Top Junior-Welterweight contenders Ruslan Provodnikov (21-1, 14 KOs) and Jose “El Nino” Reynoso (16-2-1,3 KOs) will meet June 29 in the 10-round main event on ESPN’s Friday Night Fights presented by Corona Extra from Corona Calif. Friday’s card, presented by Banner Promotions, will air at 10:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2 HD, ESPN Deportes, and ESPN3.
Joe Tessitore and Teddy Atlas will be ringside for ESPN2 HD and ESPN3 at the Omega Products Outdoor Arena describing the action, while studio host Bernardo Osuna will present all the latest boxing news and highlights. Alex Pombo and Delvin Rodriguez will call the fights for ESPN Deportes’ Viernes de Combates (Friday Night Fights), with Leopoldo Gonzalez and Pablo Viruega in the studio.
Both shows will include interviews with Josesito Lopez, who upset Victor Ortiz last Saturday for the vacant WBC Silver Welterweight title. ESPN Deportes will also include a report on the latest condition of Victor Ortiz.
Main Event:
Russia’s Provodnikov is trained by International Boxing Hall of Fame 2012 inductee Freddie Roach and was the primary sparring partner for Manny Pacquiao for his fight against Timothy Bradley Jr.
Provodnikov has won his last four fights, including his most recent, a sixth-round TKO win over David Torres. After that fight ESPN.com’s Dan Rafael wrote, “He totally outgunned the smaller, slower Torres, who showed a big heart but simply could not deal with the physicality of Provodnikov. He cut Torres under his right eye in the fifth-round and in the sixth-round he dropped the bleeding Torres with a hard overhand right. Provodnikov was all over him and finally smashed him with a three-punch combination that floored him again and [the] referee called it off at 2 minutes, 53 seconds.”
California’s Reynoso has won his last five fights, including a seventh-round TKO win over James Hope.
“We know Provodnikov is a slugger and he comes forward but I think I can outbox the guy,” said Reynoso. “We know he (Providnikov) comes out very strong, but I trust my boxing skills. A lot of people tell me I’m hard to hit, I’m awkward. I’ll use that to my advantage, instead of staying there and taking shots. I’ll make him fight my fight.”
Co-Feature:
Friday’s co-feature will pit Junior Featherweights “Marvelous” Chris Martin (23-2-3, 6 KOs) against Roberto “Azabache” Castaneda (20-1-1, 15 KOs). California’s Martin will look to rebound after a 10-round decision loss to Luis Del Valle, while Castaneda of Mexico is coming off a first-round knockout win over Daniel Gonzalez.
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