Mike Alvarado will try to defend his WBO Interim Light Welterweight championship against Ruslan Provodnikov in another surefire brawl on Saturday at 1stBank Center, Broomfield, Colorado.
Fresh from avenging his loss to Brandon Rios last March, Alvarado will now try to defend the title against another heavy-hitting slugger in Provodnikov.
Alvarado's name became a commodity in boxing following his two bloody fights with Rios. The Mile High native lost to the California kid in the 7th round of their slugfest last year, but played a smarter game in their grudge match to book a unanimous decision victory.
On the other hand, Provodnikov is coming off a 12-round war with WBO welterweight champion Timothy Bradley also last March. Although Provodnikov lost that bout via unanimous decision, the Russian did earn the respect, and more importantly, another title shot seven months later.
Many boxing followers believe the Alvarado vs. Provodnikov fight is expected to be an all out slugfest between two of the finest brawlers in this era.
Top-Rank Promoter Bob Arum also agreed that the bout is up to become a blockbuster hit at the gates and on pay-per-view, given the track record of both fighters.
"There is not much I can say as a promoter. You don't have to sell this fight," Arum told ESPN. "Everyone that knows anything about boxing knows that this fight will be a candidate for fight of the year.
"Two great warriors, two guys that entertain the public. You don't need a sales pitch for this one, and it's showing at the box office as there are so few tickets left, and by fight time it will be sold out," he added.
Also fighting in the undercards of the match is former unified light weight champion Juan Diaz against Juan Santiago. Abraham Rubio will also take on Starling Caldero in a bantamweight match.
Main Match and Undercards
Top Rank Mike Alvarado vs. Ruslan Provodnikov undercard:
Lightweight: Juan Diaz vs Juan Santiago
Bantamweight: Starling Cordero vs Abraham Rubio
Heavyweight: Donovan Dennis vs Hugo Arceo
Welterweight: Manuel Damairias Lopez vs Julio Chavez
Welterweight: Daniel Calzada vs Carlos Marquez
Super featherweight: David Escamilla vs Jair Quintero
Super featherweight: Vitor Jones de Olivera vs Martin Quezada
Live Streaming & Schedule
Mike Alvarado vs. Ruslan Provodnikov will start at 9:00 p.m EST on HBO Pay-per-View. Ringside commenting and analysis will be provided by ESPN Boxing expert Dan Rafael @DanRafaelESPN