Tim Bradley has named Ruslan Provodnikov as the hardest hitter he faced in his boxing career, placing the Russian puncher above Manny Pacquiao. Bradley, who shared the ring with Pacquiao for 24 rounds across two fights, made the surprising revelation in a recent interview with Ring Magazine.
Bradley's first encounter with Pacquiao came in June 2012. He stepped up from 140lbs to challenge for the WBO welterweight title. The fight ended in controversy when Bradley got a split decision win, despite most observers feeling Pacquiao had done enough to retain his belt.
The rematch took place in 2016 and proved to be Bradley's final fight. This time, Pacquiao left no doubt, dropping Bradley twice on his way to a unanimous decision victory.
Despite Pacquiao's renowned power, Bradley says Ruslan Provodnikov hit even harder. The two met in March 2013, right after Bradley's first fight with Pacquiao, in what turned out to be a Fight of the Year contender. Bradley won a narrow points decision, but not before suffering a 12th round knockdown.
Bradley explained the difference to Ring Magazine:
"When Provodnikov hits you, you're in la-la land. You're dancing on an island. You're trying to get your legs back and get your defenses, because you don't want to get hit by another shot from this guy. Your legs go to jelly. (laughs) You have no control over your body; you're trying to will yourself out of that hell you're in."
He compared Provodnikov's power to "being hit in the face with a sledgehammer", while describing Pacquiao's as "more like an electrical current – you feel a wave of shock".
Bradley has transitioned into a role as an expert analyst since retiring from the ring. He's kept busy recently, offering his thoughts on potential matchups in the sport, including a prediction for a possible fight between Teofimo Lopez and Ryan Garcia.
