Video: Mike Alvardo Planning To Impress in Denver
Ryan Burton catches up with WBO junior welterweight champion Mike Alvarado to discuss his upcoming first defense of the title against the always dangerous Ruslan Provodnikov.
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Video: Ruslan Provodnikov Promises Memorable War
Ryan Burton catches up with junior welterweight contender Ruslan Provodnikov to discuss his upcoming Denver battle with WBO champion Mike Alvarado.
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Mike Alvarado: Nothing Left To Prove
By Thomas Gerbasi - If fate made a different turn, WBO junior welterweight champion Mike Alvarado might have been on this Saturday’s UFC 166 card in Houston, and not headlining the HBO boxing event in Denver against Ruslan Provodnikov that same night. He was that good a wrestler when he was a teenager, winning two state championships for Skyview High School. But when the time came to decide whether to go to college or take another route, he took that other route, lacing on boxing gloves and beginning on a career that led him to a world championship in 2013. As for mixed martial arts, Alvarado says “Once I got so deep into the boxing game, I was really just focused on making my name in boxing. Maybe if MMA was big as it is now when I finished high school, I think maybe I would have joined MMA, but I think this is my calling. I’ve always been a boxer.” And a helluva boxer at that. But does he ever think how dangerous he could have been with his wrestling ability and being able to hit opponents with four ounce gloves? “Right?” he laughs. “Hell yeah. That would be brutal.” Brutal could describe the 33-year-old’s career to this point. In a game where safety-first became the key phrase for up and comers, Alvarado specialized in safety-last. That made him a popular attraction among the hardcore fight set, but the call to that next level never seemed to come, despite a gaudy unbeaten record. Some of that was self-inflicted thanks to some jail time over the years, but even after he got on the straight and narrow, he didn’t seem to get the breaks other fighters got.
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Video: Mike Alvarado vs. Provodnikov Final Presser
Ryan Burton catches the final press conference for the junior welterweight war between WBO champion Mike Alvarado and tough contender Ruslan Provodnikov. Hear from Alvarado, Provodnikov, Top Rank CEO Bob Arum and more.
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Photos: Alvarado, Provodnikov Go Face To Face in Denver
Denver, CO. --- (L-R) WBO Jr. Welterweight champion Mike Alvarado and No. 1 contender Ruslan Provodnikov of Russia pose Thursday during the final press conference for their upcoming world title championship, Saturday, October 19 at 1STBANK Center in Denver, Co. Promoted by Top Rank® and Banner Promotions, in association with Tecate, Alvarado vs. Provodnikov will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing®, beginning at 9:45 p.m. ET/PT. --- Photos by Chris Farina/Top Rank.
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Ruslan Provodnikov: Thank God for Basic Cable
By Cliff Rold - Before his narrow miss in challenging WBO Welterweight titlist Timothy Bradley in what might still be the best fight seen in 2013, there were some who wondered if Russian Ruslan Provodnikov really belonged, wondered if he was really an “HBO-worthy” fighter. It didn’t matter that Provodnikov had been one of the most consistently entertaining TV fighters of the last few years. He was written off by many on boxing message boards and via social media as an “ESPN” fighter, that somehow being treated as something inherently to be derided. There was a time where someone like Provodnikov would have been easily celebrated for the opportunity he got in March. Boxing is at its most romantic when the hard luck pug that makes his way with his fists gets his moment to shine. Guys who work hard, show ass, and send the fans home happy are always welcome. When the brass ring is there for them to grab, those are the moments when some of boxing’s best magic occurs.
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Provodnikov: Alvarado Won't Be Able To Box Against Me
Ruslan Provodnikov believes Mike Alvarado when Alvarado says he’ll try to box Provodnikov on Saturday night. The rugged Russian contender just doesn’t think Alvarado will be able to resist the temptation of helping him produce the brutal battle virtually everyone expects from them. “I think that we’re going to have to fight, no matter what,” Provodnikov said on a conference call. “I don’t think anybody can run from me the entire fight. And I don’t think he’s going to be able to box with me as well as he thinks. And I think this is going to turn into a fight. If I made Timothy Bradley fight me, then I don’t see anyone else trying to run away and box with me.”
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Photos: Provodnikov Hungry To Put Alvarado To Sleep
Denver, CO. --- No. 1 contender Ruslan Provodnikov of Russia shakes out Wednesday for his upcoming title challenge against Denver's own WBO Jr. Welterweight champion Mike Alvarado, Saturday, October 19 at 1STBANK Center in Denver ,Co. Promoted by Top Rank® and Banner Promotions, in association with Tecate, Alvarado vs. Provodnikov will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing®, beginning at 9:45 p.m. ET/PT. --- Photos by Chris Farina/Top Rank.
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Alvarado Feeling a Mile High About Homecoming Defense
By Jake Donovan - It’s only been a little over two years since Mike Alvarado fought close to home. The event came at a time when he was still trying to find his place in the pro ranks, as he was transitioning between rising prospect and budding contender. His points win over Gabriel Martinez back in July ’11 was as predictable as it was unspectacular, the night becoming little more than a hometown showcase. This weekend’s return to his home state carries far greater meaning than a local appearance, coming on the heels of his most significant win as a pro and now entering his third straight fight in which the outcome is anything but predictable. Awaiting the recently minted alphabet titlist is a dangerous first defense against tough-as-nails Ruslan Provodnikov, at the 1stBank Center in Broomfield, Colorado.
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Alvarado-Provodnikov: Tony Weeks Will Be Third Man
Veteran ring official Tony Weeks gets the call as third man for this weekend’s 140 lb. title fight between Mike Alvarado and Ruslan Provodnikov. The bout takes place at 1stBank Center in Broomfield, Colorado and will air live on HBO. The announcement marks the second straight time Alvarado (34-1, 23KO) will fight with Weeks serving as referee. The same combination was in place when the 140 lb. titlist avenged the lone defeat of his career, scoring a 12-round decision over Brandon Rios in their rematch this past March. Weeks has never served as third man for any of Provodnikov’s previous ring appearances. The three judges for the bout will be Denny Nelson, Robert Hoyle and Levi Martinez, all of whom are based in the United States.
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