By Dan Ambrose: Mike Alvarado (34-3, 23 KO’s) wasted his chance to beat Juan Manuel Marquez (56-7-1, 40 KO’s) last Saturday night by fighting too passively and not throwing enough punches in their fight in Inglewood, California. Alvarado believes that if he had jumped on Marquez after knocking him down in the 9th, he would have stopped him. Additionally, Alvarado thinks that Marquez would be vulnerable against someone like WBO light welterweight champion Ruslan Provodnikov (23-2, 16 KO’s).
“Provodnikov would probably exploit that out of him. Provodnikov just comes at you and fights aggressive,” Alvarado said. “If Marquez could knock him out, that’s the only way I think he could beat him.”
Alvarado may be thinking a little too much of Provodnikov’s skills due to him stopping him in the past. Marquez would do well against a fighter like Provodnikov because he leaves himself open for so many counters with the way he comes straight at his opponents. Provodnikov was beaten by Tim Bradley and that was with Bradley fighting him toe-to-toe. If Bradley was able to beat Provodnikov by brawling with him then Marquez will turn him into another Juan Diaz or Michael Katsidis.
I think it would be an easy fight for Marquez. Provodnikov was out-boxed by Mauricio Herrera in the past, and all he did was throw jabs and duck Provodnikov’s slow power shots. Marquez would do the same thing except he would bust Provodnikov up around the eyes, and have him looking really bad by the 8th or 9th rounds. Provodnikov was pretty well beaten up in his win over Alvarado, and that was a tough fight for him. We don’t even know how much Provodnikov has left after a grueling fight like that. It was one of those fights that was physically taxing for both fighters, not just for Alvarado.
Provodnikov will be defending his title on June 14th against fringe contender #14 WBO Chris Algieri (19-0, 8 KO’s) at the Barclays Center, in Brooklyn, New York, USA. It’s not a great fight, but it’s the best that Provodnikov could get.
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