Chris Algieri defeated Ruslan Provodnikov, a man nicknamed the "Siberian Rocky," who claims to eat raw moose liver and boasted of being willing to "die in the ring," for his WBO light welterweight title on June 14. Now, he wants to be rewarded with a shot at the big time--Manny Pacquiao.
Chris Algieri upsets Provodnikov at Barclays Center
Algieri's win was somewhat controversial; it was a classic boxer vs. puncher bout in which Algieri's activity and accuracy won him the day. Still, his eye was swollen from the first round on after a knockdown, and Provodnikov's body shots thudded all night long. Whether Algieri was given a hometown decision in Brooklyn-he is a native Long Islander and the crowd was distinctly pro-Algieri-he took on a challenge many in the sport avoided and walked away a winner.
"I only want the big fights. We want them as big as we can get them. Ruslan Provodnikov is one of the most feared fighters in the game," said Algieri. "I just want fought the most dangerous guy around for very cheap, and now, it's time for the biggest fight that I can get, and maybe that's Manny Pacquiao."
Joe DeGuardia, who runs Star Boxing, sees an Algieri fight as something that can definitely happen. "I think that it's a realistic fight. I don't think that it would be that difficult of a fight to make. Bob and I have done a lot of business. I think that Bob hit it right on the head, and that's that this was going to be that type of a fight," said DeGuardia.
Algieri's toughness was certainly impressive, but a single win over Provodnikov hardly makes a star. It's more likely that the new WBO champion will face the Siberian Rocky again in a rematch fans will crave.
On the other hand, Pacquiao's promoter Bob Arum has made no bones about wanting to see Pacquiao face Juan Manuel Marquez for a fifth time, with Marquez's team balking. Only time will tell.
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