Ruslan Provodnikov vs. Lucas Matthysse: Winner, Scorecard and Reaction

In a 12-round bout that was every bit the back-and-forth war that boxing fans expected, Lucas Matthysse (37-3-0, 34 KOs) defeated Ruslan Provodnikov (24-4-0, 17 KOs) by majority decision on Saturday night at the Turning Stone Resort and Casino in Verona, New York.

Here's how the judges scored it (via HBO Boxing):

All In magazine's Eric Raskin felt the judges had it right:

Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix wasted no time in coming up with a future card for these two boxers:

No belt was on the line in this one; it was just a bout that proved to be excellent fan service from start to finish. Matthysse pummeled Provodnikov with jab after jab through 12 rounds, but the Russian never wavered and landed power punches that would have cratered most boxers.

Matthysse told the crowd and those watching at home he wanted to fight the best after this display, per HBO Boxing:

UCNLive.com's Steve Kim gave his take on what might make the difference in this hotly anticipated bout:

Through the first two rounds, that was surely Matthysse. He doubled and tripled up on the jab to set up a powerful right hand, tagging Provodnikov before the Russian had a chance to mount any offense whatsoever. Matthysse's superior reach and hand speed appeared to be major problems early on.

A clash of heads early on in the second burst open a cut over Provodnikov's left eye, a troubling early development. Matthysse had little trouble battering the Russian's chin with either hand in the center of the ring, as a number of straight rights landed flush on the fresh, bloody gash. Provodnikov did manage to connect on a fine left hook at the end of the second, but he was clearly the worse for wear early on.

Boxing legend Bernard Hopkins, serving as a ringside commentator on the HBO broadcast, provided this nugget of analysis:

Some fighters might elect to dance with such a large cut on the face, wary of the stoppage, but Provodnikov stayed true to his brawler nature and managed to get Matthysse on the ropes in the third.

The fourth was full of highlight-reel punches. Matthysse landed three straight jabs at one point, but Provodnikov drew a huge response from the crowd with a sledgehammer overhand right and a leaden left hook.

HBO Boxing provided a look at some of the action:

Few boxers would dare to wade through Matthysse's heavy-handed blows, but Provodnikov proved to be just such an opponent. His ceaseless advances elicited this quip from HBO announcer Max Kellerman:

Manny Pacquiao also weighed in on Twitter:

Matthysse found the range on his jab in the fifth in what was a fairly even round, and then he really went to work on Provodnikov in the sixth and seventh. With his cheeks swelling and blood streaming down his face, Provodnikov appeared to have trouble seeing Matthysse's jabs and overhand rights coming. The Argentine landed blows in bunches.

Kim noted Matthysse's advantages over The Siberian Rocky:

Provodnikov's steel-plated chin kept him standing when most other boxers would have crumbled. It allowed him to press through to some fine exchanges in the later rounds, such as these in the ninth and 10th, per HBO Boxing:

Provodnikov appeared to find new life in the 11th. The match official stopped the fight at 1:47 to get some loose tape cut from Matthysse's glove, and Provodnikov took the breather and managed to jelly Matthysse with a left hook that brought the crowd to its feet.

Lennox Lewis didn't like the message Matthysse's corner was spreading late in the bout:

Matthysse kept his wits about him for the 12th and would go on to collect a hard-fought decision victory.

Provodnikov may have taken a stunning number of blows, but not every boxer hits with Matthysse's precision and accuracy. The Russian now has three losses in his last five bouts, but matching him up with brawlers rather than speedsters might get him back on a consistent winning track.

Mannix's proposed fight between Matthysse and Terence Crawford, who defeated Thomas Dulorme via sixth-round TKO earlier in the HBO broadcast, would be an intriguing bout. Crawford is a master technician, but Matthysse's quick, iron fists might force him into a rare late-round slugfest.