Boxing: April 18

[H2O Man]

April 18, at Verona, NY:
Ruslan Provodonikov vs. Lucas Matthyssa, 12 rounds, junior welterweights.


This is a good weekend for the boxing community. Tonight, there is a good card on ESPN. Tomorrow night, HBO features a double-header, and Showtime has an interesting light heavyweight bout. However, if you are able to watch any one fight, make it the Matthyssa vs. Provodonikov bout on HBO.

Matthyssa is 36-3, with 34 knockout wins. Provodonikov is 24-3, with 17 knockouts. Both have held titles.

Both fighters’ loses have come by decisions, when they were out-boxed by talented fighters, with the exception of Ruslan’s March, 2013 toe-to-toe war with Timothy Bradley. That was the “Fight of the Year” for the boxing writer’s association and fans.

Both are considered as among the hardest-punching, most exciting fighters today. They each have the power needed to end a fight with one punch.

On paper, it is certainly a candidate for one of the best fights of the year. Enjoy watching it!

[H2O Man]

1. Besides the usual

spread of food that I'm putting out, I decided to make four pizzas tonight.

Now, watch no one show up!

[TSIAS]

2. Great night

Matthysse was excellent. The fight wasn't as close as the scores reflected. He has earned a rematch with Danny "Gift" Garcia.

Great seeing Chavez, Jr. quit in his corner. The guy is clearly a delusional idiot. He maybe won a single round, yet claimed he was doing well before he decided to retire. At least he got $2.5 million for his efforts. Now he wants a rematch at 170. The new Al Haymon universe stipulates that fighters create their own weight classes and don't even pretend to care and make weight. The biggest loser, besides Chavez, is Carl Froch who wanted to come to Vegas and fight Chavez in a farewell fight.

Crawford didn't look great, but Roy Jones was right that while Crawford may have not been winning the fight early, he knew what he was doing and got him out of there in Rd6.