Ruslan Provodnikov: record, next fight and profile →
Surprise. The expected war that was expected between Ruslan Provodnikov and John Molina never materialized. What might have been the bigger surprise was Molina sticking to his game-plan of using his jab and outboxing Provodnikov, especially during the second half of the fight.
VERONA, N.Y. – John Molina outpunched Ruslan Provodnikov in an all-action fight by revealing a new weapon in his arsenal, a sharp and steady jab. Molina captured a surprising unanimous decision in a 12-round junior welterweight bout that featured fierce exchanges throughout Saturday on SHOWTIME from Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, N.Y.
Turning Stone Casino, Verona, New York - John Molina (29-6, 23KOs) picked up one of the biggest wins of his career with a twelve round unanimous decision of former WBO junior welterweight champion Ruslan Provodnikov (25-5, 18KOs). The scores were 116-112, 117-111 and 115-113.
Ruslan Provodnikov is the much busier fighter (63.3 thrown per round to 42 for Molina. Expect high a high contact fight: John Molina's last 7 opponents landed 48.7% of their power shots and 40.8% of their total punches- #1 in both categories among CompuBox Categorical Leaders. Provodnokov's opponents landed 39.8% of their power shots.(wgt. class avg.:36.4%)and 22.8 punches per round- only Kiko Martinez (24.1 per round) has been hit more among CompuBox Categorical Leaders.
Where one door closes, another seems to open. That would be the case for hard-hitting Ruslan Provodnikov. After a thrilling and entertaining loss to Lucas Matthysse the previous April, the likelihood of watching Provodnikov on HBO diminished.
VERONA, N.Y. - The six fighters, including main eventers Ruslan “The Siberian Rocky” Provodnikov and John “The Gladiator” Molina, who will compete on this Saturday’s SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® tripleheader live on SHOWTIME® (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT), participated in the final press conference Thursday at Turning Stone Resort Casino here.
John Molina Video Interview - VERONA, N.Y. - The six fighters, including main eventers Ruslan “The Siberian Rocky” Provodnikov and John “The Gladiator” Molina, who will compete on this Saturday’s SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® tripleheader live on SHOWTIME® (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT), participated in the final press conference Thursday at Turning Stone Resort Casino here.
Ruslan Provodnikov Interview - VERONA, N.Y. - The six fighters, including main eventers Ruslan “The Siberian Rocky” Provodnikov and John “The Gladiator” Molina, who will compete on this Saturday’s SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® tripleheader live on SHOWTIME® (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT), participated in the final press conference Thursday at Turning Stone Resort Casino here.
VERONA, N.Y. - The six fighters, including main eventers Ruslan “The Siberian Rocky” Provodnikov and John “The Gladiator” Molina, who will compete on this Saturday’s SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® tripleheader live on SHOWTIME® (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT), participated in the final press conference Thursday at Turning Stone Resort Casino here.
On July 20, 2013, in Las Vegas, John "The Gladiator" Molina rallied from the brink of defeat to hand previously undefeated and highly regarded Mickey Bey the first loss of his career with a dramatic 10th-round stoppage. It remains one of the most unlikely finishes in the 15-year history of ShoBox: The New Generation.