Ruslan Provodnikov-Chris Algieri headed to Barclays

Ruslan Provodnikov-Chris Algieri headed to Barclays

Brooklyn Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov has brought a fellow Russian to the Barclays Center as WBO junior welterweight titlist Ruslan Provodnikov will fight Chris Algieri on June 14.

The fight was originally set to take place at Nassau Coliseum in Long Island, closer to where Algieri resides. The Barclays were very interested in the fight, but Golden Boy Promotions has an exclusive deal with the arena. They checked with Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer if he was alright with bringing in the fight and Schaefer had no objections. The fight is promoted by Provodnikov’s promoter Banner Promotions, but is a co-promotion with Top Rank, who had an option on Provodnikov stemming from the October fight against Mike Alvarado.

When the Barclays first opened, the Klitschkos and K2 were interested in bringing a heavyweight title fight to the venue. Golden Boy blocked that deal, citing they did so only because they wanted to put on the first fight at the arena.

Though the fight between Provodnikov and Algieri is a mismatch on paper, the fight should do reasonably well.

-Mark E. Ortega / @MarkEOrtega

-Managing editor at www.BehindTheGloves.com