By Jake Donovan

When fighters representing each of the past two Fight of the Year honored bouts square off, naturally the expectation is… a Fight of the Year entrant.

So goes the universal prediction as Lucas Matthysse and Ruslan Provodnikov square off Saturday evening at Turning Stone Resort & Casino in Verona, New York.

It’s probably the only aspect of the fight on which fans and media can agree, as the matchup is a coin-toss as to who will prevail in the HBO-televised battle.

Matthysse (36-3, 34KOs) has emerged as a cult favorite in the sport, though amazingly is without a win on HBO. His lone two apperances on the network both resulted in debatable decisions losses, coming up short on the road versus Zab Judah and Devon Alexander.

The free-swinging Argentinean has since won eight of his last nine starts, including his last seven fights airing live on Showtime. Among the bunch was a multi-knockdown war with John Molina Jr. last April, with both fighters hitting the canvas before Matthysse emerged victorious in an 11th round knockout.

The bout took place on April 26, 2014. Its one-year anniversary will be celebrated with honor of being awarded 2014 Fight of the Year according to the Boxing Writer's Association of America, with its ceremony to be held next Friday, April 24 in New York City.

By then, it's entirely possible Matthysse is already in the running for 2015 top honors.

He certainly has the right dance partner in Provodnikov (24-3, 17KOs), a no-nonsense slugger from Russia who has quickly emerged as a fan favorite on the HBO circuit.

Provodnikov came up just shy in a 12-round war with then-unbeaten welterweight titlist Tim Bradley on the road in California, with their March '13 war universally hailed as 2013 Fight of the Year.

His follow-up performance was one that established his presence as a top threat in the junior welterweight division. Once again fighting in his opponent's backyard, Provodnikov rallied back hard to force Mike Alvarado to quit after 10 brusing rounds in their Oct. '13 slugfest just outside of Denver, Colorado.

A 12-round loss to Chris Algieri last June ended his run as a 140 lb. titlist. He has since rebounded with a walkover knockout win versus badly faded Jose Luis Castillo last home in a homecoming showcase in Russia.

With a recipe for bloody warfare on hand, read on to see how staff members at BoxingScene.com believe the night will ultimately play out.

BOXINGSCENE.COM STAFF PREDICTIONS: LUCAS MATTHYSSE vs. RUSLAN PROVODNIKOV

Ryan Burton (Provodnikov TKO11): Both fighters hit the canvas but Provodnikov's superior chin is the difference and he stops Lucas late.

Jake Donovan (Matthysse UD): Given the explosive power and undying will of both fighters, a knockout seems inevitable right? It's Provodnikov's best shot at winning, but I believe Matthysse to be the far more resourceful fighter - and also more aware of his own deficiencies - to make the necessary adjustments and remain a step ahead throughout the fight.

David Greisman (Matthysse TKO): This will be brutal and shouldn't disappoint. Provodnikov was in the 2013 Fight of the Year when he lost to Tim Bradley. Matthysse was in one of the best bouts of 2014 with his stoppage of John Molina. Both men can grind down the firmest of chins and stoutest of hearts. I think Matthysse will force a mercy stoppage. While Matthysse's war and the damage he suffered was more recent, the punishment he took was from a hard puncher in John Molina. Provodnikov took a lot of blows from the relatively lighter hands of Tim Bradley. I don't think he'll be able to hold off forever against Matthysse's power.

Steve Kim (Provodnikov Dec): In a war of attrition, I like Provodnikov to wear down Matthysse late and win a hard-fought decision.

Peter Lim (Provodnikov TKO5): This showdown, a fight aficionado's dream, has Hagler-Hearns written all over it. Like Hagler, Provodnikov is a vicious pressure-fighting destroyer, but punch for punch, he falls a notch or two below the single-punch sledgehammer power that Mathysse packs, much like Hearns did. The determining factor here therefore boils down to whether Provodnikov's chin is as torpedo-proof as Hagler's was, and I'm guessing that it is. The Russian buzzsaw will absorb Mathysse's bombs with aplomb, relentlessly tear into the Argentine and end the fight with a violent volley of punches in the fifth round in what turns out to be the 2015 Fight of the Year.

John MacDonald (Matthysse TKO10): It can't be anything other than a war can it? I can see the Argentinian's better one-shot power and shot selection prevailing against Provodnikov's relentless pressure.

Takahiro Onaga (Matthysse UD): Of the two men I think Provodnikov better "fighter" but Matthysse better "boxer". Matthyse probably think so and will box to decision win with lot of fun moments.

Cliff Rold (Provodnikov KO): This is going to be sensational in spots. Mathysse isn't crafty enough to stop a war breaking out and Provodnikov is well suited to war. Late in the fight, the war tilts in his favor.

Victor Salazar (Provodnikov late TKO): The can’t miss fight everyone is talking about will be just that and more. Matthysse is the better boxer but his natural instinct will pull him into a dog fight against Provodnikov which will be his downfall. Provodnikov can punch and take a punch with the best of them. It will be a blood bath with Provodnikov stopping Matthysse late.

Reynaldo Sanchez (Matthysse late TKO): Lucas has faced better opponents. The common opponent in common—DeMarcus Corley—lost versus Provodnikov by UD and by KO against Matthysse. Similar styles where Provodnikov’s power will test Lucas, a fight where fitness and strength will be the deciding factor. Ruslan receives a lot of punishment and Lucas Matthysse has the power to defeat him.

Alexey Sukachev (Provodnikov TKO9): It all depends of Matthysse's ability to adjust and to make slight changes to his style. He was able to do that against Alexander and Judah to make both fights close or even debatable. But the change here is much more drastic. Matthysse, in my opinion, should be a counterpuncher against straightforward aggressor in Provodnikov. He should move, and bob, and weave, and hit, and run. Wisely. Can he do that? Yes, in principles but just barely. Will he do it? I'm not sure. And in head-to-head collision with Provodnikov, his punching power will prove insufficient (like it was a case against Garcia), and he will be broken down as he chin lacks that much needed durability.

Totals:

Matthysse–5

Provodnikov–6

Jake Donovan is the Managing Editor of BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox