Pacquiao, who he already beat in his last fight. You have to wonder whether Marquez will feel he needs to win a 6th world title if he accomplishes his goal of winning a 5th. It goes on and on, and it’s not really worth it.

Marquez not interested in Provodnikov or Alvarado; wants Bradley only

If Bob Arum of Top Rank is interested in having Juan Manuel Marquez (55-7-1, 40 KO’s) fight one of his stable fighters Mike Alvarado or Ruslan Provodnikov next then he’s going to need to really work hard to try and sell those fights to Marquez because he has no interest in fighting either of those guys. Marquez only wants a rematch against WBO welterweight champion Tim Bradley, who beat him by a 12 round split decision last October in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Marquez is clearly bothered by the loss to Bradley, because he feels he should have got the decision. But Marquez also believes that he can do a better job in a rematch if he works on his power.

Ruslan Provodnikov: “I don’t think we need a rematch with Mike Alvarado”

ruslan title Moments after his title winning effort against former champ Mike Alvarado, newly crowned WBO Junior Welterweight Champion Ruslan Provodnikov spoke candidly about a possible rematch with the Denver, Colorado, resident.

Although Ruslan’s promoter and president of Banner Promotions, Artie Pellulo, stated that an opportunity for a rematch would be extended to Mike Alvarado out of courtesy and respect, the Siberian native doesn’t really feel that a return bout would be appropriate after the way the highly anticipated title fight played out.

Despite being a competitive and entertaining battle of attrition, Ruslan was winning the fight on every judge’s scorecard at the time of stoppage. The judges’ scorecards read 98-90, 97-90, and 96-92; all in favor of the new WBO Champion.

Left-Hook Lounge Mailbag: Provodnikov’s Stunning Performance, Ward’s Steroid Testing Position, & What’s Next for Provodnikov & Bradley!!!

provodnikov10 Andrei S. (Miami Lakes, FL): Provodnikov is a countryman of mine and I was very excited to see him get the victory over Alvarado. How did you rate his performance and what do you see happening next for him?

Vivek W. (ESB): Coming into the fight I had Provodnikov winning, and the failed weight attempt by Alvarado made me feel even more comfortable with that choice. It should be duly noted that Alvarado is an absolute warrior and a couple losses will not define his legacy. That being said, Provodnikov was viewed by most coming in as the hungrier fighter, and it was clear that he would not be denied. A week ago I pointed out a very similar subplot that existed in the Bradley/Marquez showdown. In that fight, we had Bradley coming in with something to prove, following a victory where most felt he could have lost and didn’t perform well. To his opposite, we had Marquez, riding the high of a stunning KO victory. In this fight we had Provodnikov coming off a loss with something to prove, and Alvarado, who was also riding the wave of a great victory.

Mike Alvarado Bows Down to Ruslan Provodnikov

alvarado62 Saturday night Mike Alvarado felt good. Why shouldn’t he? He was in front of his hometown fans at 1st Bank Center in Broomfield, Denver, Colorado. He was feeling very confidant and ready to give the 29 yr old Ruslan Provodnikov a boxing lesson. He was eager to tee off on the head of this straight forward Russian from Beryozovo. He watched Timothy Bradley win a tough fight against Ruslan. He also knew “Desert Storm” came close to getting stopped. But, Mike wasn’t going to get sucked into a slugfest with Ruslan, but even if he did he still had the size and strength advantage, right?

HBO’s Jim Lampley, Max Kellerman and Roy Jones, Jr. weren’t so sure. They wondered which Mike was going to show up Saturday night? The one who got stopped in the first fight with Brandon Rios, or the Alvarado who showed up in the 2nd fight, the Alvarado who boxed beautifully to get a win over Rios. They collectively thought there was a real danger that once Mike got tagged, he would get pulled into the trenches and start trading with Ruslan.

Who next for sensational slugger Ruslan Provodnikov?

Alvarado_Provodnikov_131019_001a-2-480x308 The look on Russian warrior Ruslan Provodnikov’s face said it all. Moments after he’d taken all the fight out of the tough and gutsy Mike Alvarado, Provodnikov, blood trickling down his swollen face, let loose with his emotions. Proud to be a world champion, stating afterwards what it means to him to be “a world champion like Leonard and Duran,” Provodnikov saw all his years of toil come to the good.

Last night’s terrific fight was advertised as just that and Provodnikov (and Alvardo) delivered as he usually does. Now 23-2(16), the 29-year-old who came short in that January classic with Tim Bradley can now look ahead to some well deserved big fights and big pay days.

What Did Ruslan Provodnikov’s Victory Really Tell Us?

Alvarado_Provodnikov_131019_002a-2-480x335 Ruslan Provodnikov scored a spectacular late round stoppage against Mike Alvarado tonight. It was something else. Provodnikov really looked up to the task. He was just brutal and relentless, and like a hungry shark hunting beneath shadowy waters, Provodnikov always seemed carried by forward momentum. A savage and consistent barrage of sharp hooks, crisp rights, and wicked body shots ultimately led to Alvarado’s demise. Provodnikov’s offense was running on all cylinders, and the surprisingly vicious outcome here helps to provide boxing fans with some new perspective for a couple of things.

For starters, Timothy Bradley is looking pretty good right about now. When Bradley struggled against Provodnikov in what some considered a disputed win, people were highly critical of him especially since this followed his extremely controversial Pacquiao victory. Now within the span of a week, not only has Bradley soundly beaten the still formidable future Hall of Famer, Juan Manuel Marquez, but Provodnikov also stepped up and again made people take notice with his destruction of Alvarado. With the advantage of hindsight it now becomes clear that Provodnikov was a far greater opponent (and win) for Bradley than people then realized.

In a classic bout that lived up to it’s billing, Ruslan Provodnikov won the WBO Jr. Welterweight championship when Mike Alvarado did not continue after round ten of a scheduled twelve round bout at the before 7.012 fans at a soldout 1stBank Arena.

The fight was promoted by Top Rank and Banner Promotions.

The two slugged it out from the opening bell with Provodnikov rocking Alvarado in round one. The two fought at a fast pace and traded vicious shots which thrilled the crowd for every second of the fight.

Alvarado tried to box and move to offset the relentless pressure of Provodnikov. In round seven, Provodnikov started to bleed from the nose and later suffered a cut over his right eye. In round eight the fight turned in favor of Provodnikov when he sent Alvarado to canvas on two occasions.

Provodnikov stops Alvarado in 10th

Alvarado_Provodnikov_131019_004a-2-480x312 Ruslan Provodnikov (23-2, 16 KO’s) ended the brief reign of WBO light welterweight champion Mike Alvarado (34-2, 23 KO’s) by defeating him by 10th round stoppage tonight in a two knockdown victory at the 1STBANK Center, Broomfield, in Denver, Colorado, USA. In the 10th round, Provodnikov staggered a tired and badly beaten Alvarado, pummeling him with powerful shots for the last minute of the round.

Alvarado was ready to go in the last 20 seconds of the round while trapped against the ropes badly hurt. Somehow Alvarado made it out of the round, but there was no way that he was going to be able to make it through the 11th. After the round, Alvarado’s corner wisely halted the fight rather than letting him come out for the 11th and get finished off by Provodnikov.