northernquest

Banner Promotions and

ESPN2

Northern Quest Casino

Airway Heights, Washington

February 27, 2012

Story by Ricardo Ibarra

Photos by Malisa Callahan

In a division filled with talent it can be a tough task for a rising prospect to distinguish himself from the pack and catch the attention of the boxing public. For a fighter plying his trade in the 140 pound division, that task can be especially difficult as it is currently stacked with young and talented fighters looking to make their mark. Last Friday night at the Northern Quest Casino in Airway Heights, Washington, rising Jr. welterweight prospect Ruslan Provodnikov scored one of his most impressive victories to date and did so in devastating fashion on ESPN2's Friday Night Fights. In the Main event of the Banner promotions card, Provodnikov knocked out Othello, Washington's David Torres in the sixth round with a vicious barrage, claiming the WBO intercontinental title and moving himself one step closer to world title contention.

Provodnikov, who hails from Berezovo, Russia, got off to a quick lead in the bout, pressing forward with measured aggression and landing solid power shots. A hard left hook to the temple dropped Torres early in the first round. After the mandatory eight count, Provodnikov pounced, unloading on his opponent along the ropes. Torres, who has always been a tough fighter, made it out of the round and showed some resiliency by firing back, but he was clearly outmatched by the stronger and faster Russian fighter.

Provodnikov maintained control throughout the remainder of the bout with constant pressure and solid combinations, pushing the fight to the ropes and landing often with hard uppercuts that snapped back the head of Torres. In the sixth round a hard right hand dropped Torres and left him badly hurt. After the count, Provodnikov ended matters with a series of punches that left Torres on his back. The referee waved the bout off at the 2:53 mark, giving Provodnikov his twenty-seventh and the Intercontinental title in a fashion that will do much to further his path to a big fight.

In the co-main event of the evening fight fans were treated to a back and forth thriller between the always exciting Korean Ji-Hoon Kim and South African Yakubu Amidu. Amidu found success early on in the bout, using a solid jab to keep his opponent at a distance and following up with crisp right hands. By the third round, though, Kim began to close the distance and land well on the inside, forcing Amidu to trade. The bout was close, but as it progressed Kim seemed to edge out the rounds with his constant pressure and more accurate punching in close. The two fighters traded rounds down the stretch and engaged in some fierce fighting, giving fight fans a great end to a very entertaining fight. All three judges scored the fight for Kim by scores of 97-93, 96-94, and 98-92

Local northwest prospect Garret Simon made short work of his opponent Marcus Dickerson, stopping him in the first round. Simon, of Puyallup, Washington, landed a series of shots early in the round that stunned Dickerson. A left hook sent him down to the canvass were he stayed until the ref hit the count of ten at :53 of the round. With the win Simon moves to 6-0-1 with 5 of his wins coming by way of the KO.

Brice Ritani-Cole added his second win as a pro, stopping Jake Wilson in the first round. Ritani-Cole moved in close with hard power shots form the start, stunning his opponent early with a right over the guard. A series of body shots later in the round ended matters. The referee hit the count of ten at 1:38 of the first round.

Re-surging heavyweight Northwest prospect Shane Andreesen claimed a workman like eight round decision over Rafael Zambrano. Working behind a solid jab and a constant work-rate, Andreesen maintained control at a distance. Hard one-two's to the head kept his opponent on the defensive for most of the bout. The methodical approach was a successful one as Andreesen went on to easily shutout Zambrano. All three judges scored the bout 80-72 for Andreesen.

In a scheduled four round Super Middleweight bout, Mike Gavronski stopped Matt Palmer in the third round. Gavronksi hurt Palmer in the first round with a series of body shots and once again in the second with an uppercut. Palmer did manage to land a few stiff punches of his own and proved to be a tough fighter, but by the third round he was taking a beating,. A body shot dropped him for a mandatory eight count. After the count Gavronksi pressed him, prompting the referee to stop the bout at 2:00 of the third round.

In match-up of local favorites, Auburn, Washington's Justin Jones scored a unanimous four round decision over Airway Heights' own Nalo Leal. Jones used a consistent one-two to maintain control of the bout, stepping in and out of the pocket with two and three punch combinations. Leal, who can always be counted on to give a good effort, fought back gamely throughout the fight, but Jones was simply busier and quicker on the draw. The official scores read 40-36, 39-37, and 39-37.

Banner Promotions and ESPN2 Northern Quest Casino Airway Heights, Washington	February 27, 2012 Story by Ricardo Ibarra Photos by Malisa Callahan
In a division filled with talent it can be a tough task for a rising prospect to distinguish himself from the pack and catch the attention of the boxing public. For a fighter plying his trade in the 140 pound division, that task can be especially difficult as it is currently stacked with young and talented fighters looking to make their mark. Last Friday night at the Northern Quest Casino in Airway Heights, Washington, rising Jr. welterweight prospect Ruslan Provodnikov scored one of his most impressive victories to date and did so in devastating fashion on ESPN2's Friday Night Fights. In the Main event of the Banner promotions card, Provodnikov knocked out Othello, Washington's David Torres in the sixth round with a vicious barrage, claiming the WBO intercontinental title and moving himself one step closer to world title contention. Provodnikov, who hails from Berezovo, Russia, got off to a quick lead in the bout, pressing forward with measured aggression and landing solid power shots. A hard left hook to the temple dropped Torres early in the first round. After the mandatory eight count, Provodnikov pounced, unloading on his opponent along the ropes. Torres, who has always been a tough fighter, made it out of the round and showed some resiliency by firing back, but he was clearly outmatched by the stronger and faster Russian fighter. Provodnikov maintained control throughout the remainder of the bout with constant pressure and solid combinations, pushing the fight to the ropes and landing often with hard uppercuts that snapped back the head of Torres. In the sixth round a hard right hand dropped Torres and left him badly hurt. After the count, Provodnikov ended matters with a series of punches that left Torres on his back. The referee waved the bout off at the 2:53 mark, giving Provodnikov his twenty-seventh and the Intercontinental title in a fashion that will do much to further his path to a big fight.
	In the co-main event of the evening fight fans were treated to a back and forth thriller between the always exciting Korean Ji-Hoon Kim and South African Yakubu Amidu. Amidu found success early on in the bout, using a solid jab to keep his opponent at a distance and following up with crisp right hands. By the third round, though, Kim began to close the distance and land well on the inside, forcing Amidu to trade. The bout was close, but as it progressed Kim seemed to edge out the rounds with his constant pressure and more accurate punching in close. The two fighters traded rounds down the stretch and engaged in some fierce fighting, giving fight fans a great end to a very entertaining fight. All three judges scored the fight for Kim by scores of 97-93, 96-94, and 98-92
Local northwest prospect Garret Simon made short work of his opponent Marcus Dickerson, stopping him in the first round. Simon, of Puyallup, Washington, landed a series of shots early in the round that stunned Dickerson. A left hook sent him down to the canvass were he stayed until the ref hit the count of ten at :53 of the round. With the win Simon moves to 6-0-1 with 5 of his wins coming by way of the KO.
	Brice Ritani-Cole added his second win as a pro, stopping Jake Wilson in the first round. Ritani-Cole moved in close with hard power shots form the start, stunning his opponent early with a right over the guard. A series of body shots later in the round ended matters. The referee hit the count of ten at 1:38 of the first round.
Re-surging heavyweight Northwest prospect Shane Andreesen claimed a workman like eight round decision over Rafael Zambrano. Working behind a solid jab and a constant work-rate, Andreesen maintained control at a distance. Hard one-two's to the head kept his opponent on the defensive for most of the bout. The methodical approach was a successful one as Andreesen went on to easily shutout Zambrano. All three judges scored the bout 80-72 for Andreesen.
	In a scheduled four round Super Middleweight bout, Mike Gavronski stopped Matt Palmer in the third round. Gavronksi hurt Palmer in the first round with a series of body shots and once again in the second with an uppercut. Palmer did manage to land a few stiff punches of his own and proved to be a tough fighter, but by the third round he was taking a beating,. A body shot dropped him for a mandatory eight count. After the count Gavronksi pressed him, prompting the referee to stop the bout at 2:00 of the third round.
In match-up of local favorites, Auburn, Washington's Justin Jones scored a unanimous four round decision over Airway Heights' own Nalo Leal. Jones used a consistent one-two to maintain control of the bout, stepping in and out of the pocket with two and three punch combinations. Leal, who can always be counted on to give a good effort, fought back gamely throughout the fight, but Jones was simply busier and quicker on the draw. The official scores read 40-36, 39-37, and 39-37.