Provodnikov vs. Rodriguez Headlines November 7 Monte Carlo Show

On Saturday November 7, former WBO junior welterweight champion, Ruslan “The Siberian Rocky” Provodnikov gets back in the ring to headline a special night of boxing when he takes on undefeated Mexican slugger, Jesus Alvarez Rodriguez.

The 10-round welterweight bout takes top spot on the “Night of Champions” tournament event promoted by Rodney Berman’s Golden Gloves Promotions which takes place at the Salle Des Etoiles in Monaco.

“I am glad that, finally, I have a specific date and location for the fight! This will be a great experience for me because it’s my first time fighting in Europe and I heard Monte Carlo has a lot of boxing fans,” said Provodnikov.

“I know that next year I will be back in the ring and the networks will finally have an opponent that will fight me and not just say they want to fight me. Hopefully we can make a rematch with Matthysse or a fight with Brandon Rios, which would both be great fights for the fans!”

Said Rodriguez, “I never thought I was going get a fight against Ruslan. He is one of my favorite boxers to watch so this is a great opportunity for me, and I want to make a splash. I’m training very hard because I want the world to know who I am.”

“Provodnikov is in great shape as he was in training,” said Golden Gloves’ Rodney Berman, who reached agreement with Art Pelullo of Banner Promotions.

“Provodnikov is all-action, a made-for-TV fighter who will add great value. I’m disappointed the Braehmer-Oosthuizen fight has fallen through, but I’ve been around long enough to know that such things are an occupational hazard.”

Said Arthur Pelullo, President of Banner Promotions, “I am excited to see Ruslan back in the ring with his new trainer Joel Diaz. We expect him to thrill the fans in Monte Carlo, much the same way he has all around the world. I want to thank my friend Rodney Berman for the opportunity to fight on this show, and this should be a great main event to a great a card.”

Provodnikov of Beryzovo, Russia, has a record of 24-4 with 17 knockouts and is considered the most exciting fighter in the world today.

He turned professional on December 3, 2006 and went on to win his first seventeen bouts. He scored a second round stoppage over Victor Hugo Castro to win the WBO Intercontinental Super Lightweight title.

He has defeated former world champion Javier Jauregui. After suffering his first defeat, Provodnikov won five in a row with wins over undefeated Ivan Popoca (15-0-1), former world champion DeMarcus Corley, David Torres (21-2-2) and Jose Reynoso (16-3-1).

On March 16, 2013, Provodnikov challenged undefeated WBO Welterweight champion, Timothy Bradley. The fight was one of the most memorable battles as Provodnikov battered the champion throughout the fight.

Bradley came back strong and had success in the middle rounds of what turned out to be the 2013 Fight of the Year. Provodnikov dropped Bradley late in round twelve but it was not enough as he came up on the short end of a unanimous decision.

Undeterred, Provodnikov went on to win the WBO Junior Welterweight championship with a 10th round stoppage over reigning champion Mike Alvarado in the champion’s hometown of Broomfield, Colorado.

Provodnikov lost his belt in a controversial split decision to Chris Algieri.

On November 28, 2014, Provodnikov stopped former world champion Jose Luis Castillo in five rounds in Moscow, Russia.

In Ruslan’s last bout, he lost a 12-round majority decision to Lucas Matthysse in a contest that is a front runner for ‘Fight of the Year’. The bout took place on April 18, 2015, in Verona, New York.

Rodriguez, of the fighting city of Los Mochis, Mexico, gained this opportunity of a lifetime based on his record that reads 14-0 with 11 knockouts.

The 23 year-old upstart has knocked out five of his last six opponents which includes his American debut, last time out, stopping Bryan Abraham in three rounds on February 20, 2015 in Verona, New York.

This world class event is exclusively distributed internationally by leading boxing rights distributor and sports marketing firm, Protocol Sports Marketing. The company is presently in conversation with top broadcasters worldwide to ensure that the November 7 telecast can be seen by sports fans everywhere.

Ticket Sales: Monte-Carlo SBM, Tel: (+377) 98 06 36 36, from 10am to 19pm, 7 days/week ticketoffice@sbm.mc montecarlosbm.com