ALLAN THE MAN

Facing an aged and downright washed-up opponent, Ruslan Provodnikov didn't exactly impress by winning the first four rounds, but at least he got the job done early, stopping Jose Luis Castillo on a pair of fifth round knockdowns in Moscow.

THE fighter they call the 'Russian Rocky' aims to lock horns with his old sparring partner Manny Pacquiao in April. Ruslan Provodnikov has had a storming rise through the rankings and claimed the WBO light welterweight title in October.

He beat Mike Alvarado in Colorado and is now hoping to challenge eight division world champion Pacquiao.

MANILA, Philippines – Russian brawler Ruslan Provodnikov has changed his tune regarding a potential fight with Filipino boxing icon Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao, as the “Siberian Rocky” now says that he is willing to face off against the former pound-for-pound king.

Provodnikov, the reigning WBO light-welterweight champion, initially turned down a fight against Pacquiao. Both fighters are trained by Hall-of-Famer Freddie Roach and have sparred together before.

But Provodnikov revealed to Boxing Scene that he has changed his mind after taking some time to think about what fighting Pacquiao will mean to his career.

Russian junior welterweight Ruslan Provodnikov may possibly agree to fight his former sparring partner Manny Pacquiao.

But according to his manager, it will come with a hefty price.

Vadim Kornilov reasoned out to Ring TV that his client will have to sacrifice a lot of things if he agrees with Bob Arum’s proposal to fight the Filipino superstar.

For one, Provodnikov will have to do away with coach Freddie Roach, who has maintained a close working relationship with the fighting congressman.

New world light-welterweight champion Ruslan Provodnikov of Russia has a lot of options following his stoppage victory over Mike Alvarado last weekend that allowed him to annex the World Boxing Organization belt.

One option for Provodnikov, nicknamed the “Siberian Rocky,” is a bout against Filipino ring icon Manny Pacquiao, for whom he has served as a sparring partner in the past.

It wasn't quite a Fight of the Year contender, but it was definitely a fight, and a toe-to-toe war tonight in Denver between Mike Alvarado and Ruslan Provodnikov. In the end, Provodnikov beat Alvarado down and forced him to retire on his stool after 10 rounds, winning the WBO junior welterweight title.