Lucas Matthysse vs. Ruslan Provodnikov: Live Round-by-Round Results, Highlights

Lucas Matthysse and Ruslan Provodnikov engaged for 12 brutal rounds on Saturday night at the Turning Stone Resort in Verona, New  York, and when the dust cleared it was the Argentine who emerged with a narrow majority-decision win.

Scores were 114-114 and 115-113 twice for Matthysse.

Matthysse (37-3, 34 KO) began the fight, which was dubbed a surefire Fight of the Year contender and didn’t disappoint, by boxing from range and using his jab to open up Provodnikov for power shots.

He was most effective when the fight was contested at range, but at close quarters Provodnikov, who had a bad cut opened over his left eye by a headbutt in Round 3, was able to score with thudding blows that rocked the Argentine.

Matthysse had huge advantages in punches thrown and landed according to CompuBox tracking.

Provodnikov (24-4, 17 KO) had his moments throughout the fight. Whenever he was able to cut distance and back his foe to the ropes he opened up with big left hands that probably stop most other junior welterweights, buckling Matthysse’s legs in Round 11 but failing to get him out of there.

HBO’s unofficial judge Harold Lederman scored the fight a draw, and rematch remains a possibility, even if it might not be the best option for either man after such a tough fight.

In the co-feature, rising sensation Terence “Bud” Crawford captured the vacant WBO Junior Welterweight Championship with a sixth-round knockout of former welterweight prospect Thomas Dulorme.

Crawford (26-0, 18 KO) got off to something of a slower start than usual in his first fight since moving to 140 pounds and vacating the WBO’s version of the 135-pound title. He allowed Dulorme to be the more active fighter, while measuring his man to find avenues for attack.

He found a big one early in round six when a one-two combination rocked Dulorme back to the ropes and set up the first of three knockdowns that ended the fight.