Didn't see a post about it. Gonna be in the Denver 'burbs. I'm fuckin going. Should be an absolute war.

http://www.denverpost.com/sports/ci_23777062/mike-alvarado-fight-ruslan-provodnikov-defend-title-colorado

Mike Alvarado to fight Ruslan Provodnikov, defend boxing title in Colorado
By Nick Groke
The Denver Post

Brandon Rios, left, takes a punch from Mike Alvarado in a fight for the interim WBO junior welterweight championship at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas in March. (Steve Marcus, Reuters)
Denver's Mike Alvarado will fight Russian Ruslan Provodnikov in the first major boxing championship bout in Colorado in nearly 13 years, Alvarado's promoter and manager confirmed Thursday.

The junior welterweight fight is scheduled for Oct. 19 at the FirstBank Center in Broomfield. It will air live on HBO immediately after a replay of the Juan Manuel Marquez vs. Tim Bradley fight from a week earlier.

Alvarado (34-1) is coming off a career-making victory by unanimous decision over Brandon Rios in March, a fight-of-the-year candidate. Provodnikov (22-2) lost to Bradley in a brawl two weeks before Alvarado-Rios.

"This matchup is perfect for Mike," said Henry Delgado, Alvarado's manager. "Mike can do what he wants. He can bang and he can box."

Alvarado is expected to earn more than $1 million to fight Provodnikov, likely almost doubling his previous career high.

Provodnikov — who calls himself the "Siberian Rocky" — last fought Bradley at 147 pounds, the welterweight limit. But Provodnikov will come back down in weight to fight Alvarado at the junior welterweight limit of 140 pounds.

"When Mike reached this level, you fight the elite every time out," said Carl Moretti, vice president of promoter Top Rank. "That's what he's doing. This is not a showcase fight. Mike proved his mettle. Provodnikov showed what he had against Bradley. It's a big night for boxing."

Colorado last hosted a major boxing title fight in September 2000, when Stevie Johnston failed to take the WBC lightweight belt from Jose Luis Castillo in a 12-round draw at the Pepsi Center.

"I was hoping for an easier showcase fight for Mike," said Shann Vilhauer, Alvarado's trainer. "Something like Stevie Johnston's title defense at Magness Arena."

Johnston defended his lightweight championship in March 2000 on the University of Denver campus in a fight that aired on ESPN.

"But this is HBO. They ain't gonna put garbage on that network," Vilhauer said.

Alvarado, in his victory over Rios in March, won the interim WBO junior welterweight title.

Details about ticket sales for the Oct. 19 fight will be announced later.

i'll be in the building for sure, probably frantically refreshing before tickets go on sale to try to get best available.

you guys think this is the sort of event that's worth buying a couple extra to turn around on the side? biggest fight in denver in a long, long time.

Like there are few fights that I actually consider not watching just because I'm scared of what might happen, but this is one of them. But of course I'm still going to watch because of what else might happen.

So part of me thinks Prov is being overrated after the Bradley fight, since Bradley was so far from himself in that fight that it's almost irrelevant how close Prov came to beating him. Bradley is a top-five boxer and an average brawler. But Alvarado knows how to brawl and can punch enough to gain respect--we know he can succeed in the face of relentlessness and Prov won't walk through his punches as easily. And Alvarado is more skilled and somewhat faster than Prov.

On the other hand, Bradley did make a good point recently about Prov's angles being unconventional and making for a tough adjustment, so I could see him inflicting his own fair share of damage even if Alvarado boxes a bit more. And Prov probably has the better chin.

Also, it's probably dumb for me to read into this as much as I am, but the difference between the two fighters in their HBO face-off was really striking. Prov sounded way more self-assured and just calm in the face of violence (I was shocked that he went all philosophical on Kellerman--who the hell knew this crazy Siberian bastard was full of profound thoughts on pugilism). Something about his demeanor and his approach to the fight just gave me the impression of a mental edge that might be an x-factor.

Yeah I'm still going back and forth on this one. In any case, let's hope these guys both end up okay.

Now I'm nervous. This will be my first pro fight in person.

Kind of a brutal first one.

Seen a lot of amateur fights in person, but there's no headgear here.

It probably goes without saying that, even in these rock 'em sock 'em fights, 99.98% of the time the fighters suffer the ramifications of head trauma quietly and belatedly, so fans don't have to dwell on it too much in messy tandem with the visceral thrill of being ringside for a total war. This one will almost definitely be no exception, but it will also be an especially brutal fight, so it's hard for me to not let that side of it enter into my pre-fight thoughts. For the most part I'm excited about the potential for drama.

Also, to be honest, when I listen to a guy like Provodnikov talk so matter-of-factly about fighting, it actually in a weird way lessens my ambivalence and humanizes the whole thing for me. There's something pure about it. I mean if a guy loves to fight and fights for pride, then you got to let him have it when he goes to war in there. I think it's appropriate for a fan's ratio of fear to excitement to equal that of the fighters.

you're probably the most knowledgeable and insightful boxing cat on OKS. always on point or pretty close to it. kudos.

which will be fun to watch (as long
as it doesn't feature long-term damage
to both fighters) - which is always a
possibility in a fight like this....

that said, everyone is picking it to be
a slug-fest fight of the year candidate, but
I wouldn't be all that surprised if Alvarado
found a groove to flat-out outbox Ruslan
and prevent him from getting off anything big....

But with Ruslan, one flush power punch can change
the whole complexion of the fight...and there will
be at least a few spots where I see Alvarado just
standing toe-to-toe and throwing, like he did v. Rios
He's better at boxing than fighting, but he really
loves to fight.

-->

Breathe through the nose
keep the mouth closed.
Through the blood
Chi goes where the dow flows.

bradley beating this dude is a tip in his cap

Ruslan's face looks like a fucking rock

Boxing Zangief

(c)Ghost

And yuri arbachakov

Let's just hope he ain't on those padded knuckle steez b/c he dame near killed 2 cats inside the ring.

Provodnikov is the muthafuckin man like homo-erectus! (c)Ras Kass

a brutal beatdown of Tim Bradley at '47 and now this at 140.

SO many options for this cat. i'll weigh in on that more later. right now i'm just gonna enjoy the moment. great time to be a boxing fan, to hell with all the bad decisions. these guys give EVERYTHING for the sport of boxing and i am truly grateful. i know (for fans)it's just a sport but it gives me a greater appreciation life, health, discipline, and the human spirit and will.

i know (for fans)it's just a sport but it gives me a
>greater appreciation life, health, discipline, and the human
>spirit and will.

it just makes me humble to see 2 people literally putting their lives on the line, everything they have...just to win. awe inspiring



does it even matter?

Provodnikov was the stronger fighter with the better chin, and that was all that really mattered in the outcome of this fight. Alvarado basically conceded those advantages right away by fighting negatively most of the fight. I thought it was a pick 'em fight, but after just one round, it already seemed like a Prov stoppage was by far the most likely scenario. One fighter budged, the other didn't.

I'm just glad the Alvarado corner figured that out in time. Prov gives less of a fuck than just about anyone I've ever seen box, like in the sociopathic sense. But Alvarado is just a guy with an enormous heart--he showed it in its entirety in the 8th round--and he clearly gives at least a little bit of a fuck. There was no way he would have survived the 11th and I'm glad he and his corner gave enough of a fuck to put his heart aside and worry about his head. He'll be back.

That's the only think I can't think of

The folks at Top Rank are probably drooling over that fight already.

He would get picked apart like he did when bradley boxed him- but he's one fighter who I could actually see would just keep walking forward once he started getting peppered.

Who knows though- plenty of guys like him have fought fast boxers in boxing history and got shook once they couldn't see what was hitting them and where it was coming from.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99oUo9Moeq4

really fun first pro fight to attend.

hoping to catch a replay to really break it down. hard to have great analysis when you're caught up in the energy of the arena.

i honestly had it much closer than any of the judges, but i could be completely wrong.

seemed like switching to southpaw so much was a way for him to rest his left jab because he periodically was shaking his arms like they were tired..

good fight though...Ruslan could do something..