PHILADELPHIA (APRIL 10, 2014)–On Tuesday, April 15th and Wednesday, April 16th, WBO Junior Welterweight champion Ruslan Provodnikov (23-2, 16 KO’s) will be hosting two press conferences to announce his much anticipated return to the ring, as he will defend his title against undefeated Chris Algieri (19-0, 8 KO’s) that will take place on Saturday, June 14th at the Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, Long Island.

The fight will headline an HBO Boxing After Dark card and is promoted by Banner Promotions, Top Rank and in association with Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing.

Provodnikov of Beryozovo, Russia announced his arrival on boxing’s big stage with his “2013 Fight of the Year” with Timothy Bradley on March 16th. He then captured the WBO Junior Welterweight title with a 10 round beat down of defending champion Mike Alvarado on October 19, 2013 in Broomfield, Colorado.

Algieri of nearby Huntington, Long Island is ranked number thirteen by the WBO. He will be making his 1st attempt at a world title and earned this opportunity with wins over Bayan Jargal (15-2-3), Jose Peralta (10-1) and Emanuel Taylor (17-1).

The first press conference will take place at 12 noon on Tuesday, April 15th at The Nassau Coliseum to formally announce the fight.

The very next day at 1 PM, Provodnikov & Algieri will be at Tatiana Restaurant / Nightclub in the Brighton Beach section of Brooklyn.

WHO: Ruslan Provodnikov (23-2, 16 KO’s)–WBO Jr. Welterweight world champion
Chris Algieri (19-0, 8 KO’s)–Undefeated challenger from Huntington.
Seanie Monaghan (20-0, 13KO’s)–undefeated light heavy, Long Beach.
Artie Pelullo–CEO Banner Promotions
Joe DeGuardia–President of Star Boxing

WHAT: Press conferences to announce June 14 HBO Boxing After Dark event

WHEN: Tuesday, April 15th at Noon ET
Nassau Coliseum
1255 Hempstead Pike
Uniondale, NY 11553

Wednesday, April 16 at 1 PM ET
Tatiana Restaurant / Night Club
3152 Brighton 6th Street
Brooklyn, NY 11235

LOS ANGELES, CA (APRIL 8, 2014)–WBO Jr. Welterweight champion Ruslan Provodnikov arrived late Monday night in Los Angeles to begin preparations for his June 14 title defense that will be live on HBO.

March 21, 2014 – Leading up to the highly anticipated world welterweight title rematch between Manny Pacquiao and Timothy Bradley Jr. – set for Saturday, April 12 and presented live by HBO Pay-Per-View® – HBO Sports will present the exclusive replay of two compelling showdowns that highlight the remarkable skill and will of these competitors.

On Friday, March 28 at 11:30 p.m. (ET/PT) and Saturday, March 29 at 10:00 a.m. (ET/PT), HBO2 will replay Pacquiao vs. Bradley I 2012 and Bradley vs. Provodnikov 2013 back-to-back. On June 9, 2012 in the bright spotlight of Las Vegas, Timothy Bradley Jr. won a controversial split decision over Manny Pacquiao, igniting a hot debate in the boxing community that triggered public demand for a rematch. Last March in Carson, CA, Bradley displayed a part of his skill package that hadn’t been seen before when he prevailed over hard-charging Ruslan Provodnikov in a 12-round slugfest that went on to earn 2013’s “Fight of the Year” honors from the Boxing Writers Association of America.

Both fights will also be available 24 hours a day to HBO On Demand® and HBO GO® subscribers beginning Monday, March 31 through Wednesday, April 30.

Pacquiao vs. Bradley 2 takes place Saturday, April 12 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/ 6:00 p.m. PT.

Floyd Mayweather and the Timothy Bradley – Ruslan Provodnikov war highlighted the 2013 BWAA Awards which were announced Tuesday according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

It is the second time Mayweather has won the award. He also won in 2007, the last time he fought at least two times in a calendar year.

The pound-for-pound king was dominant as ever last year and Tuesday won Sugar Ray Robinson Fighter of the Year honors.
“It is a great honor to be voted by the BWAA as fighter of the year. To be recognized by this organization is special and I truly appreciate it,” Mayweather said in a statement given to ESPN.com. “I also want to congratulate the other winners and also recognize my fellow nominees, whose achievements in the ring this past year afforded them nominations too.”

“I have dedicated my whole career to being the best and because of that I have been on top for 17 years,” Mayweather said. “Hard work and dedication got me there and awards like these help keep me there too. On behalf of myself and the entire Money Team, I thank you so very much.”

“It’s unbelievable. I can’t even imagine, Timothy Bradley in a fight of the year,” Bradley said after ESPN.com had informed him that he had won. “It takes two people willing to engage in that type of action so I gotta give major props to Ruslan Provodnikov for bringing the best out of me. We put it all on the line. We put our lives on the line. I hope that all the fans really appreciated that night.

“I have talked to so many different people who say it was the best fight they have seen in a long time or that it is the best fight they have ever seen, and I’m a part of it. Who would think Timothy Bradley would be in a fight of the year and win the fight of the year? It’s a huge accomplishment.”

Freddie Roach won his sixth Eddie Futch Trainer of the Year award, a BWAA record, thanks in large part to his work with Manny Pacquiao, Miguel Cotto and Provodnikov.

“It’s nice to be back in the mix. We had a bad year (in 2012) and we had a much better year (in 2013),” Roach told ESPN.com. “No. 6? I love being recognized for what we do but without the fighters I wouldn’t be here.”

The Cus D’Amato Manager of the Year went to Al Haymon, whose list of clients is long and impressive, including Mayweather, junior welterweight champion Danny Garcia, welterweight titleholders Marcos Maidana and Shawn Porter, former welterweight titlists Adrien Broner and Devon Alexander, interim welterweight titlist Keith Thurman, junior welterweight contender Lucas Matthysse, junior featherweight titlist Leo Santa Cruz and top heavyweight prospect Deontay Wilder. All of them have earned career-high purses under the powerful Haymon’s guidance.

Other awards:

The Barney Nagler Long and Meritorious Service award to boxing was a tie between Top Rank publicist Lee Samuels and famed broadcaster Colonel Bob Sheridan.

The Sam Taub award for excellence in broadcast journalism went to former two-division titleholder Paulie Malignaggi, who is still an active fighter but has blossomed in his role as a color analyst on Showtime and Fox Sports 1 boxing telecasts.

The Marvin Kohn Good Guy award will be collected by ring announcer Jimmy Lennon, who was also inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in June.

Former welterweight titleholder Paul Williams, whose career end abruptly when he was paralyzed from the waist down in a motorcycle crash in 2012, has kept an inspiring upbeat attitude and was voted winner of the Bill Crawford award for courage in overcoming adversity.

In previously announced awards, this writer was voted winner of the 2013 Nat Fleischer award for excellence in boxing journalism, a career achievement award that can only won once and is voted on by past winners, and Sandy Grady was selected as the A.J. Liebling award winner for outstanding boxing writing.

Winners will be honored at the BWAA annual awards banquet, which will take place in May or June at a site to be determined.

PHILADELPHIA (DECEMBER 30, 2013)–This past March 16th at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California, WBO Welterweight Champion Timothy Bradley and Ruslan Provodnikov waged a memorable battle that saw Bradley barely hold on to his title by winning a razor- thin unanimous decision.

Provodnikov, knocked Bradley down with just seconds remaining in the bout and Bradley was rocked and badly hurt several more times in the bout that saw many ebbs and flows throughout the thrilling contest.

Even though the “Siberian Rocky” came up a bit short in the scorecards, he became a star that night because of his terrific performance

As 2013 draws to a close, many in the boxing community are giving the bout the accolades it deserves by naming it the “2013 Fight of the Year.”

Kevin Iole of Yahoo.com; secondsout.com; fighthype.com; sportsmedia101.com; Robert Morales; Chris Mannix of Sportsillustrated.com; Boxingnews24.com; ringtv.com & USA Today are just a few of the many outlets that has given the fight it’s highest accolade.

There are still outlets such as espn.com and the prestigious Boxing Writers Association of America that will surely follow suit and add to the recognition of the great fight.

Provodnikov (23-2, 16 KO’s) would go on to capture the WBO jr. welterweight championship with a 10th – round stoppage over Mike Alvarado on October 19th, in Alvarado’s hometown of Broomfield, Colorado.

“This was a great fight and we are ecstatic that the world got to see what we already knew: That Ruslan is a world championship fighter and his win over Mike Alvarado proved that,” said Banner Promotions CEO Artie Pelullo.

“I would like to thank all of the media that recognized this sensational fight. Ruslan has become must see television. He has many memorable nights in store for years to come.”

The seven-day stretch in mid October that began the Saturday Timothy “Desert Storm” Bradley decisioned Juan Manuel “Dinamita” Marquez in Thomas & Mack Center ended with a more brutal stoppage victory over “Mile High” Mike Alvarado at 1stBank Center in Broomfield, Colo., a GPS-defying suburb of Denver, than even sadists anticipated, and transformed Ruslan “Siberian Rocky” Provodnikov into prizefighting’s looniest bogeyman, the sound of whose punches still carry for those at ringside that night an especially unforgettable brand of acoustic menace.

The Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art in Las Vegas featured a display of American pop-star Andy Warhol’s finest Western-themed works, including a pair of Dolly Parton portraits excellent as they are obscure, and Denver Art Museum proved itself an architectural marvel more even than anticipated.

Desert Storm, Dinamita, Siberian Rocky, Mile High, BGFA and DAM – they made Oct. 12-Oct. 19 my favorite week of 2013.

Fightweek has changed for boxing writers, changed dramatically and with dramatic rapidity, from the celebratory sort of thing that began on Monday afternoons and included free room and board at the host casino, to a pay-it-yourself model. It is but one more unpleasant turn for a profession whose best days will not return, though with one ancillary benefit: When a writer is compensated only for what words he produces within an arena, his time is his own when he is without the arena.

Saturday in Las Vegas began with a long-awaited lunch at Wynn’s Botero – a restaurant named after Colombia’s foremost living artist – continued to Bellagio’s Warhol display, crescendoed with three judges’ deciding for Timothy Bradley and concluded with another wonderful postfight meal among mentors and friends.

Friday in Denver began among the confounding angles of Polish architect Daniel Libeskind’s masterwork, DAM’s Frederic C. Hamilton Building, and continued to an overcrowded downtown weighin, where Mike Alvarado’s scale struggles afforded an hour with boxing’s best matchmaker, Bruce Trampler, and matchmaking’s greatest character, Jim Smith, anticipating fantastically a Saturday morning drive westward and Provodnikov’s Saturday night triumph.

*

The seven-day stretch in mid October that began the Saturday Timothy “Desert Storm” Bradley decisioned Juan Manuel “Dinamita” Marquez provided a resilient sort of joy, a kind Bradley might appreciate, joy by way of resilience, followed by the shocking clarity of Colorado light, pristinely dry for being ever cold, and an overwhelming form of violence no prizefighter recognizes as his own till he becomes its prey.

Before Juan Manuel Marquez stormed to his dressing room yet again while boxing’s malcontent knowers filled online forums with certainty, there came an unusual occurrence to ringside in Las Vegas: Silence among writers between the closing bell and reading of scorecards. Some had opinions of who’d won the 12-round contest, but none had anything like television’s certainty.

As Saturday became Sunday, I sat in Zoozacrackers, Wynn’s deli, across from Thomas Hauser and beside Norm Frauenheim, and I gratefully marveled, as I try often to do, at what an unpredictable but absurdly wonderful – and absurd and wonderful – thing is life.

Promoter Bob Arum, too, was surprised by the way Nevada’s judges found for Bradley in a fight that saw more ineffective aggressiveness and inactivity than expected, but like many others he had a job to do between the overstuffed walls of Diego’s Mexican Food & Cantina the following Friday, promoting alongside Banner Promotions’ Art Pelullo at a weighin the fire marshal closed a half hour before Alvarado missed weight by a pound and Provodnikov struck his signature bellowing-most-muscular pose, and Arum’s job hardly comprised an expression of grief for the surly Mexican who flattened Top Rank’s 2013 revenue projections with a single right hand in Las Vegas 11 months before.

Saturday’s main event began with a look of acute squeamishness and pain, an actual wince, from Mike Alvarado, an aptly tatted and troubled representative of Denver’s rugged and weird interior, and ended with Alvarado, many times more intelligent and athletically gifted than his detractors or rap sheet know, broken on his stool and making an unexpected and prudent decision not to defend his 140-pound title from Provodnikov in their match’s championship rounds.

*

The seven-day stretch in mid October that began the Saturday Timothy “Desert Storm” Bradley decisioned Juan Manuel “Dinamita” Marquez marked a vindication for both Bradley and Provodnikov, the Russian who lost a fight-of-the-year decision to Bradley in March while likely reducing Bradley’s future lucidity and life expectancy and proving the Californian as spirited and well-conditioned an athlete as this era will know. Bradley, a man unfairly and ceaselessly maligned for collecting a decision win over Manny Pacquiao 16 months before, received the benefit of most every doubt against Marquez, immobilized by what upper-body musculature absurdly topped Marquez’s 144 1/2-pound physique, surprising Marquez with elusiveness and a counter left hook in their final 15 seconds of belligerence, once that sent Marquez stumbling backwards and Bradley’s gloves prematurely and unadvisedly high in the air.

Enamored as he was of a stalactite-like shape for his titanium-plated edifice at DAM, Daniel Libeskind, one fears, followed contemporary architecture’s tendency to see contemporary art as clutter, detritus detracting from what answers architecture provides light’s riddle – composed of particles or waves? – and made an exhibition hall too exhibitionist to exhibit anything but its own enchantingly crinkled cants.

One needn’t travel 50 miles west of Denver to see vistas unique in all the world, and these vistas begin with Idaho Springs, Colo., a spot placed first on a list of recommended Centennial State destinations by the matchmaker placed first on lists compiled by his peers, and so I went to behold the Rockies and their majestic clarity.

I had watched Mike Alvarado for 7 1/2 years by the time he got brutalized by Ruslan Provodnikov, first covering Alvarado’s own brutalization of Maximo Cuevas in the light of a searing Tucson sun as it set over the empty parking lot of Club Envy in 2006, but not until I saw Alvarado reduced to a frightened target did I realize how much affection I’d developed for him.

And how much I fear news will come of his tragic end before this decade is out.

***

Editor’s note: Part 2 will be posted next Monday.

***

Bart Barry can be reached at bart.barrys.email (at) gmail.com

NEW YORK (December 23, 2013) — Boxing fans can wrap last-minute Christmas gifts by the glow of the 2013 Fight of the Year between the year’s two Fighter of the Year candidates — undefeated WBO welterweight champion TIMOTHY “Desert Storm” BRADLEY, JR and reigning WBO junior welterweight champion, “The Siberian Rocky” RUSLAN PROVODNIKOV.

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Banner Promotions and Tecate, the outcome of the fight went down to the wire with two judges scoring it by a razor-thin one point difference. Then Bradley vs. Provodnikov telecast will be replayed Tomorrow — Christmas Eve — beginning at 11:00 p.m. ET/PT, exclusively on HBO 2.

Here are a few highlights from Media Central:

Greg Beacham, Associated Press: “Bradley Beats Provodnikov by Decision in Thriller”
http://www.yorkdispatch.com/ci_22809149/bradley-beats-provodnikov-by-decision-thriller?source=most_viewed

Kevin Iole, Yahoo! Sports: “Timothy Bradley Managed to Change Public Opinion with One Thrilling, Albeit Foolish, Fight Tactic”
http://sports.yahoo.com/news/boxing–timothy-bradley-managed-to-change-public-opinion-with-one-thrilling–albeit-foolish–fight-tactic-011446419.html

Dan Rafael, ESPN.com: “Bradley Wows ‘Em, Wins in a Thriller”
http://espn.go.com/boxing/story/_/id/9061146/timothy-bradley-jr-wows-em-wins-thriller-ruslan-provodnikov

PHILADELPHIA, PA (November 21, 2013)—One of the most interested spectators at this Saturday night’s welterweight clash between Manny Pacquiao and Brandon Rios will be WBO Jr. welterweight champion Ruslan Provodnikov.

Provodnikov will be ringside at the Cotai Arena in the Venetian and he will have more than a passing interest in the bout.

Provodnikov may see a future opponent as well he will be there to support Pacquiao and trainer Freddie Roach.
“I made sure I was in Macau to support my friend Manny Paquiao in his big return to the ring, and I will be rooting for him in this fight.”, said Provodnikov.

PHILADELPHIA, PA (November 19, 2013)—On the heels of a great run by Banner Promotions fighters, WBO Jr. welterweight champion Ruslan Provodnikov, WBO Jr. middleweight champion Demetrius Andrade and top middleweight contender Bryan Vera, the next wave of stars for Banner Promotions also scored big victories in recent weeks.

On November 9th, newly signed light heavyweight Michael Seals of Atlanta, Georgia went to 17-0 and notched his 13th knockout when he stopped 56 fight veteran Steve Walker in the 1st round of their scheduled eight round bout in Norcross, Georgia.

On November 13th, in Sao Paulo, Brazil, undefeated Jr. Middleweight Patrick Teixeira scored a 5th round stoppage over Alejandro Gustavo Falliga to capture the vacant WBO Jr. Middleweight title. Teixeira is now 21-0 with 18 knockouts.

On November 14th, Jr. Welterweight Cornelius Whitlock scored a 1st round stoppage over Josue Rivera in a scheduled four round bout that was part of the “Fight For Children” charity event in Washington, D.C. Whitlock is now 2-0-2 with one knockout.

The very next night in Altoona, Iowa, 2012 Olympic Bronze medal winner, Taras Shelestyuk stopped Thomas Allen in the 2nd round of their scheduled six round Jr. Middleweight bout to raise his undefeated mark to 6-0 with 4 knockouts.

“I am very proud of all our fighters, “said Banner Promotions CEO Arthur Pelullo. “We have had some great performances on HBO and now to see our next wave of fighters progressing like we have hoped is gratifying.”

DENVER – Afterwards, when “Mile High” Mike Alvarado, still adorned in throwback-Broncos orange and blue, an egg-shaped contusion over his right eye, claimed he considered his own health before round 11, before somehow indicating to referee Tony Weeks he could not continue, from his stool, he was being honest but not telling the truth about how his match with Russian challenger Ruslan Provodnikov ended in KO-10. What Alvarado hoped to do with such a claim, instead, was regain a dash of control from a moment of combat that snatched it from him verily and placed his vanquisher, an amiable, off-kilter Siberian, near the very top of boxing’s tacitly kept Most Feared list.

At the conclusion of round 10, after a closing 10 seconds in which every punch Provodnikov struck him with, wherever he struck him, visibly pained Alvarado, making him wretched and fragile, Alvarado stumbled to the nearest corner, the wrong one, draped himself over the turnbuckle and began a search for handlers. Shann Vilhauer, Alvarado’s chief second and a man who used the moments after his charge was stopped either to fire a parting shot in claiming Alvarado devised a strategy for himself Vilhauer did not approve, or try to keep himself in the inevitable makeover-training sweepstakes – “back to basics!”, “remind Mike how he got here!” – had to throw a net of words and arms over Alvarado to haul him across the ring to where a man of any lucidity whatever should have gone unassisted.

Vilhauer was trapped in a moment, a combination of thinking his man was unstoppable by others (Brandon Rios, remember, never felled Alvarado) and worrying his future income stream would be stopped by stopping a match that stopped needing to continue at least 70 seconds before, and so he went about his between-rounds chores like nothing much had happened. Tony Weeks brought adult supervision to the moment, forcing his way deeper and deeper in Alvarado’s corner, forcing Alvarado’s attention for the prizefighting equivalent of “blink once for no and twice for no.”

The end brought Provodnikov unfiltered glee and most of the other 7,000 or so folks gathered at 1stBank Center a thing that tilted reliefways in a disappointment-to-relief balance. Though 1stBank Center is not in this city proper, it is in a suburb of this rough, weird, enjoyable metropolis, a place whose young residents seem not potheads so much as shroomers, residents of a place that set for itself this goal while extending Denver Art Museum: Erect the first great building of the 21st century. And with architect Daniel Libeskind’s awkward genius, city planners’ audacity, and nearly as many obtuse angles as titanium panels, DAM met its mark with the Frederic C. Hamilton Building.

Provodnikov beat to spiritually unrecognizable this city’s native son, a Denver cowboy, a fearless hombre from the 303, tatted and rapsheeted, one who wore open, bottle-shard facial wounds while he unmanned Brandon Rios in March – the sort of person who needlessly carries within himself a very dark place and visits regularly with those who know its coordinates. Provodnikov found the dot of fragility within such a man’s soul, the camouflaged doorway that hides a cavern filled to bursting with betrayal and violation and vilest injustices, and then smashed that dot till it became a hole gaping enough to put an eight-ounce glove through.

The fight’s fortune was told in its first minute, Saturday, when Alvarado’s demeanor was far too stiff for a titlist in his 36th prizefight, and Provodnikov’s demeanor was not nearly stiff enough for a man gone to another’s hometown in pursuit of a first meaningful title. Provodnikov’s first right cross made Alvarado wince in a way that made Alvarado’s intelligent face – and it is that, however he’s learned to mask it – impart a thought like: Yup, this is going to be bad as feared. That Alvarado’s back was to his corner when that wince came is all that might explain Shann Vilhauer’s later contention Alvarado, buried in an avalanche of his own press clippings (and cheers to that quaint analogy), was wrong to devise a defensive strategy in training camp.

Alvarado knew instantly he would not be able to win any fair exchange with Provodnikov, a man whose vicious assault of Mile High Mike bore no sign of animosity whatever, a man who probably would have gone so far as to stop punching Alvarado had the champ told him he needed a few seconds pause to weigh options, a man Pacquiao-esque in his enchantment with knuckles sunken in flesh. An instant after Alvarado’s instant calculation was complete Provodnikov got word, an instant message of sorts, Alvarado was removing from consideration fully half the offensive tactics for which Provodnikov prepared, and by round 2 the Russian was marching straight at Alvarado, feet squared in the international symbol for “I’m willing to be hit!”

Alvarado, a famous athlete in these parts, tried to switch identities on the fly, becoming a southpaw, hopping forwards with lead uppercuts, belligerently dropping his left hand in homage to the righthand-feasting way that got him stopped by Brandon Rios a year ago. It confused Provodnikov, some, enough anyway to let Alvarado get a few licks in, with this caveat: Provodnikov knew if he could merely touch Alvarado 10 or so times every three minutes, he would break Alvarado before 36 of them were up.

A right cross to Alvarado’s body in round 8 pained him too deeply to smile or shrug at; had someone stopped the match at that instant, before the two knockdowns, before the six minutes of assault that succeeded them, it would have served a buffet of vicarious rage to boxing’s legion of malcontents but not altered the outcome. Alvarado was, after that punch, indulging a profoundly masochistic impulse, not fighting. Bless Tony Weeks for temporarily sparing the man from his troubled self.

Bart Barry can be reached at bart.barrys.email (at) gmail.com

BROOMFIELD, COLORADO (OCTOBER 19, 2013)–Tonight at the 1stBank Arena, One of the most anticipated bouts of the year will take place when WBO Jr. Welterweight champion Mike Alvarado defends his title against Ruslan Provodnikov.

The fight, promoted by Top Rank and Banner Promotions will be seen live on HBO Championship Boxing beginning at 9:45 pm eastern / Pacific time.

Before the cameras roll, two members of the Banner Promotions stable will be in action. Heavyweight Donovan Dennis and super featherweight Vitor Jones De Olivera will take part in six and four round fights respectively.

Heavyweight Donovan Dennis will take on Hugo Arceo of Boulder (3-0-1, 3 KO’s) Colorado.

Dennis of Davenport, Iowa has a record of 8-1, 1 No Contest with six knockouts and will be making his 6th appearance of 2013. He is coming off 2nd round stoppage over Kevin Tiller on July 27th.

At Friday’s weigh in Dennis weighed 221 pounds while Arceo checked in at 245 pounds.

De Olivera of Brasilia, Brazil will take on Martin Quesada.

De Olivera is the nephew of former four-time, two-division world champion Acelino “Popo” Freitas.

De Olivera (0-0, 1 No-Contest) weighed in at 130 ¾ pounds while Quesada of Denver, Colorado checked in at 128 ½ pounds.

DENVER (October 19, 2013) — Denver’s very own homegrown world champion “Mile High” MIKE ALVARADO and No. 1 contender the “Siberian Rocky” RUSLAN PROVODNIKOV of Russia — both coming off nationally-televised Fight of the Year performances — will go mano a mano in their world championship rumble tonight in front of a sold out 1STBANK Center audience.

The last tickets were sold on Friday at 9:15 p.m.

Alvarado (34-1, 23 KOs) will make the first defense of his World Boxing Organization (WBO) junior welterweight title a “home game,” when he battles Provodnikov (22-2, 15 KOs), of Russia, tonight at the 1STBANK Center in Broomfield, Colo. This marks the area’s first world championship fight featuring a local fighter since September 15, 2000 when former World Boxing Council (WBC) lightweight champion Stevie Johnston unsuccessfully challenged defending WBC lightweight champion Jose Luis Castillo, via majority draw, at Pepsi Center. Alvarado vs. Provodnikov will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing®, beginning at 9:45 p.m. ET/PT. It will be the first time HBO has ever televised a fight live from Colorado.

Doors open at 4:30 p.m. with the first bout starting at 5:30 p.m. local time.

Promoted by Top Rank® and Banner Promotions, in association with Tecate, Alvarado and Provodnikov enter this world title tilt fresh from Fight of the Year performances that took place in March, just two weeks apart from each other, and were televised on HBO. They boast a combined record of 56-3 (38 KOs) — a winning percentage of 95% and a victory by knockout ratio of 68%.

For fight updates go to www.toprank.com, www.banner-promotions.com or www.hbo.com/boxing, on Facebook at facebook.com/trboxing, facebook.com/trboxeo, facebook.com/banner-promotions or facebook.com/hboboxing, and on Twitter at twitter.com/trboxing, twitter.com/trboxeo, twitter.com/bannerboxing or twitter.com/hboboxing.

DENVER – The crowd was over capacity at the weighin, and so was light welterweight “Mile High” Mike Alvarado, the hometown favorite. A little bit of vigilance got the crowd back under capacity, and it worked for Alvarado’s weight too.

Friday at Diego’s Mexican Food & Cantina, a medium-sized eatery in the center of this city, Alvarado (34-1, 23 KOs) and Russian challenger Ruslan Provodnikov (22-2, 15 KOs) each made weight, eventually, for their Saturday title fight at 140 pounds. Provodnikov needed only one try to weigh 139.8. But Alvarado marked 141.1 on his first try, a pound over the contracted weight for their title match, left the restaurant, returned two hours later and marked 139.8.

Vulnerability is an odd thing to express in the leadup to a match considered by those who should know a certain candidate for 2013 fight of the year, one that pits Alvarado, whose match a year ago this week with Brandon Rios led 2012 fight-of-the-year polling till December, and Ruslan Provodnikov, whose March match with welterweight champion Timothy Bradley leads this year’s polling, but vulnerability is the very element both men showed in a recent episode of “Face Off with Max Kellerman” – admitting to fear and consciousness of how much their profession imperils them.

Odder still, this profession of fear, as neither man fights like he is aware there are consequences for collecting another man’s punches to the body and head. Alvarado is athletically gifted as any prizefighter, capable, that is, of employing reflex and coordination to offset other men’s offenses, serving thrice the abuse he collects, but he eschews prudence at most turns, planting instead and trading with men who haven’t another recourse. He did not do this at the beginning of his career, when he was on a short list of his promoter’s favorite prospects, but he does today because he is now 33 years-old, no longer fleet of foot as before, and watching what appear to be few grains of sand in an hourglass before his fighting- and lifestyles do him in.

Provodnikov understands the science of prizefighting, too, and understands them well enough not to employ them when to do so might surely benefit an opponent. Provodnikov figures to be the larger man in Saturday’s match, coming, as he is, down from 147 pounds to contest Alvarado’s light welterweight title.

But Alvarado struggled more mightily to make weight, needing almost exactly the allotted two hours after Friday’s official weighin to come in below 140. It is unlikely weight will affect either fighter; both men looked healthy and good from Friday’s cantina, a venue that was warm with bodies and entirely overstuffed with them as well, causing employees to begin citing fire marshals and capacity restrictions 15 minutes before the first fighters took the scale. Diego’s was long, not wide, and with barely a full door from which celebrities might escape, those unable to maneuver their ways inside had the consolation of HBO’s broadcasting crew and former champions like Juan Diaz and Acelino Freitas forced to pass within arms’ reach, availing themselves to many more photos than likely planned.

Boxing comprises many fights that should entertain but might not, last week’s match between Timothy Bradley and Juan Manuel Marquez was a timely example, but Saturday’s fight is not one of those. Rather Alvarado-Provodnikov is a rarest spectacle: A fight that cannot help but be excellent before a partisan and boxing-starved crowd.

Doors open at 5:00 PM local time. 15rounds will have full ringside coverage.

Philadelphia (October 18, 2013)—On April 28, 2007 Ruslan Provodnikov scored a 1st round stoppage over Antwon Barrett in his American debut.

The result maybe was just a blip on the radar that night because it was a four round bout on the undercard of a highly publicized Lightweight unification bout between Juan Diaz and Acelino Freitas.

Fast forward six and a half years, Provodnikov, Diaz and Freitas will be featured in different capacities when Provodnikov fights WBO Jr. Welterweight champion at the 1stBank Arena in Broomfield, Colorado.

The bout which is promoted by Top Rank and Banner Promotions will be televised live on HBO Championship Boxing.
In what most experts are calling a Fight of the Year candidate, Provodnkov (22-2, 15 KO’s)will vie for a world title for the second consecutive when he takes on Mike Alvarado (34-1, 23 KO’s) in the highly anticipated bout.

Diaz (37-4, 19 KO’s) will continue his comeback when he takes on Juan Santiago (14-10-1, 8 KO’s) in a ten round bout.

Freitas will be in the corner of his nephew Vitor Jones De Olivera when the Featherweight participates in a four round bout against Martin Quezada.

“I am very bless to be the main event on Saturday”, said Provodnikov.

“To be the main event is a big accomplishment.“

“Those types seem so long ago and the time has passed and now I am the main event and I am very glad things have gone the so well for me.

“Said Acelino Freitas, “I only remember Provodnikov as being a nice kid at the time. The events of Saturday night proves that god’s destiny was for us to reunite this Saturday.”

It’s probably just a scheduling coincidence, but the suggestion is there Saturday night in HBO’s decision to air its beautifully-done Legendary Nights: The Tale Of Gatti-Ward after the Mike Alvarado-Ruslan Provodnikov fight in Denver.

Arturo Gatti-Micky Ward stands alone. Their three-fight rivalry is called a classic because it can’t be duplicated. But that doesn’t mean we can’t hope.

Alvarado (34-1, 23 KOs) is smart enough not to promise one in junior-welterweight bout he knows will be challenging enough against Provodnikov (22-2, 15 KOs), who is already on the ballot for a Fight of the Year contender with his dramatic loss to Timothy Bradley in March. Classics are good for history. But they aren’t easy on careers.

“When I sit here and think about it, it’s kind of scary,’’ Alvarado said when asked about the Gatti-Ward parallel during a conference call. “Those dudes about killed each other. That’s a big step. Those are some big names to categorize ourselves with. It’s an honor to be in that kind of fight. We’ll see what happens. I am ready to perform and show greatness.’’

HBO’s documentary of Gatti and Ward, also junior-welterweights, is a poignant portrayal of two fighters who will be forever tied together by the violence they shared. They were Blood Brothers in the truest sense of the term.

“We could see in front of our eyes this bond starting to form,’’ ringside analyst and philosopher Larry Merchant says during the film. “It was a bond of pain and respect, and it couldn’t be written in a script. It had to be seen live; seen happening in front of our eyes.’’

Alvarado-Provonikov is scheduled to begin at 9:45 p.m., ET/PT. The Ward-Gatti documentary will follow the bout, scheduled for 12 rounds. Other HBO dates for Ward-Gatti film are Oct. 21, Oct. 24, Oct. 26. Oct. 30 and Nov. 3.

NOTES
· One of the best lines in Ward-Gatti came from Kathy Duva, who promoted the late Gatti. “At one point, somebody said he was sort of boxing’s answer to The Grateful Dead,’’ she said. “You had this same group of people that kept coming over and over and over.’’

· Here’s a new guide for the pound-for-pound ratings: If Floyd Mayweather Jr. won’t fight them, they should be ranked. That means Manny Pacquiao stays in this corner’s top five. Also, it probably means Bradley belongs there. After his victory over Juan Manuel Marquez, Bradley said he should be No. 3. He also said he wanted Mayweather. Don’t see that happening. Bradley’s tactical mastery makes him a problematic opponent, even for Mayweather, who probably wouldn’t fight a Top Rank boxer anyway.

· Marquez trainer Nacho Beristain’s sour grapes about Bradley’s split-decision at Las Vegas’ Thomas & Mack Center were insulting and more. They didn’t ring true. When Marquez agreed to the fight, Beristain told Mexican media that he didn’t like the bout. He said Bradley had the kind of style that always gave Marquez trouble. Beristain was right. Yet, he whined anyway. Give me a break.

· During an informal session with media members before Bradley-Marquez on Oct. 14, Gennady Golovkin said he would still like to fight Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., despite Chavez’ messy performance and inability to make the contracted weight, 168 pounds, in a controversial decision over Brian Vera. The weight question is ballooning into issue that could knock Chavez off Golovkin’s list of possibilities. Golovkin says he’ll fight anybody between junior-middleweight (154) and super-middle (168). But he doesn’t want to fight a cruiserweight (200).

· And Top Rank has scheduled onetime Phoenix prospect Jose Benavidez Jr.,17-0 as a junior-welterweight, for a comeback on Nov. 16 in Laughlin, Nev. An opponent has yet to be determined. Benavidez hasn’t fought since he was rocked in a victory by unanimous decision over Pavel Miranda a year ago in Carson, Calif. It’ll be his first fight since undergoing further surgery on a troublesome right hand.

HBO Sports, winner of nine George Foster Peabody Awards and 33 Sports Emmys® for documentaries, presents a new installment of the acclaimed LEGENDARY NIGHTS boxing documentary series this month when THE TALE OF GATTI-WARD looks back at one of boxing’s greatest rivalries, spotlighting the three-fight slugfest between Arturo Gatti and Micky Ward. Blending archival footage and new material shot this summer, the exclusive HBO presentation debuts SATURDAY, OCT. 19 (12 midnigh ET/PT), exclusively on HBO, immediately following “World Championship Boxing: Mike Alvarado vs. Ruslan Provodnikov,” which begins at 9:45 p.m.

Other HBO playdates: Oct. 21 (9:15 a.m.), 24 (5:10 p.m., 12:05 a.m.), 26 (11:00 a.m., 4:45 a.m.) and 30 (1:00 p.m., 1:00 a.m.), and Nov. 3 (7:55 a.m.), 7 (9:00 p.m.) and 15 (7:30 p.m.)
HBO2 playdates: Oct. 23 (6:00 a.m., 10:00 p.m.) and 29 (11:30 p.m., 4:50 a.m.), and Nov. 2 (2:45 p.m.), 10 (8:45 a.m.) and 12 (4:30 p.m.)
The special will also be available on HBO On Demand and HBO GO.
“2013 marks the tenth anniversary of the third fight of the landmark Gatti vs. Ward trilogy, so now is the ideal moment to revisit this classic rivalry,” says Ken Hershman, president, HBO Sports. “This retrospective will offer new perspectives and deliver revealing insights on the two ring warriors who produced this all-time great moment in boxing history. Combined with the ‘World Championship Boxing’ presentation from Denver, this ensures a memorable night of boxing programming on HBO.”
LEGENDARY NIGHTS: THE TALE OF GATTI-WARD revisits the unforgettable three-fight trilogy authored by junior welterweights Arturo Gatti of Jersey City, NJ and Micky Ward of Lowell, Mass. Over the course of 13 months, these two throwback sluggers engaged in 30 electrifying rounds of action, with Gatti winning both Atlantic City bouts (Nov. 23, 2002 and June 7, 2003), following Ward’s dramatic triumph in the opener (May 18, 2002) in Uncasville, Conn. The film also documents Ward’s journey this past June to Canastota, NY for Gatti’s posthumous induction into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.
The first 2002 battle was named Fight of the Year by the Boxing Writers Association of America, and the three fights have been widely celebrated as one of boxing’s greatest rivalries.
THE TALE OF GATTI-WARD features HBO Sports’ acclaimed blend of new interviews and thrilling fight action, highlighted by previously unseen archival footage and new material shot in summer 2013. All three fights aired live on HBO, featuring the ringside commentary of Jim Lampley, Larry Merchant and the late Emanuel Steward on the first and third fights. Lampley, Merchant and George Foreman called the second bout.
In a remarkable twist, Ward wound up being Gatti’s trainer for his final pro fight, against Alfonso Gomez in July 2007. Gatti fought 21 times on HBO in his pro career, while Ward appeared six times on HBO.
Interview subjects include: HBO Boxing host Jim Lampley; boxing commentator Larry Merchant; referee Frank Cappuccino; promoters Lou DiBella and Kathy Duva; Micky Ward and his wife, Charlene; former fighter Dicky Eklund; Gatti manager Pat Lynch; trainer Buddy McGirt; and writer Ron Borges.
Celebrating the most memorable fights in the network’s 40 years of presenting the sweet science, LEGENDARY NIGHTS captured the Sports Emmy® Award for Outstanding Edited Sports Series when it debuted in 2003.
LEGENDARY NIGHTS: THE TALE OF GATTI-WARD is executive produced by Rick Bernstein; directed by Bentley Weiner and Gabriel Spitzer; senior producer, Dave Harmon; creative director, Bill McCullough; editor, Fernando Villegas; writer, Aaron Cohen; director of photography, Thom Stukas; original score composed by Jose Cancela & Amy Beauchamp; narrator, Mark Wahlberg.

Highlights of LEGENDARY NIGHTS: THE TALE OF GATTI-WARD:
On the fighters:
Boxing commentator Larry Merchant: “Micky defined the essence of the journeyman fighter. After all, he was still working as a road grader while his career was going on, but he was a serious prizefighter and he raised his game to a place that few fighters of that type or stripe ever do.”
Gatti manager Pat Lynch: “It’s funny, the first time I met [Arturo Gatti] he told me he was going to be a world champion, which I kind of shrugged off. You know, this young, 19-year-old kid coming down from Canada. Not cocky, but confident.”
Gatti promoter Kathy Duva: “At one point, somebody said he was sort of ‘boxing’s answer to the Grateful Dead.’ You had this same group of people that kept coming over and over and over.”
On the first fight:
HBO Broadcaster Jim Lampley: “I was trying to tell all my friends why this was must-see TV. It was truly an insider’s prizefight. I don’t know how many of the fans who came to Mohegan Sun [for the first fight] that night really understood what they were about to see.”
Fighter Micky Ward: “It’s weird, but I was actually proud of [Arturo]…I know how hard it is to go through that and continue…I can actually say I was proud of him for being that tough.”
On their friendship:
Micky Ward: “Arturo will be a part of me forever. The memories will be in my mind forever. Our fights will be in my head forever. We’ll be linked forever throughout boxing history together. So we’ll be together forever.”
Ward promoter Lou DiBella: “I think they both understood in their own ways the historic significance of what they’d just gone through.”
Kathy Duva: “Somehow the whole became much greater than the sum of its parts. The two of them together created history. Neither one could have done it by himself. But together, they became iconic.”

For the first time in 13 years, and leave it to local world champion “Mile High” Mike Alvarado to do it, the Denver area will host a world championship boxing event. A sellout crowd is expected. It will be broadcast live on HBO beginning 9:45 pm ET and will be book-ended with some incredible programming for boxing fans — the replay of last week’s Timothy Bradley – Juan Manuel Márquez world welterweight title fight before and Legendary Nights: The Tale of Gatti-Ward, following the live fight.

BOB ARUM: There is not much I can say as a promoter. You don’t have to sell this fight. Everyone that knows anything about boxing knows that this fight will be a candidate for ‘Fight of the Year.” Two great warriors – two guys that entertain the public. You don’t need a sales pitch for this one and it’s showing at the box office as there are so few tickets left and by fight time it will be sold out.

ARTIE PELULLO: Bob has said it all about what the fight is going to be. It’s a great television fight, a fan-friendly fight. These guys don’t know any other way other than to come right at you. It will be another “Fight of the Year” candidate. Mike Alvarado is a great champion and Ruslan is hungry and wants to fight. He’s been doing this for 5 ½ years and is no stranger to fighting in others’ hometowns – as he has never fought in his. I have been promoting events for over 30 years and for the first time fifteen family members are coming out to see the fight – a first for me. I would like to introduce Ruslan and his manager Vadim Kornilov, two young kids grateful for the opportunity Mike Alvarado has given them.

RUSLAN PROVODNIKOV: It has been an extraordinary training camp. We have been in camp for eight weeks and it’s almost over. We are adding the final touches this week and it’s never been better. Every muscle and bone in my body is ready to go.

MIKE ALVARADO: This is exciting. It’s a dream come true to defend this title in my hometown and having all of my main supporters here. It’s a blessing. Training camp has been great and I’m ready to get in there and do what I always do – win this fight and retain this title and go on to bigger and better things. I’m excited about it. At the end of this week everyone is going to see a great performance out of me.

HENRY DELGADO: Mike never needs extra motivation to fight but I have seen extra effort in this training camp. We have to tell him to back off a little bit. It’s going to be an exciting fight. The whole city is on fire – everywhere you go people are talking about the fight. This is a great thing for Denver. They have the Broncos, the Rockies and now Mike Alvarado is on the scene. There is great buzz in the city so tune into the fight – there is going to be some fireworks.

How do you feel about the expectations of this fight?

MIKE ALVARADO: All of our fights have been top-caliber fights. The anticipation is from the wars that we have been in tells us that this fight has ‘War’ written all over it and there’s a good chance that this fight will turn into that. I have a good game plan and I know how I’m going to box to win this fight, but you never know, this fight could turn into a crazy war and we could see Rios I all over again.

Do you expect that to happen again after 4 or 5 in a row?

MIKE ALVARADO: I am not expecting a war because of the way I have been training and how I’ve seasoned as a professional. I know I am going to stay strong, boxing and focused on my game plan to make the fight go the way I need it to go and not make it a war. But you never know – that one show could change the fight around.

HBO has positioned this fight to be broadcast the same night as the special Legendary Nights: The Tale of Gatti-Ward, the all-action trilogy. How does that make you feel?

MIKE ALVARADO: When I sit here and think about it, it’s kind of scary, those dudes about killed each other. That’s a big step. Those are some big names to categorize ourselves with. It’s an honor to be in that kind of fight. We’ll see what happens. I am ready to perform and show greatness.

How do you feel about he expectations?

RUSLAN PROVODNIKOV: I try not to think about that and not to worry about that. My job is to get ready for the fight and to come in and do what I do best.

How do you expect Alvarado to approach you in the fight?

RUSLAN PROVODNIKOV: I’m sure Mike is 100% ready for this fight and is approaching this fight very seriously. He said he is going to try and box me and I am ready for anything. I can also box, I am not only a brawler and we can compete in any style that he chooses. I think if Mike chooses to box it will be better for me because I think that Mike is a better brawler than he is a boxer.

What type of fight do you feel it will evolve into?

RUSLAN PROVODNIKOV: I think we are going to have to fight no matter what. Whether it will be one punch, but I think it will turn into a fight no matter what. I don’t think either of us can run for the entire fight and I don’t think he’ll be able to box with me as well as he thinks. This will turn into a fight. If I can make Timothy Bradley fight me I don’t think there is anyone that won’t end up fighting me.

What did he think about Bradley’s fight on Saturday?

RUSLAN PROVODNIKOV: I was not surprised at all. I know Timothy Bradley is a great champion. He comes in prepared for all of his fights and he was 100% ready. I saw what I expected to see, Timothy Bradley outbox Marquez. I heard Marquez say that he was going to have to finish him off after Ruslan and knowing the type of fighter that Timothy Bradley is, I didn’t think that would happen. He couldn’t finish him off. Timothy is a warrior and he was going to come in and fight. Bradley fought the way he fought because Marquez let him fight that way. You cannot beat Timothy Bradley by boxing – you need to pressure him and break him down inside and outside and to the body – that’s the only way you can beat that guy. You cannot box him. I think that’s the main mistake Juan Manuel Marquez made, he thought he could beat him by boxing. I was not surprised at how the fight went but surprised that one of the judges gave it to Marquez. I get more and more surprised by the judging in every fight I watch and wonder what fight they are watching.

You are the only one to hurt Bradley. What does that say about you and boxers?

RUSLAN PROVODNIKOV: It’s up to you guys and the fans to summarize the fight. I didn’t come into the ring to move around and box. I came into the ring not to box but to win the fight. I wasn’t looking for the easy way out and to box him. I knew I needed to break him – that’s a risk but I knew I had to take it to win.

Are you worried about not having Freddie Roach at the fight?

RUSLAN PROVODNIKOV: From the beginning we knew there was a chance that Freddie would not be in the corner on the day of the fight. We knew he had obligations to Manny Pacquiao. We trained with Freddie for eight weeks exactly and it has been an awesome training camp. Also we have been working on how we defeat Mike Alvarado. It has all come together. I am going to have Freddie’s assistant Marvin Somodio in my corner. Marvin has been there every day and I know what to do. I know what to do once the fight comes. I am not worried about Freddie not being there. He is obviously the backbone of our team – he is the captain and I had hoped he could be there, there is a chance he could be there on fight night but I am ready if he’s not.

What did you think about Bradley-Marquez?

MIKE ALVARADO: Bradley fought great. He obviously did what he had to do. He had a game plan together to win that fight and he stuck to it. He didn’t let Marquez take him out of his game like Ruslan did and executed to win the fight. I give Tim a lot of credit. He’s a great champion and it was a good fight to watch. He fought the wrong fight against Provodnikov and he recovered well from that. He walked in there thinking he was going to be able to walk thru him and that type of fight happens. Every fight is different and that’s how that fight had to end up. I fought in that same venue, same ring and same referee so I knew what he was going through. My fight (with Rios) turned into the same kind of fight so maybe it’s something about that place. But on Saturday, he fought great and put on a great performance.

But the referee stopped your fight and let Bradley go on…

MIKE ALVARADO: I didn’t get the opportunity to come back and show that I could fight back from what was going on in that moment. I was disappointed, but it is what it is and the referee had to do his job and I’m just glad I redeemed myself to prove what should have happened. So I’m happy where I am now and ready to put on another good performance.

Are you puzzled that you didn’t get a bigger fight since beating Rios?

MIKE ALVARADO: That’s just the way it goes sometimes with the negotiations and the way fights get set up. I am ready for this fight and know that those fights will still be available. It is a dream come true to bring the title home to my hometown – to be able to perform in front of these people. I can’t take away from that and all those other bigger fights are yet to come and I’ll be ready for them.

Do you think your boxing could be the difference in this fight?

MIKE ALVARADO: I think it will be the difference. In my training and I have learned and developed that. Experimenting with it in my last fight with Rios gave me confidence that I can adjust in a fight. Sticking to my game plan, keeping the focus and not letting it break into a fight like that is the plan. Keeping the focus is what I have to do to win this fight.

How have the demands been on your time while training and fighting in hometown?

MIKE ALVARADO: I have been able to keep my focus and my eyes on my game plan. It’s exciting to me and I’m very hyped up for this moment in my life and I am ready for what I need to do. Its here and its coming really soon. I have the support from everyone and it is a dream feeling. I’m ready for it and I can’t wait.

Mauricio Herrera is a common opponent. How are you different now?

RUSLAN PROVODNIKOV: I watched the fight between Herrera and Alvarado and you could see that Mike was going toe-to-toe with him. When I fought him there was moving a lot and clinching a lot and didn’t want to fight me. He won the fight by holding me and moving around. Both fights were great fights. For me, it was something I had to go through in my career in order to change and it was a changing point for me. Now I am fighting with the greatest trainer and having a great training camp. I am definitely more experienced and a different fighter now.

ARTIE PELULLO: Marvin Somodio is not a replacement for the corner – he has been training with Ruslan every day.

BOB ARUM: Freddie met Somodio in the Philippines. He is a kid that has worked in the camp with Manny and Freddie and he has come to America and is working out of Freddie’s gym. He speaks perfect English and can understand everything that his being said. Even though Ruslan uses an interpreter on the call he is fluent in English.

ARTIE PELULLO: Vadim would also be there to translate whatever needs to be done. Vadim does the translation when it is not 100% clear in the action of the moment and now he would be doing it for Marvin as he did it for Freddie.

VADIM KORNILOV: Freddie has not yet confirmed that he will no be there on fight night. It is just something that we are expecting because he is training Manny right now. I have been translating in the corner for the past 15 fights.

Are you worried about being in too many wars?

MIKE ALVARADO: It hasn’t caught up to me yet. Being in those kinds of fights has made me that much better as a fighter. Being in fights like that has helped me adjust into being a better boxer. Being in wars can take a toll and can catch up to you. It has helped with my training also. We have brought in Rudy Hernandez who helped with different training methods and the experience he has been through. I am still learning and becoming a better boxer that will help in those kinds of wars.

BOB ARUM: Let me say this. If you are watching fights on HBO, there are no more appearance fights. The fights are competitive. The fights are hard fights. HBO pays the most money and they expect their subscribers to get the most value. It’s not about picking and choosing. We all know that some like picking an easy fight after a tough fight and you can still do that but HBO isn’t going to pay for it.

What is your best chance of winning?

MIKE ALVARADO: Provodnikov is not used to fighting backwards as well. There are a lot of different training methods we have used as well for this fight. Boxing will come in handy and there are other tactics we will use as well. This fight is going to be very interesting. I am going to go in there and use what I worked on for this fight. Boxing is going to definitely be an option, but fighting is a huge option as well. This is a must-see fight and anything can happen.

RUSLAN PROVODNIKOV: I think that Timothy Bradley and Mike Alvarado are two different fighters. Bradley is a lot more awkward than Mike is and comparing their boxing styles… I don’t compare them as boxers. I compare them as two different style fighters. I think my fight with Alvarado will be more interesting that the Bradley fight because I think there will be more moments of exchanging in this one so I don’t see the point in comparing the two fighters.

What has to happen for you to win the fight?

MIKE ALVARADO: It’s each fighter and how he adapts to how the other fighter is bringing the fight. Adjustments are huge at this level and that’s where the corner comes in and gives instructions on how to adjust. Whoever adjusts best will overcome.

RUSLAN PROVODNIKOV: Obviously like in any fight, the fighter is going to have to adjust. But like I said before, whoever has the strongest will is going to win this fight. Whoever has the most willpower, whoever is stronger mentally is going to win this fight.

MIKE ALVARADO: I’ve been in these kinds of fights before and I know how they can end up. I am very strong mentally and very strong-willed. I’ve been there before and need to use my will to make the fight go my way. I’m ready to put on a great show and ready to win this fight.

BOB ARUM: We all know it’s going to be a great fight. We don’t have to keep asking the same questions over and over again. These guys are warriors. They are going to come to fight. Yea, there will be some good boxing. What we are going to see is really a knock-down fight. You can ask the questions seventeen different ways and the answers are all the same.

RUSLAN PROVODNIKOV: A lot of different fighters have had a plan when coming into the ring with me but usually in fights with guys like Mike Alvarado and myself the plan changes after the first punch. That is my hope for this fight

MIKE ALVARADO: I am ready to go and perform and put on a good show and I hope that everybody enjoys it.

**************************************

Denver’s very own homegrown world champion “Mile High” MIKE ALVARADO will make the first defense of his World Boxing Organization (WBO) interim junior welterweight title a “home game”, when he battles No. 1 contender the “Siberian Rocky” RUSLAN PROVODNIKOV of Russia, This Saturday! October 19, at 1STBANK Center in nearby Broomfield, Colo. This marks the area’s first world championship fight featuring a local fighter since September 15, 2000 when former World Boxing Council (WBC) lightweight champion Stevie Johnston unsuccessfully challenged defending WBC lightweight champion Jose Luis Castillo, via majority draw, at Pepsi Center. Alvarado vs. Provodnikov will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing®, beginning at 9:45 p.m. ET/PT.

Alvarado (34-1, 23 KOs) and Provodnikov (22-2, 15 KOs) enter this world title tilt fresh from Fight of the Year performances that took place in March, just two weeks apart from each other, and were televised on HBO®. They boast a combined record of 56-3 (38 KOs) — a winning percentage of 95% and a victory by knockout ratio of 68%.

Promoted by Top Rank® and Banner Promotions, in association with Tecate, remaining tickets to the Alvarado vs. Provodnikov world title fight event, priced at $200, $100, $50 and $25, plus applicable fees and taxes, can be purchased online at TicketHorse.com, order by phone at 866-461-6556 and at Tickethorse kiosks located at all Colorado Dick’s Sporting Goods Stores (for credit card purchases only).

For fight updates go to www.toprank.com, www.banner-promotions.com or www.hbo.com/boxing, on Facebook at facebook.com/trboxing, facebook.com/trboxeo, facebook.com/banner-promotions or facebook.com/hboboxing, and on Twitter at twitter.com/trboxing, twitter.com/trboxeo, twitter.com/bannerboxing or twitter.com/hboboxing.

DENVER (October 8, 2013) — Denver’s only reigning world champion, “Mile High” MIKE ALVARADO, and his promoter Top Rank®, will donate one dollar ($1.00) from every ticket sold to his homecoming world title defense to The Salvation Army for its emergency disaster services serving Colorado. Alvarado defends his World Boxing Organization (WBO) junior welterweight crown against No. 1 contender Ruslan “The Siberian Rocky” Provodinkov, of Russia, Saturday, October 19, at the 1stBank Center in Broomfield, Colo. The fight will be televised live nationally on HBO®.

“Colorado boxing fans have been so supportive of me throughout my entire career and I am only too happy to support the people of my state in their time of need. We all need to do our part.,” said Alvarado, who was also a former two-time high school state wrestling champion.

“I have a home in Colorado. I love this state. Top Rank was onboard the minute Mike brought it up to us. A great event to support a great cause,” said Todd duBoef, president of Top Rank.

“We are so grateful,” said Salvation Army leader Lt. Colonel Dan Starrett on this partnership with Alvarado and Top Rank. “This support allows The Salvation Army to be there for Colorado, providing for the needs of those impacted, until the healing is complete.”

Alvarado vs. Provodnikov marks the Denver area’s first world championship fight featuring a local fighter since September 15, 2000 when former World Boxing Council (WBC) lightweight champion Stevie Johnston unsuccessfully challenged defending WBC lightweight champion Jose Luis Castillo at the Pepsi Center.

Alvarado (34-1, 23 KOs) and Provodnikov (22-2, 15 KOs) enter this world title tilt fresh from Fight of the Year performances that took place in March, just two weeks apart from each other, and were televised live on HBO. They boast a combined record of 56-3 (38 KOs) — a winning percentage of 95% and a victory by knockout ratio of 68%.

Promoted by Top Rank® and Banner Promotions, in association with Tecate, remaining tickets to the Alvarado vs. Provodnikov world title fight event, priced at $200, $100, $50 and $25, plus applicable fees and taxes, can be purchased online at TicketHorse.com, order by phone at 866-461-6556 and at Tickethorse kiosks located at all Colorado Dick’s Sporting Goods Stores (for credit card purchases only)

For fight updates go to www.toprank.com, www.banner-promotions.com or www.hbo.com/boxing, on Facebook at facebook.com/trboxing, facebook.com/trboxeo, facebook.com/banner-promotions or facebook.com/hboboxing, and on Twitter at twitter.com/trboxing, twitter.com/trboxeo, twitter.com/bannerboxing or twitter.com/hboboxing.

DENVER (August 13, 2013) — Denver’s very own homegrown world champion “Mile High” MIKE ALVARADO will make the first defense of his World Boxing Organization (WBO) junior welterweight title a “home game,” when he battles No. 1 contender RUSLAN PROVODNIKOV of Russia, Saturday, October 19, at 1STBANK Center in nearby Broomfield, Colo. This marks the area’s first world championship fight featuring a local fighter since September 15, 2000 when former World Boxing Council (WBC) lightweight champion Stevie Johnston unsuccessfully challenged defending WBC lightweight champion Jose Luis Castillo, via majority draw, at Pepsi Center. Alvarado vs. Provodnikov will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing, beginning at 9:45 p.m. ET/PT. This will be the first time HBO has televised a live fight from Colorado.

Alvarado and Provodnikov enter this world title tilt fresh from Fight of the Year performances that took place in March, just two weeks apart from each other, and were televised on HBO®. They boast a combined record of 56-3 (38 KOs) — a winning percentage of 95% and a victory by knockout ratio of 68%.

Promoted by Top Rank® and Banner Promotions, in association with Tecate, tickets to the Alvarado vs. Provodnikov world title fight event will go on sale This Friday! August 16 at 10:00 a.m. MT. Priced at $200, $100, $50 and $25, plus applicable fees and taxes, tickets can be purchased online at TicketHorse.com, order by phone at 866-461-6556 and at Tickethorse kiosks located at all Colorado Dick’s Sporting Goods Stores (for credit card purchases only)

“Denver just got its Super Bowl in boxing. I’m so excited,” said Alvarado. “I am going to adjust my training technique and battle plan because there are different challenges from Ruslan Provodnikov compared to fighting Brandon Rios.”

“I’m glad that Alvarado finally agreed to this fight,” said Provodnikov. “This will be an unforgettable fight for the fans. I will not disappoint my team and my fans.”

“Boxing fans have been craving for this match up,” said Todd duBoef, president of Top Rank. The fighters’ styles make for boxing’s in-ring perfect storm.”

“I’m very excited about the fight and glad that Bob Arum and Todd duBoef were able to close the deal with Alvarado,” said Art Pelullo, president of Banner Promotions and Provodnikov’s promoter. “I think it’s a great fight for boxing. It’s what we need. Ruslan was very close to beating Tim Bradley. We think he can win the fight. We know it’s going to be an exciting fight no matter what happens.”

“Mike Alvarado vs. Ruslan Provodnikov is a fight fan’s fight that will deliver non-stop action from the moment the first bell rings,” said Peter Nelson, director of programming, HBO Sports. “The fight crowd in Denver and those tuning in to HBO on October 19 are in for a memorable night of boxing. We are grateful to both fight camps for accepting the bout.”

Alvarado (34-1, 23 KOs) of Denver, had won 10 of his last 14 bouts by stoppage en route to his rematch victory over Brandon “Bam Bam” Rios, on March 30, which not only avenged Alvarado’s loss to Rios in last year’s Fight of the Year, but also made Alvarado a world champion. Alvarado had lost to Rios on October 13, via a seventh-round technical knockout in one of the most action-packed fights of the millennium. Going into round seven, two of the three judges’ scorecards had it 57-57. In the sequel, which was as action-packed as the first fight, Alvarado made subtle adjustments to eke out a narrow but unanimous decision. Notable Alvarado knockout victims have included Breidis Prescott, Ray Narh, Emmanuel Clottey and Cesar Bazan. In 2012 Alvarado fought in two Fights of the Year-nominated fights. On April 14, 2012, Alvarado went toe-to-toe for 10 brutal and exciting rounds winning a unanimous decision over Mauricio Herrera (18-1, 7 KOs). Herrera entered that fight world-rated No. 7 and riding a two-year, five-bout winning streak, highlighted by victories over Ruslan Provodnikov (17-0) and Mike Dallas, Jr. (17-1-1). That was followed by his first fight with Rios in October.

Provodnikov (22-2, 15 KOs), born and raised in Berezovo, Khanty-Mansi, Russia in Siberia, is trained by Hall of Famer World-Famous Freddie Roach. He enters this fight coming off a hotly-disputed unanimous decision loss to undefeated WBO welterweight champion Timothy Bradley, Jr. In their March 16 rumble, Provodnikov, who moved up in weight for his title shot, hurt Bradley numerous times during their slugfest, nearly knocking out the defending champion in the first and second rounds and scoring a knockdown in the final round. Two of the three scorecards had Bradley winning by only one point. Provodnikov, 29. has built up a steady fan base due to his exciting fights which have been televised nationally. Known for his aggressive style and excellent two-fisted punching power, Provodnikov is already more than prepared for his second consecutive world title challenge — this time at his natural junior welterweight level — inasmuch as he has been Manny Pacquiao’s main sparring partner for the past 12 months. His professional resume boasts victories over former world champions Javier Jauregui and DeMarcus Corley, and he enters this fight having won five of his last six bouts, with four of those victories coming by way of knockout, including a sixth-round stoppage of David Torres and a second-round knockout of Jose Reynoso. Torres and Reynoso had a combined record of 37-5-3 when they fought Provodnikov.

For fight updates go to www.toprank.com, www.banner-promotions.com or www.hbo.com/boxing, on Facebook at facebook.com/trboxing, facebook.com/trboxeo, facebook.com/banner-promotions or facebook.com/hboboxing, and on Twitter at twitter.com/trboxing, twitter.com/trboxeo, twitter.com/bannerboxing or twitter.com/hboboxing.

LOS ANGELES (August 12, 2013)—World Ranked Ruslan Provodnikov began training camp today at the Wild Card Gym to start his preparation for his October 19th clash with WBO Jr. Welterweight champion Mike Alvarado that will take place in Denver and will be seen Live on HBO.

Provodnikov (22-2, 15 KO’s) arrived in Los Angeles last week and did promotional activities with Alvarado which included the taping of the popular “Face to Face “program. Today he started full force with Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach and world class strength and conditioning coach Gavin McMillian.

Tonight, Provodnikov will board a flight for Denver for the kick off press conference which takes place on Tuesday afternoon.

“My fate gave me another chance in a big fight to fight for the title.” said Provodnikov.

“Today I started training camp which is the road towards my dream and goal to become world champion”.

Said Provodnikov’s manager Vadim Kornilov, “Ruslan started training with Gavin McMillian today. With the full training camp that Ruslan will get with Freddie and Gavin, I think Ruslan will be a more complete fighter in the ring”.

The fight is promoted by Top Rank and Banner Promotions.

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, Bernard Hopkins October 19th mandatory defense with Karo Murat has been pushed back a week to October 26th at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City to avoid conflict with the Mike Alvarado – Ruslan Provodnikov fight on HBO.

Schaefer also said he has made a deal with Showtime to televise the card, which he said could be a tripleheader. The other bouts Schaefer said he is working on for the card are super middleweight titlist Sakio Bika (32-5-2, 21 KOs) taking on mandatory challenger Anthony Dirrell (26-0, 22 KOs) — although Bika could have taken an optional defense because the mandatory is not due yet – and “Kid Chocolate” Peter Quillin (29-0, 21 KOs) making the second defense of his middleweight belt against a yet-to-be-determined opponent.

“We’re trying to get the Bika-Dirrell fight done and we’re also looking at having Quillin on the card as well,” Schaefer said.

Philadelphia (August 8, 2013)—Ruslan Provodnikov has landed in Los Angeles to begin training camp for his much anticipated showdown with WBO Jr. Welterweight champion Mike Alvarado that will take place on Saturday, October 19th at First Bank Arena in Denver, Colorado.

The bout will be live on HBO’s Championship boxing and is promoted by Top Rank and Banner Promotions.

Provodnikov will be training at the Wild Card Gym under the watchful eye of Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach.

Provodnikov of Beryozovo, Russia has a record of 22-2 with fifteen knockouts and has become 2013’s breakout star. He won his first seventeen bouts with wins over Emanuel Augustus and former world champion Javier Juaragui. Since suffering his first pro defeat, Provodnikov went on terrific run of five straight wins over the likes of undefeated Ivan Popoca, former world champion DeMarcus Corley, David Torres and Jose Reynoso before his memorable March 16, 2013 clash with undefeated WBO Welterweight champion Timothy Bradley.

Provodnikov will be fighting for a world title for a second consecutive fight.

“Since the Bradley fight, everyone in boxing, from the fans to the networks have been waiting the return of Ruslan”, said Banner Promotions CEO Arthur Pelullo.

“Then when rumors of a possible fight with Alvarado started to surface, our office has been flooded with calls to find out the details. Now I can safely say that this can’t miss fight is on and we know that Ruslan will shine once again on October 19th”.

Said Ruslan Provodnikov, “I am very happy that Alvarado finally agreed to the fight”.

“I think this will be an unforgettable fight and I promise I will not disappoint my fans”.

“We have been waiting for this for a long time”, said Provodnikov’s manager Vadim Kornilov.

“This is another opportunity for Ruslan. I think the fight will decide who is the real player in the Jr. Welterweight division and the true WBO champion”

Alvarado of Denver has a record of 34-1 with 23 knockouts and will be making the first defense of the title he won on March 30th in his thrilling twelve round unanimous decision victory over Brandon Rios in a rematch of their back and forth slugfest in 2012.

Alvarado has wins over the likes of Carlos Molina, Michael Clark, Ray Narh and Breidis Prescott.

FROM ALLBOXING.AU

As it became known AllBoxing.Ru, the Russian boxer Ruslan Provodnikov is regarded as one of the potential contenders for pound for pound best American Floyd Mayweather Jr. to fight, which is scheduled for September of this year and should be shown on Showtime PPV. According to Ruslan AllBoxing.Ru manager Vadim Kornilov, “If such conversations do take place and, in his opinion, if a fight takes place, it will be just as entertaining and intriguing than the last fight Ruslan against American Timothy Bradley. “Of course we are interested in this fight – said in an interview with Vadim Kornilov on AllBoxing.Ru. – “”herefore, if Floyd Mayweather will be the winner of a fight with Robert Guerrero, we are open to negotiations. I know very well Ruslan and I can confidently say that we dont avoid fights with the strongest contenders. He does not like to make loud statements and does not promise to beat all, knockout people or something like that. But, nevertheless, I want to remind you that few people gave him a chance to fight with one of the ten best P4P boxers in Timothy Bradley. What happened in the end – we’ve all seen. ”

The manager does not believe that Ruslan will be a clear underdog in a fight with Mayweather, and, according to him, there is a compelling reason. “In the corner by Ruslan will be one of the best coaches and strategists of modern boxing Freddie Roach, and the whole training process is going to work with him one of the best teams in the world boxing – he recalled. – So my word that the fight with Mayweather can not get less entertaining and competitive than the fight with Timothy Bradley, who claimed this year’s title of “Fight of the Year” is not mere statements, and knowledge of the situation from the inside. Ruslan is ready to give all of himself in training. He is ready to show their best qualities in the ring. He lives in boxing and will be incredibly motivated with the ability to fight the best boxers in the world. Give him the opportunity to fight the best, and he will use it one hundred percent. ”