By Chris Williams: Joe Deguardia, the promoter for newly crowned WBO light welterweight champion Chris Algieri (20-0, 8 KO’s), says that he’s open to giving the beaten Ruslan Provodnikov (23-3, 16 KO’s) a rematch for later this year if they don’t get a big fight against Manny Pacquiao in November.
That’s the first choice that Deguardia wants for Algieri, and he feels confident that Pacquiao’s promoter Bob Arum of Top Rank will agree to put together a fight between the Filipino star and Algieri. DeGuardia believes that a fight between the two of them would be a huge fight due in part to Algieri’s background.
“That’s the fight [Algieri-Pacquiao] that’s out there. Bob Arum spoke about it,” Deguardia said. “He [Arum] saw the potential of a Pacquiao-Algieri fight. Huge…I’d love to see a rematch [between Provodnikov and Algieri] take place. Obviously, I’d like to see the Pacquiao fight take place first. I think Chris beats him easier the next time.”
By 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.
By Chris Williams: Ruslan Provodnikov (23-3, 16 KO’s) still hasn’t come to terms with the fact that he was out-boxed by a master boxer last night in his 12 round split decision defeat to Chris Algieri (20-0, 8 KO’s) at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. Brandon Rios, a fighter with a very similar style as Provodnikov, predicted a head of time that Algieri would beat him last night because he saw him as being too skilled for Provodnikov to deal with. As long as Algieri stayed on the move, he’d beat Provodnikov, Rios said. And he turned out to be correct, because that’s what happened last night.
By Allan Fox: HBO commentator Jim Lampley and unofficial HBO judge Steve Weisfeld both had WBO light welterweight champion Ruslan Provodnikov (23-3, 16 KO’s) easily beating Chris Algieri (20-0, 8 KO’s) by a 12 round unanimous decision last night by the score of 117-109 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. However, two of the three judges disagreed with them in giving Algieri the win by the scores 114-112 and 114-112. The third judge had it scored the same as Weisfeld in giving Provodnikov the win by a 117-109 score. 
By Chris Williams: Ruslan Provodnikov (23-3, 16 KO’s) lost something much bigger than his WBO light welterweight title last night in his 12 round split decision defeat to New Yorker Chris Algieri (20-0, 8 KO’s) at the Barclays Center in New York; Provodikov’s defeat erased any chance that he had of getting matched up against Manny Pacquiao for a huge money fight for November.
By Dan Amrbrose: Challenger Chris Algieri (20-0, 8 KO’s) defeated WBO light welterweight champion Ruslan Provodnikov (23-3, 16 KO’s) by a 12 round split decision on Saturday night at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. The final judges’ scores were 117-109 for Provodnikov, and 114-112, 114-112 for Algieri. 
(Photo courtesy Star Boxing (by Rich Villa) By Chris Williams: Top Rank promoter Bob Arum thinks tonight’s underdog Chris Algieri (19-0, 8 KO’s) has a good chance of pulling off an upset against WBO 140-pound champion Ruslan Provodnikov (23-2, 16 KO’s) in their fight at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. 
By Dan Ambrose: Dan Rafael of ESPN is reporting that WBO light welterweight champion Ruslan Provodnikov (23-2, 16 KO’s) will be receiving $750,000 for his title defense tonight against fringe contender Chris Algieri (19-0, 8 KO’s) at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. Algieri will be getting a mere $100,000 as the challenger.
(Photo credit: Ed Mulholland/HBO) By Chris Williams: WBO light welterweight champion Ruslan Provodnikov (23-2, 16 KO’s) will be fighting Chris Algieri (19-0, 8 KO’s) tonight in Provodnikov’s first defense of his title. Provodnikoiv’s trainer Freddie Roach believes that he’ll be much too strong for the slender, 5’10” Algieri tonight, and he sees him wearing him down and halting him late in the fight. 
(Copyright Ed Mulholland/HBO) By Chris Williams: WBO light welterweight champion Ruslan Provodnikov (23-2, 16 KO’s) successfully made weight on Friday in coming in at 139.8 pounds for his title defense against Chris Algieri (19-0, 8 KO’s) tomorrow night at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. Agieri weighed in at 140lbs. The fight card will be televised on HBO’s Boxing After Dark at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT, along with the co-feature bout between WBO junior middleweight champion Demetrius Andrade and Brian Rose.