Ruslan Provodnikov as Tough as They Come in Boxing, Both Mentally and Physically

Ruslan Provodnikov believes he can break any man put in front of him.

That’s not hyperbole.

There isn’t a shred of exaggeration in that statement.

And he’ll get a chance to prove it on April 18 when he faces feared Argentine knockout machine Lucas Matthysse (HBO; 9:45 p.m. ET) in a surefire Fight of the Year contender at the Turning Stone Casino in Verona, New York.

He likes his chances of both winning the fight and doing it by breaking the Argentine’s will.

“I believe that you can break anybody. Before I break him physically, I break him mentally. And that’s what I will be doing, and I know that I can do it,” Provodnikov told Bleacher Report on Friday afternoon.

“I never make predictions for my own fights, but I believe that I can mentally break down anybody.”

Provodnikov exerts a tremendous amount of psychological pressure on his opponents.

You know you're not in there with the most technically refined fighter or one who will wow you with his defensive acumen or his ability to duck, dodge and slip punches.

You can hit him, and he’s fine with that.

Provodnikov will take punches to land punches, and you have to be willing to saddle up and accept those terms of engagement.

Can that style work against a fighter as physically strong and powerful as Matthysse, a guy who has a reputation as a feared puncher, with 34 of his 36 wins coming inside the distance?

Reputations don’t bother Provodnikov. He’s focused on making sure he’s at his best while reminding people that he packs quite a bit of dynamite in his fists as well. He did drop Timothy Bradley in a near-upset performance before making Mike Alvarado quit in front of his hometown fans.

“The most important is to train and be healthy and get ready for the fight 100 percent. Why think about his punching power right now? On fight night we’ll come into the ring and see who has punching power. Who is the stronger puncher,” Provodnikov said.

“I definitely believe in that. I know that I have a lot of strength and a lot of power. I can knock out anybody standing in front of me. So I’m not worried about that.”

Doug Pensinger/Getty Images

From the moment this fight was announced, fans have been salivating about the potential for an all-action war—for however long it lasts—between two of boxing’s hardest-hitting and gutsiest warriors.

Matthysse rebounded from a somewhat surprising loss to Danny Garcia by winning a multi-knockdown bloodfest over John Molina and then blowing out the overmatched Roberto Ortiz.

Provo dropped his first title defense against Chris Algieri at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, under highly controversial circumstances before knocking out the badly shopworn Jose Luis Castillo last November.

This isn’t just an intriguing matchup between two fighters who don’t know the meaning of back up.

It’s sure to be a bloodletting, the type of fight that necessitates hiding the children and the elderly, but it’s also meaningful for more than just satiating our base instincts for blood and conquest.

The winner will jump to the front of the line as a prime-time challenger for whoever lays claim to the 140-pound throne—which could well be settled between Garcia and Lamont Peterson on Saturday—or take the crown himself if both of those fighters remain at welterweight.

With those stakes and these styles, you can expect a firefight, and Provodnikov is sure fan expectations will be met.

“I think that it will live up [to] it and that everyone who is expecting to be that way will definitely not get disappointed. I promise that I will do my best to give the fight that I usually give in the ring,” Provodnikov said.

Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

What else can you expect from a guy who fights for a living?

The Siberian Rocky is truly a breed apart.

Some fighters get up every morning for the paycheck.

Others do it because they love the competition.

Provodnikov?

Sure, he makes his living trading leather at more-frequent-than-healthy intervals, but he’s a happy guy. He loves to fight, and he enjoys every second putting on a good show for the fans.

“It's my job. It's the way I take care of my family and myself. It's what I do. It motivates me. The achievements you can come to [in boxing]. Most importantly, I know that there are people paying money to come watch me fight and watch me on TV,” Provodnikov said.

“That’s why I fight the way I fight. I try to do everything I can in the ring to pay back my fans and not disappoint them for coming out to support me.”

That’s one thing you can always say about Provo.

He never disappoints, win or lose.

And against Matthysse in a few weeks, it’s a pretty safe bet he won't start.

Kevin McRae is a featured boxing columnist for Bleacher Report. Unless otherwise noted all quotes were obtained from a personal interview.