Brandon Rios' headfirst style is helping him remain a major player in the sport of boxing despite a recent track record of losing. Rios dropped a bout to Mike Alvarado in March of 2013, before getting outclassed by Manny Pacquiao in Macau, China this past November.
Rios was 0-2 in 2013, but may land yet another high profile bout, this time against Ruslan Provodnikov, the "Siberian Rocky." Provodnikov is a rising star in the sport, who, like Rios, is making a name for himself for his wildly aggressive approach in the ring. He lost to Timothy Bradley early in the year, then came back to top Alvarado in Denver.
"He [Rios] wants to fight in May," Robert Garcia, Rios' trainer said. "We're waiting to see who Manny Pacquiao will decide to fight. If he fights Timothy Bradley, the Provodnikov might be available. And if Pacquiao decides to fight Provodnikov, then we might fight Timothy. Brandon wants to fight the best out there."
Provodnikov's dream fight seems to be Juan Manuel Marquez, who would challenge his relentlessness with top-notch counterpunching, but "Dinamita" hasn't shown any interest in the fight. Last month, when Rios vs. Provodnikov was first floated, both men seemed excited for the challenge.
"@Brandon_Rios1 I agree we can make a great fight... I'm ready..," Provodnikov tweeted. Rios responded, "@RuslanProvod yes sir me to so let make it happen."
@Brandon_Rios1 I agree we can make a great fight... I'm ready..
— Ruslan Provodnikov (@RuslanProvod) December 20, 2013
@RuslanProvod yes sir me to so let make it happen — Bam Bam Brandon Rios (@Brandon_Rios1) December 20, 2013
Still, for Provodnikov matchups with Pacquiao or Bradley would probably be more lucrative affairs, and he's likely to take on Pacquiao over Rios even though it wuld mean parting with trainer Freddie Roach for the fight.
"First, there is nothing wrong with this [fight], it's business," Provodnikov said. "Boxing history has shown us many examples where best friends go out and fight with each other. Although we can't really call ourselves [best friends] with Manny - we were friends, we knew each other and we were always talking when we met."
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