In the past there have been talks of Ruslan Provodkinov possibly clashing in the ring with Manny Pacquiao. The rumors were never taken serious because they were both under Freddie Roach’s tutelage. A fight amongst one’s own stable never occurs, unless a fighter publicly announces he’s willing to transfer camps. It is unlikely Pacquiao will ever part ways with his long time trainer Roach, but Provodkinov seems willing to do so if it lands him the biggest fight of his career thus far.
Provodkinov recently took to twitter and stated, “Manny Pacquiao is my friend, but I know that if we meet in April it will be a great fight for the fans.” A bout between the two seems more likely than ever given the fact Pacquiao’s list of possible opponents are dwindling. Since the majority of the top fighters in the 140 and 147 pound divisions are signed with Al Haymon, this makes it virtually impossible for Pacquiao to fight Thurman, Garcia, Mayweather, Broner, Matthysse and many other top fighters.
Due to Pacquiao’s short list of viable opponents he can compete against to draw a large amount of revenue, Provodkinov may currently be at the top of the list. Provodkinov is rarely seen in a fight where he does not cause significant damage to his opponent, due to his raw power and fan friendly style. Pacquiao has several routes he can choose from, and this may be the one he chooses next, or some time in the near future. Perhaps Provodkinov is only one great performance away from a Pacquiao fight, if he can regain the aura he once had before losing to Chris Algieri. There are no political ties strong enough to prevent this bout from coming into fruition, so it’s something to keep an eye out in the year 2015.
