When the fight with Ruslan Provodnikov and Tim Bradley was signed as an HBO main event, not many people gave it much of a chance and not many people gave Ruslan a chance. Oscar De La Hoya took to twitter and even asked if Tim Bradley’s next fight would be on ESPN, poking fun at the matchup as he felt it wasn’t HBO quality. Well if the fights were fought on paper, I guess most of us would be right. That’s why they fight the fights because most of us were totally wrong.
Bradley-Provodnikov is the early front runner for fight of the year and is a fight that Bradley won by close decision. Many felt it was either a draw and or a Provodnikov victory, especially because of a missed known down in round 1 and because of the damage Provodnikov inflicted in round 2. Most feel both of those rounds could have been scored 10-8 for Ruslan and the decision might have been different.
Provodnikov was a guest on ThaBoxingVoice radio show where he spoke on his feelings immediately after the fight and his feelings currently now that the fight is a week in our memory.
“Right after the fight I was a little hot-headed and I thought I did enough to win the fight and a lot of people thought the same. Later on when I re-watched the fight, I can’t say anything about the decision of the judges; I think they scored the fight correctly. A lot of people are saying that the ref missed two knockdowns or at least two 10-8 rounds. It is what it is, life is what it should be, but I’m going to keep proving myself in the ring as soon as I get my chance,” explained Provodnikov through a member of his team who translated his responses.
Asked if he could do anything different that might have swayed the judges more, Provodnikov responded by saying, “After the fight I told Freddie I was sorry I didn’t win, he said you had nothing to be sorry about, you did everything you could have done to win this fight. Me or Freddie (Roach) didn’t think we could have done anything different or better during the fight.”
Roach had taken shots at Bradley during the build up to the fight stating that Bradley would run all night and even if he did Provodnikov would knock him. Provodnikov thought the same but said it was his style that forced Bradley into the fire fight.
“In the beginning, he (Bradley) started fighting in his moving style, then I hit him with one or two good punches and he realized, he’s going to have to fight if not I’m going to get him if he runs because he can’t run forever. It kind of work what Freddie said about him running because even if Bradley wanted to run, I think he kind of wanted to prove to himself and to Freddie that he would fight.”
Ruslan was just as impressed as we were with the heart and the determination that Bradley displayed throughout the fight even if he feels Bradley was fortunate to escape with a victory.
“I couldn’t believe he was just standing and taking the punches, proves he’s a warrior. I saw him almost going down, he showed a lot. We knew this was going to happen; he might try and show his strength and style, you can’t run too much because I’m going to be on him like I was,” stated Provodnikov.
Taking a fight to Tim Bradley as Provodnikov did was something we haven’t seen anyway do to Bradley, even in the Pacquiao fight, we didn’t see Tim Bradley get hit that much. Still, Provodnikov hit Bradley with everything but the kitchen sink and he was not able to get the stoppage he searched for. The question was posed to Provodnikov if he was at all discouraged because in the fight because of this factor.
“I can’t say I got discouraged but I got more motivated to finish in the fight which added up in the 11th and 12th. I think I was doing enough to finish the fight and like I said I think he had a bit of luck on his side.”
Because of this, he feels he can finish Bradley off in a rematch.
“I think luck was a little on his side in the fight. In the second fight I think I can finish the fight. He’s a big warrior and he’s shown a champions heart. I have a lot of respect for him but its boxing and you never know what can happen.”
For full audio of this interview click here: http://thaboxingvoice.cogito24.com/ruslan-provodnikov-shawn-porter-weekend-recap/11606
