Provodnikov will beat Rios into submission. Tough as Rios is, I think Provodnikov will stop him in 10 in a war of attrition. Rios is tough. Provodnikov is tougher. He nearly knocked "Lucky Charms" Bradley out. It's sad because I don't even think Rios should be put in against Provodnikov after the beatings he has taken in recent fights.
This just shows what a low-life snake Bob Arum is. If he cared one ounce about Rios' safety, he wouldn't make this fight. He'd be better off fighting Bradley. It would be less risk for more money. If he's going to take a beating he might as well get paid for his efforts.
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Speaking of KaBighead, I think Pacquiao is foolish for taking that fight. It's not like he has a choice. If Bob tells him to fight his mother she better duck.
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Sure, Bradley was given a "gift" decision over him. But Pacquiao has nothing to prove by fighting Bradley again. It's clear that he can't stop Bradley, despite the fact that Bradley can't punch hard enough to break an egg. However, the likely outcome is another decision that is deservedly closer than the first fight. The result is another close and questionable decision for Bradley.
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It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see what happened the first time. Knowing that a lot of people stand to make a lot of money if Pacquiao ever fights Mayweather, I believe that someone, somewhere wanted to weaken the negotiating power of one of them in order to make the fight. It was easier to "job" Pacquiao than Mayweather because Floyd had a much stronger hold on negotiations.
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The other problem is that I don't think Pacquiao can motivate himself to fight anyone besides Mayweather. Another Bradley fight serves no more purpose than the 4th Marquez fight served or even a 5th Marquez would.
I hope I'm wrong but I see Pacquiao getting jobbed again. For some reason, somebody up there likes KaBighead.