Turning Stone Resort & Casino, Verona, New York– In what was being billed as an instant Fight of the Year candidate, Lucas Matthysse (37-3, 34 KOs) beat Ruslan Provodnikov (24-4, 17 KOs) via majority decision by scores of 115-113, 115-113, and 114-114.
The end result may not have been a true Fight of the Year, but Provodnikov-Matthysse produced plenty of fireworks and highlight reel moments for both junior welterweight powerhouses.
Actually, for a fight scored so closely, there was relatively little drama until the very end of the bout as the usually come-forward Matthysse proved to be too mobile and well-rounded for the one-dimensional “Siberian Rocky.”
The ever-pressing Provodnikov, with a cut over his left eye and reddish-purple marks all over his face, rallied late in the fight as a tired Matthysse lost both spring in his step and power in his punches.
Ultimately, though, it was too little too late for Provodnikov, who lost by a 116-112 score on The Boxing Tribune’s unofficial scorecard.
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