By Mike Coppinger
NEW YORK -- Ruslan Provodnikov had to settle for a fight against Chris Algieri after bigger matchups fell by the wayside.
Provodnikov isn't thrilled with the result, most of all because of what Algieri represents: a lanky boxer who will look to use his jab and move.
Algieri said that he's watched a lot of Provodnikov tape and noticed that the Siberian Rocky can't deal with a jab and movement.
While Provodnikov isn't enthralled with the notion of facing a boxer, it's not because of level of difficulty.
"It's not true, most of all actually, I don't get excited for fights like this because these fights are not exciting. When the fighter is running away, moving, it's not part of my style," Provodnikov said through manager Vadik Kornilov at a media roundtable last Saturday. "I'm always real excited for a real toe-to-toe fights, and it makes for an exciting fight for me and for the fans and for everyone else. When I have to chase after him and run after him, it's just, it's not as motivating for me, it makes for a different fight and it's not exciting for him or for me that way."
But does Provodnikov think there's any truth to Aligieri's assessment?
"It's not true that it's hard for me to fight these guys. It's actually, for them it's hard to fight me, that's why they're running away," Provodnikov said. "I've never had trouble with these guys, I've fought these guys all my life. In the amateurs and everywhere I've fought taller guys that boxed. ... I can do what I do best and I'll try to catch these guys because they can't run forever. I'll be able to get to him."
The "HBO Boxing After Dark" telecast emanates from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., on Saturday at 10 p.m. ET.
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