After falling short in a title bid against Mario Barrios and failing to secure another one against Rolly Romero, Manny Pacquiao is back on the exhibition circuit, taking on former super lightweight champ Ruslan Provodnikov on April 18th in Las Vegas.
The press release makes no mention of a broadcast partner, so odds are it’ll land on PPV.
Provodnikov (25-5, 18 KO) was among the most reliable action fighters in boxing throughout his 10-year career. Best-known for a 2013 slobberknocker loss to Tim Bradley,
“The Siberian Rocky” also put on shows against fellow sluggers Mike Alvarado and Lucas Matthysse, never once hitting the deck in the process. He ultimately retired in 2016 after underwhelming against an uncharacteristically cerebral John Molina Jr, and though he was briefly tied to a 2021 bout with UFC veteran and doping enthusiast Ali Bagautinov, nothing ever came of it.
Now 42, he’ll get the crack at Pacquiao (62-8-3, 39 KO) he originally missed out on thanks to his 2014 upset loss to Chris Algieri.
“I carry the Philippines with me every time I fight,” said Manny Pacquiao. “The support from my country and from fans around the world continues to inspire me. Returning to Las Vegas means so much to me, and I’m excited to work with a team focused on creating a world-class experience for the fans. I’m coming back to give them a great fight — and I’m ready.”
By the nonexistent standards of boxing exhibitions, such as the impending Mayweather vs Tyson debacle, this one’s not bad. Pacquiao’s still a solid operator and Provodnikov, despite the amount of damage he absorbed in the ring, never looked worryingly shot. Still, there’s better action that day.
