HBO Fight Preview

Ruslan Provodnikov vs. Chris Algieri

Not long ago Ruslan Provodnikov was an ESPN2 fighter who was best known for being a tough sparring partner for Manny Pacquiao.  That was until 2013 when Provodnikov went to war with Timothy Bradley and become must see TV and also won the 2013 Fight of the Year.  On Saturday Chris Algieri will also be trying to make the leap from ESPN2 fighter to HBO mainstay.  The two men are scheduled to go 12 rounds for Provodnikov's WBO junior welterweight title and it will be an interesting matchup between boxer and puncher.

Provodnikov is always involved in action fights

Provodnikov has said that he doesn't care about winning and losing and only wants to make great fights that fans will never forget.  At times he doesn't seem to be fighting his opponent but just testing his own will to win.  Provodnikov isn't a slick fighter and his boxing skills will never have him in the top ten pound for pound rankings but that doesn't matter.  It doesn't matter because Provodnikov seems unbreakable and doesn't mind taking a beating because he knows over time it will be his opponent who gives in.  At times it looks like Provodnikov is just following opponents around the ring but he actually does a good job of cutting it off.  The orthodox Provodnikov likes to trap opponents in the corners and on the ropes where he can land his deadly left hook and powerful overhand right.  He likes to fight at close range where he can really do battle and his idea of defense seems to be that he can take more punishment than his opponent so bring it on.

Until his all time great fight with Bradley it appeared that Provodnikov would just be a tough fighter for hot prospects to challenge themselves against.  However after losing a very close fight to Bradley and having him out on his feet multiple times it became clear that Provodnikov had no intention of becoming a stepping stone.  In his next bout he took on one of the toughest fighters the sport had to offer in Mike Alvarado.  Provodnikov was able to drop Alvarado twice, the only times as a professional or amateur he had ever been down and ultimately forced him to quit on his stool after the 10th round.  Coming into Saturday's fight Provodnikov has a career record of 23-2 with 16 knockouts and he will need to be patient and stay the course against the slick boxer Algieri if he wants to earn win number 24.

Algieri has skills but may be in over his head

While every boxing fan is very familiar with Provodnikov at this point his opponent Algieri remains a mystery to some.  At 30 years old this is a big opportunity for him and he needs to impress.  Algieri is also an orthodox fighter but that is where the similarities between him and Provodnikov stop.  Algieri is a boxer and uses his legs a lot.  He likes to work behind a stiff jab and is always moving laterally out of danger.  Algieri also has a very nice straight right hand that is probably his biggest punch.  Most people think slick boxers only can fight from the outside but that isn't the case with Algieri whose fast hands allow to to score points from the pocket.  However against the powerful Provodnikov it would be smart for Algieri to use his superior hand speed to stick and move and not let Provodnikov sit down on his punches.

Without a doubt this will be the biggest fight of Algieri's career and it will also be his first appearance on HBO.  Most of his fights have come in his hometown of Huntington, NY and he will need to look very impressive if he doesn't want his career to get stuck there.  Algieri is a skilled boxer and his perfect record of 19-0 with 8 knockouts reflects that.  Algieri has faced some tough fighters like Mike Arnaoutis and Emmanuel Taylor but he has never faced the kind of relentless pressure that Provodnikov will bring.  Algieri may not be ready for Provodnikov at this point but at 30 years old fighting for a title on HBO was an opportunity he couldn't pass up.

There is really no telling how this fight will play out.  Algieri will be trying to stick and move and make Provodnikov chase him around the ring but he also needs to put on an impressive performance which may make him decide to stand and trade at times.  All Provodnikov really needs to do is not get frustrated early on.  Algieri will probably just use his jab and feet for the first few rounds and Provodnikov will just have to stay the course as he slowly tries to break Algieri down.  If this fight gets past the middle rounds it will be interesting to see if Algieri can outbox the slower Provodnikov or if the pressure and power of Provodnikov will force Algieri to lose for the first time as a pro.

PREDICTION: Chris Algieri is a nice slick fighter but he won't be slick enough on Saturday night.  The power and constant pressure of Ruslan Provodnikov will be too much for Algieri and he won't be able to stand up to him over the course of 12 rounds.  Provodnikov may start slowly but he will eventually give Algieri his first career loss by the way of 8th round stoppage.

Demetrius Andrade vs. Brian Rose

The fight that will open the night will feature two fighters with only one loss between them.  One of them, Demetrius Andrade won the 2007 World Championships as an amateur and was also a member of the 2008 U.S. Olympic team.  He will be challenged by the one loss Brian Rose from the U.K..  The two pugilists are scheduled to go 12 rounds for Andrade's WBO junior middleweight title in a bout that will be big for both of them.

Andrade's jab is a great tool to have

Andrade, who had a lot of success as an amateur is finding equal success as a pro.  The southpaw fighter has very long arms and because of that has an excellent jab he can control fights with.  Andrade likes to flash that jab often and has good hand speed.  Besides his jab Andrade also has a nice quick right hook but his biggest punch is his left hand.  While Andrade doesn't have the heaviest hands in the sport he has enough to get respect from opponents and can end a fight with his left hand.  On defense Andrade has looked pretty good but got dropped by Vanes Martirosyan in the 1st round of his last bout so his chin may be a question going forward.  However Andrade got off the deck to come back and win that fight which was even more impressive because Martirosyan was his toughest opponent to date.

While Andrade turned pro in 2008 he didn't start to face any true challengers until 2013.  Before 2013 Andrade was being brought along at an intelligent pace and matched up against journeymen fighters but he stepped things up that year.  In 2013 Andrade fought and beat Martirosyan and Freddy Hernandez both of whom are not easy fighters to beat.  This year Andrade looks to keep his winning ways going and hopes to get even bigger fights.  He has a record of 20-0 with 13 knockouts and if he can get past Rose he could get a high profile fight later in the year.

This will be the first fight in the U.S. for Rose

While Andrade will be looking to beat Rose and move on to bigger and better things Rose will be looking to make a statement in his first fight in the U.S..  Rose is an orthodox fighter who isn't always extremely busy.  He will typically wait behind a high guard and throws a lot of one-two combinations.  One knock on Rose is that he doesn't have much pop behind his punches and even his right hand which is his power hand isn't a deadly weapon.  Rose does have a nice left hook he throws on the inside but Andrade, even with his questionable chin won't have to worry too much about any of Rose's punches.

When Rose was starting his career he was fed a lot of losing fighters including one with a record of 13-127-5.  In 2011 he started to face better opposition and has nice wins over Joachim Alcine and Javier Maciel.  As a pro Rose has a nice record of 25-1-1 but only has 7 knockouts to his name.  He should have his hands full in this fight not only with the fast hands of Andrade but also with the fact that this will be his first fight in the U.S..

Rose is a nice tough fighter who usually likes to do battle on the inside.  He will need every ounce of that toughness against Andrade who is more skilled, has faster hands, and more power.  While Rose will need to make this a phone booth, tough guy type fight Andrade should be able to use his elite jab and fast combinations to stay on the outside and do damage.  It should be fun for fans to see if Rose can make a statement in the U.S. and give Andrade a run for his money or if Andrade can turn in an authoritative performance.

PREDICTION: The toughness of Brian Rose should allow him to win a few rounds but don't expect much more than that.  Demetrius Andrade is clearly the more skilled fighter and those skills will really shine through come Saturday night.  Rose may have a moment or two but Andrade will win this fight by the way of unanimous decision.