By Norm Frauenheim
It’s a fight that really doesn’t need much in the way of explanation or analysis. Strip away all of the subtlety and finesse, and you’re left with Ruslan Provodnikov-Lucas Matthysse, a collision waiting to happen. Maybe an accident, too.
But that’s the attraction. Power, the ability to deliver it and a willingness to risk it, exerts it own kind of drama.
It’s why we watch. An irresistible mix of fear, brinkmanship, inexhaustible persistence and even some foolish courage are among the intoxicating possibilities that will be there when the junior-welterweights clash on April 18 at the Turning Stone Resort & Casino in Verona, N.Y., in an HBO-televised bout.
“I believe it’s going to be Corrales-Castillo I,’’ said Provodnikov promoter Artie Pelullo, who during a conference call Monday foresaw potential for a fight the equal of Diego Corrales’ wild 10th-round TKO of Jose Luis Castillo in 2005.
From this corner, Castillo-Corrales I still ranks as the best fight in this century and one of the best in any. But a price was paid.
Castillo was never quite the same, although his career continued with a loss to Ricky Hatton 2007 and even a TKO loss Provodnikov last November.
Corrales fought three more times, losing all three, including a fourth-round KO in a rematch with Castillo. Corrales died on a motorcycle on May 7, 2007, exactly two years to the day after that first Castillo fight nearly a decade ago.
I’m not convinced that either Provodnikov or Matthysse has the varied skill set that made Corrales and Castillo such dangerous lightweights.
They might surprise me. They might change my mind. If they do, however, Provodnikov-Matthysse won’t fulfill explosive expectations. The buzz isn’t there because they’re known for a defensive feint or the shoulder roll. It’s all about the power. Who has more of it? Who can land it? Who can withstand it?
Castillo was 0-2 against Floyd Mayweather, Jr., but Castillo challenged the pound-for-pound king as much as anybody, especially in the first fight, a 2002 decision.
Castillo and Corrales could do many things. In the end, however, they did what Provodnikov and Matthysse are expected to. They tested each other’s will with unadulterated power that made their confrontation more about surviving than winning.
There will be some new opportunities for the Provodnikov-Matthysse winner. Don’t be surprised if there’s talk about a fight with the Manny Pacquiao-Mayweather winner on May 2. Amend that: Be very surprised if there isn’t talk about that possibility.
But this one isn’t about talk. It isn’t even about victory. Not really. It’s about survival. It’s why we’ll watch.
