Review by AllTheBestFights.com: 2015-04-18, great battle with some very tough exchanges: Lucas Matthysse vs Ruslan Provodnikov is very close to get four stars (look at the comments if you want to see how we rate it round by round).The former interim Wbc champion Lucas Martin Matthysse entered this fight with a professional boxing record of 36-3-0 (34 KOs=94%) and he is ranked as the No.3 super lightweight in the world (currently the #1 in this division is Terence Crawford). He suffered his last defeat in 2013 when he faced Danny Garcia (=Garcia vs Matthysse), since then he has fought twice beating John Molina Jr (The Ring magazine Fight of the Year 2014, Matthysse vs Molina) and Roberto Ortiz (=Matthysse vs Ortiz).
His opponent, Ruslan Provodnikov, has an official record of 24-3-0 (17 knockouts) and he entered as the No.8 in the same weight class. He won the Wbo world belt in 2013 against Mike Alvarado (one of the best boxing fights of the year, Alvarado vs Provodnikov) but then he lost it at his first defense, against Chris Algieri (=Provodnikov vs Algieri); after this bout he came back to win beating Jose Luis Castillo (=Provodnikov vs Castillo). Matthysse vs Provodnikov is the main event of the evening. Watch the video and rate this fight!
Date: 2015-04-18
Where: Turning Stone Resort & Casino, Verona, New York, USA
Division: light welterweight (140 lbs, 63.5 kg)
Matthysse’s previous fight: Lucas Martin Matthysse vs Roberto Ortiz
Provodnikov’s previous fight: Ruslan Provodnikov vs Jose Luis Castillo
Matthysse’s next fight: Lucas Matthysse vs Viktor Postol
Provodnikov’s next fight: Ruslan Provodnikov vs Alvarez Rodriguez
Official video:
Official highlights
This stinking video is of very poor quality. Cant you do any better than this stinky video??
Awful awful quality video shame on whoever uploaded this worst video atbf has ever shown utter disgrace!
What is so wrong with the video? I saw here really bad ones compared with this before.
Very nice fight and for moments quite even. However, Lucas’s boxing technics are far superior than the ones Ruslan has. His jabbing was excellent and kept Ruslan at the right distance almost the whole fight. Ruslan is a rock and very difficult to put himdown even for Lucas despite the fact that he currently is the stronger power puncher in the 140 Lb. category. Lucas got a well deserved victory over a really good warrior like Ruslan
After the first round, Provodnikov’s corner adviced him: “To get inside, you have to use your jab!”. But instead, he kept walking in Matthysse’s jab all fight long. I think Provodnikov has reached a plateau. He has demonstrated once again that he is a unidimensional and predictable fighter. On the other hand, Matthysse is the real deal, a much more complete fighter. I want to see him fight Garcia again!
Recorded and watched after work early this morning.
Has anyone seen that since Haymon has bought most all of the TV rights to boxing shows that fighters who are aggressive are being favored? Reason I ask is because last week I had the Garcia Vs Peterson lopsidedly for Peterson and then this fight I had it lopsided for Matthysse. (3 rounds to Provodnikov – 1 even)
Last week Garcia was just missing shots.
Some wildly and others of gloves and arms. I will give that Provodnikov connected more than Garcia but still – not effective aggression. He landed 1 good shot in 12 rounds. And man Jim Lampley wanted to cream over it.
Both Provodnikov and Matthysse need tor retire.
Prov. because he has past his peek. Unless he fights lesser opponents he will continue to be pummeled. Matt. because he doesn’t really want to do it anymore (look in eyes). Just doesn’t know anything else.
All in all a good fight to watch.
do they have to retire!??!!? come on, don’t be so negative!!! They are two of the best boxers in this division, they are always very spectacular and they are not so old: Provodnikov is 31, Matthysse is 32. I think Prov has just to change trainer or/and understand that he has to improve his tactic
About Matthysse’s eyes, I think he was just afraid of Prov’s power!! I hope he can have a rematch with Garcia or fight again for a world title.
A new coach?! This guy is trained by one of the best in professional boxing! The problem with Provodnikov is that his whole career resides on the power of his punches. Like many sluggers he lacks in “science”.
Freddie is a very good coach but in this case he isn’t doing his job properly with this boxer. He may be to busy taking more boxers than he can handle under his wings lately. Therefore, it is a good reason for Ruslan to have a coach that really look at his interest closely. However, it could be also that Ruslan is a close brain person no capable to acquire new technics or follow instructions and has reached his plateau as you mentioned before
All speculation, but you might be right.
Nowadays, it seems the relationship between a fighter and his coach is not what it used to be, or what it’s supposed to be. Here’s what we see these days: top fighters matched with top coaches by top promoters. But in the end, what we also see is top fighters sitting in their corner and receiving instructions between the rounds in english from their top coaches, then all that is translated by the (top) cutman or else. And all the top fighters can reply is a quiet nod. I don’t know… it’s all strange to me… Thinking that a fighter cannot reply to his coach asking him simple questions such as: “How are you feeling?” … “Did he hurt you?”… So when it comes to more elaborated strategies during a fight, I can’t imagine.
I know there are 3-months training camps and all, but still, as you mentionned, if the top coach has to train 4 or 5 other top fighters at the same time, no real chemistry can be established between the coach and each and everyone of them.
As you said nowadays the relationship between coaches and boxers changed a lot. Roach-Pacquiao chemistry is excellent but I honestly believe that Roach has not enough time now to dedicate the same efforts to all the other boxers his dealing with. So those poor guys that came after Pacquiao are being trained by intermediated persons.
I believe these two boxers have a lot of strength still ahead to go for good fights. They do not need to retire.
Ruslan really requires a better coach to teach him better techniques than the one he has now. He is just an aggressor with good punching power but cannot defend himself. This aggression strategy sometimes works but never in front of good boxers.
Lucas isn’t just a puncher (however the strongest one in this category right now), he is also a good boxer that knows how to use his jab effectively and capable to put a good combinations of punches. On the other hand, it is time for him to do a very good money with his profession. Money will came fighting again Garcia and then if he is the winner against to other good boxers existing in this category willing to beat him for the glory. He still has upfront at least a good couple of years.
Therefore, too early for both of them to go for retirement.
We have seen the fight a second time and here it is how we rate it round by round:
1round = 3* stars
2r = 4*
3r = 3.5*
4r = 4*
5r = 3.5*
6r = 3.5*
7r = 3*
8r = 3.5*
9r = 3*
10r = 3.5*
11r = 4*
12r = 3.5*
TOTAL= 42
Average/rounds 42/12= 3.5
3.5 it is not enough to give four stars for us…but you know that every user can rate the fight in a different way and we are happy to see that this could be one of the best fights of the year for our new Users’ Boxing Ranking of 2015.
Thanks for rating and continue to follow AllTheBestFights.com!
What happen if a fight lasts only one awesome round (5*), will you give it an overall 5* ?
Yes, for example last year Thomas Williams Jr vs Cornelius White lasted just one round and we rated that round and the fight with four stars.
I had it 115-113 Provodnikov, but gave him the close rounds. Great fight. 4 stars
My friend, Are you sure you saw Ruslan fighting Lucas or you are talking about other previous Ruslan fight?
Thanks god you are not a boxing judge.
that’s only 2 rounds difference with 2 judges, and one with the 114-114 guy. I have the right to my drunken judging! :)
Of course you have all your rights. However, the 2 rounds difference from 2 of the judges were in favour of Lucas and the third one failed as deuce.
I think my friend Mattsnow81’s 115-113 is fair. I didn’t score this fight, but I thought Matthysse was well ahead. I was a bit surprised by the three judges scorecards, but I guess it depends on what one values the most in judging a fight. For my part, it’s quite simple, I give the round to the fighter who lands more shots and gets hit the less. I have no consideration for things like “who’s the aggressor?” but I guess one could argue that the tight rounds should go the so-called “aggressor”, in this case Provodnikov most of the time. But I don’t agree with that.
when it is close, I give the round to the guy who advances towards his prey. That gives guys like Provodnikov more chances. But I’m judging those fights just for the fun of it. I’m not pretending I’m an expert or anything.
BOTH FIGHTERS NEED A BETTER TRAINNER, SOMEONE LIKE THE MEXICANS NACHO BERISTAIN, ROBERT GARCIA OR PAQUIAO’S TRAINNER, THOSE THREE KNOWS HOW TO TEACH THE ART OF BOXING.
Provodnikov’s trainer was Roach at some point (Pacquiao’s trainer)
He still is as far as I know. He just stayed in L.A. with Pacquiao preparing for his next fight.