Knockout expected when Matthysse, Provodnikov do battle
If you had to build a fight of the year from scratch, you couldn't dream up a better pairing than a couple guys nicknamed "The Siberian Rocky" and "The Machine."
Which means that On Saturday night at The Turning Stone Resort and Casino in Verona, N.Y., boxing fans who love non-stop, toe-to-toe action could be watching the best of 2015 when knockout artists Ruslan "The Siberian Rocky" Provodnikov and Lucas "La Maquina" Matthysse let fists fly in a junior welterweight battle (HBO, 9:45 p.m. ET).
The fighters have their names etched on the last two fight of the year trophies. Matthysse, from Argentina, overcame two knockdowns and a nasty cut over his left eye to stop John Molina Jr. in 2014's fight of the year.
In March 2013, Provodnikov and Timothy Bradley engaged in one of the most entertaining and brutal affairs in years when they went 12 rounds, with Bradley barely able to stand at the final bell but with enough rounds in the bank to win a decision. Bradley suffered a concussion early but continued fighting to the end in that year's top fight.
Provodnikov (24-3, 17 KOs) is conditioned by seven-time trainer of the year Freddie Roach, who will not be in the Russian's corner Saturday because he is with Manny Pacquaio, who fights Floyd Mayweather in the May 2 mega fight.
"I know that I can beat anybody and it's all about my will," Provodnikov said. "And I know that if I give everything that I have in the ring, and I give everything that I have in training, I can beat anybody. It's all about my character and all I'm willing to give.
"His team is saying a lot of things. They're saying, 'You know, we're going to knock them out. We're smarter, we're better, we're better boxers.' I don't want to say any of that. . . . You know, talk is cheap. There's a Russian saying that says, 'Don't say I won until you win'. I'm going to do my talking in the ring."
Matthysse (36-3, 34 KOs) said if Provodnikov does as everyone expects and stands in front of Matthysse and engages him, he will end up as Molina did — on the canvas.
"For last year's fight I've got to give credit to John Molina because he came to fight and he allowed me to perform in a way that made it Fight of the Year," Matthysse said. "If Ruslan comes forward and is aggressive and does the same thing, then, yes, I'm going to seize that opportunity and try to take advantage of that and make it an exciting fight. I think personally it could be a great fight. But, you know, it takes two."
The co-main event on HBO's Boxing After Dark card comes from a different city — Arlington, Texas — where undefeated WBO lightweight champion Terence Crawford will move up a weight class and take on once-beaten Thomas DuLorme for the vacant WBO super lightweight title on the campus of the University of Texas at Arlington.
Crawford (25-0, 17 KOs), from Omaha, meets DuLorme (22-1, 14 KOs), from Puerto Rico, in a matchup that will be more of a technical affair than Matthysse-Provodnikov. Crawford is as technically sound a boxer as there is in the sport
While Crawford is more than a 6-1 favorite, he's not underestimating DuLorme, who at 25 is two years younger.
"They may see one thing but I respect all fighters. I have never in my career underestimated any fighter," he said. "When I am in training camp I never think about going in there and knock this dude out or I'm going to do this. They can think something else but we are going to train as hard as we can for twelve rounds or even more. That way we don't get any surprises."
DuLorme knows he's a heavy underdog, but says, "Those who bet with me as the winner of the fight are going to take home a nice chunk of money."