Undefeated #3 WBC heavyweight contender Deontay Wilder (29-0, 29 KO’s) will be looking for knockout #30 this Saturday night at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The 6’7” Deontay has started off his career with 29 straight knockouts since capturing a bronze medal in the 2008 Olympics for the United States.
The 6’7” Deontay was still pretty raw when he first turned pro in 2008, but he’s steadily improved to the point where he’s starting to look very polished. Deontay’s recent string of early knockouts over the likes of Siarhei Liakhovich, Audley Harrison and Kelvin Price shows the kind of improvement that Deontay has made in his game.
These same opponents would have likely extended Deontay a little if he had fought them in 2009 when he was still finding his way in the division. But Deontay has really made a ton of progress of late, and this Saturday boxing fans will get a chance to see if he’s ready to start taking on tougher challenges in the division.
With his methodical destruction of Mike Alvarado Saturday night and FOTY effort against Timothy Bradley earlier in 2013, Siberian native Ruslan Provodnikov has catapulted himself from ESPN house fighter to HBO house fighter. Both fights were all action affairs with Provodnikov taking as much as he was giving, in some instances taking two or more punches to land one big punch.
ORANGE, Calif. (Oct. 19, 2013) – Super bantamweight Enrique Quevedo cruised to a unanimous decision upset victory over San Diego-native Christopher Martin in the 8-round main event of Friday’s Thompson Boxing Promotions fight card at the Doubletree Hotel in Ontario, Calif.
There are, and probably always will be, rumours among boxing folk that say Mike Tyson wanted no part of George Foreman. The two heavyweight greats fought their peak years in different eras, yet due to Foreman’s astonishing 1987 comeback, there was serious talk as early as 1988 that the two lethal punchers would one day meet in the ring. The fight would have been a huge money-spinner but it never happened. Why? Was Tyson, far more mentally fragile than fans, at the time of his reign of terror (and even beyond), could ever have guessed, scared of “animal” Foreman? Or was the fight lost for some other reason? Without getting into that – and what does it really matter why the fight never happened – I make my case for what WOULD have happened had the two legends collided, as talk of the fight peaked, in late 1990.
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? 
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.
Erik Skoglund (18-0, 9 KOs) is the new EU Light Heavyweight Champion after an impressive points victory over Danish veteran Lolenga Mock (31-14-1, 12 KOs). The 22-year-old Swede stamped his authority on the battle early but found himself on the receiving end of a huge right from Mock in the third. However, he proved his chin as he beat the standing count and regained composure. He dominated the rest of the fight, working cleverly behind his jab and throwing well-timed combinations. The scores were 118-110, 116-112 and 117-110. “I am proud of Erik,” promoter Nisse Sauerland said. “That was a great win against a very strong opponent. Erik really proved his class tonight. There are great times ahead, for him as well as for Swedish boxing.”
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.
WHITTIER, CALIFORNIA (October 19, 2013) – Tonight at the Pico Rivera Arena in Whittier California, Gary Shaw Productions in association with La Noria Entertainment presented a fun, exciting night of boxing. 