Provodnikov's Manager: No Return in 2016, Career Undecided

By Steve Kim

On the night of June 11th at the Turning Stone Resort and Casino in Verona, New York, Ruslan Provodnikov dropped a twelve round decision to John Molina. The performance from 'the Siberian Rocky' left many wondering if he still had the desire to continue his career as his trademark intensity was absent that night.

Is that flame still burning within Provodnikov?

"If it's there, I wouldn't say it's burnt out, I would say it's a little bit on a lower scale, it's flickering,"said his manager, Vadim Kornilov. "He's achieved a lot in his career and his life and I don't think he wants to give away as much health as he's had to in his previous fights."

For the time being Provodnikov will be mulling over his future as a professional prizefighter, Kornilov tells Boxingscene.com,"He's definitely not going to fight the rest of the year. We want to give him time to just stay away from boxing as much as he can and we'll see."

Kornilov notes that Provodnikov has invested his money well and his very secure financially.

Provodnikov currently has a mark of 25-5(18 KO's) and while that's not an inordinate amount of fights, he regularly competed in 'Fight of the Year'-type battles.

"I think if you look at the fights he's had with (Tim) Bradley, even (Mike) Alvarado, (Lucas)Matthysse and everything he's done in those fights, being more of a brawler and a fighter and each fight being a war and not a boxing match, I think that has had an affect on him and his body,"opined Kornilov."That should be considered when people say he doesn't want to give everything in the ring because I don't think it's up to him.

"He's a fighter who's had all those wars and he's 32, he might be older his body now than his listed age. Some fighters don't take as much damange in 10, 12 fights as he took in the Bradley fight."

Steve Kim is the news editor for BoxingScene.com.