By Yuri Tarantin
Based on the recent circumstances, manager Vadim Kornilov indicates that Ruslan Provodnikov's likely opponent will indeed be former champion Jose Luis Castillo. Provodnikov returns on November 28 in Moscow. BoxingScene.com first reported last week that Castillo (66-12-1, 57 KOs) was under consideration but it now appears the 40-year-old will likely find himself in the ring with "Siberian Rocky."
Kornilov tried to get other opponents but says the boxers priced themselves out.
"So far the most likely challenger to Ruslan is Castillo. With all of the other candidates, we tried to come to an agreement and we couldn't," Kornilov said. "For the Russian public, they will find it interesting. This is an outstanding athlete. Experts believe his fight with Diego Corales was one of the best in recent years. Also boxing fans remember his fight with Floyd Mayweather. Many believe that Castillo beat him in the first fight, but the judges decided otherwise. We are ready to fight him, but we want to make sure he was fully prepared for it and could make the required weight."
"We made proposals to Zab Judah, Shane Mosley and wanted to get revenge on Mauricio Herrera. These boxers, we offer them very high purses, double of what they can receive in the United States. They refused. I think that this is due to the fact that they are worried about their health. Ruslan has a very strong punch that can cripple an opponent. They understand it and they are afraid to come to Moscow.
"Ruslan is motivated by fights where there is a risk of losing. With Castillo such risk is definitely there. After the fight in Moscow, Ruslan intends to regain the world title."
Yuri Tarantin covers boxing for Allboxing.ru.
