When the announcement was made that Timothy Bradley, Jr. would return to the ring against Ruslan Provodnikov, many fans gave the proverbial shrug. Bradley, an extremely talented but workmanlike fighter (aka non-exciting) was following up his controversial win over one of the most popular fighters on the planet (Manny Pacquiao) with a bout against a random Russian opponent. Not that Provodnikov was an unworthy challenger, his 22-1 (15 KO) record and high knockout percentage was impressive, but the lack of major TV exposure or big names on his ledger made it easy to think the fight would be a walk in the park for Bradley. Surely “The Siberian Rocky” would be no match for “Desert Storm.” In fact, only 3,000 people showed up to see the fight live, but those lucky and dedicated fight fans were treated to a lively, exciting and drama-filled fight that won’t be soon forgotten.
During the bout’s opening stanza, Bradley sought to stand and trade with Provodnikov in order to prove the he was the superior fighter. The WBO champ didn’t like that boxing pundits universally proclaimed his opponent as the stronger, more physical fighter. He wanted to stand his ground – and he paid the price for it. Early in the fight, Provodnikov crushed Bradley with devastating blows rendering the champion out on his feet. Somehow though, he stumbled and staggered around all four corners of the ring as if he hit the Four Lokos a little too hard. At one point, Bradley had a delayed, face-first visit to the canvas, but the referee erroneously ruled it a slip instead of a knockdown. The second round was more of the same, Provodnikov dishing out a pounding but unable to connect the final clean shot to put Desert Storm to sleep. Not one person would have complained if the referee stopped the bout during either of the first two rounds.
What happened next was truly amazing. Bradley showed the heart of a champion and came out in the third round like nothing ever happened. Over the next several rounds he boxed beautifully, mixing and matching a strategy of movement, stiff jabs and nice combination punching. He went to the body and head brilliantly and changed the momentum of the fight on solely his will and skill. Provodnikov continued to stalk and throw punches with bad intentions. Even as he was being out-boxed, he landed damaging blows just often enough to encourage him to continue moving forward yet discourage him because of Bradley’s almost inhuman ability to take a punch.
Amazingly, during the later rounds, both combatants’ trainers threatened to throw in the towel to keep their fighters from taking further punishment. Both showed tremendous heart in the type of see-saw battle that makes boxing fans stand on their feet and applaud. In the twelfth and final round, the two duked it out in what would surely be a Fight of the Year candidate and the strong challenger finally dropped the champ with less than 20 seconds remaining in the fight. By then Bradley’s head was dizzy and weak, but his heart was strong and brave. He rose to his feet with just a few seconds left, probably unaware of where he was or what he was doing. Bradley went through hell to hear the final bell, but he made it, standing on his feet – barely.
Provodnikov fell to the canvas. He may have thought the referee stopped the bout after the knockdown. He may have just been thankful that he finally dropped the man who took every shot he had and kept coming back. He may have been grateful the bout was over. In the end, Bradley won a close, unanimous decision (115-112, 114-113, 114-113). It was one of those fights that could’ve gone either way. Had Referee Pat Russell not blown the knockdown call in the first round, the fight would’ve been a draw. That seems more appropriate, when comparing Bradley’s spaghetti legs and confused mind with Provodnikov’s sheer exhaustion and swollen face, but as we all know, boxing isn’t fair.
When you set aside the corruption, egos, inconsistent judging, phony promoters, fake injuries and opponent dodging boxing is a joy to watch. In an arena where a few thousand people gathered to witness a blasé boxing match, a fight broke out – one that won’t be forgotten anytime soon.
Follow Ishmael Sistrunk and In the Clutch on Twitter (@IshmaelSistrunk) and Google+. Tune in to “In the Clench” Boxing Hangouts on Sundays at 7pm on youtube.com/stlamericanvideo
