Kellerman: Does Provodnikov need guys to stand right in front of him to win?

By Boxing News - 06/15/2014 - Comments

provodnikov7001By Dan Ambrose: HBO commentator Max Kellerman brought up a good point about WBO light welterweight champion Ruslan Provodnikov (23-3, 16 KO’s) perhaps needing guys that are tailor-made for him in order for him to win following his 12 round split decision defeat last night to Chris Algieri (20-0, 8 KO’s) at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

Provodnikov complained bitterly after the fight saying “I like guys that are in front of me fighting me.”

Kellerman thought that Provodnikov was partially exposed last night by saying “Does he feel that he needs a guy right in front of him in order to win? It seems like he wants to move on and doesn’t want to fight the guy again.”

It was kind of disappointing that Provodnikov failed to say anything about wanting a rematch against Algieiri in the post-fight interview with Kellerman and at the post-fight press conference. Instead of mentioning wanting to fight Algieri again, Provodnikov said that he wants to fight big fights and that he’s still open to fighting WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao, if he’s interested in fighting him.

Provodnikov didn’t say anything about wanting to clear up the loss to Algieri the way a lot of fighters would, but instead he was talking about moving on as if it were a victory instead of a defeat. The problem is Pacquiao and the boxing world probably didn’t see Provodnikov’s fight as a victory for him, and they’re not going to be so excited at the thought of paying to see Pacquiao fight a guy who just lost his last fight to Algieri. Jim Lampley and Steve Weisfield of HBO might think that Provodnikov deserved a win over Algieiri last night, but a lot of people didn’t.

What Provodnikov appeared to be saying is that he can’t deal with anyone other than someone who would make it easy for him by standing in his power alley so that he can hit it out of the park each time he fights? That’s not how it is in sport of boxing, because guys want to win and they’re not going to make it easy.



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