Manny Pacquiao vs Ruslan Provodnikov Would Be An Interesting Fight, Top Rank Chief Bob Arum Says

Ruslan Provodnikov scored a scintillating tenth-round TKO victory over Mike Alvarado in their World Boxing Organization light welterweight title showdown on Saturday.

The huge win over Alvarado is expected to line Provodnikov up in big money bouts and already, there are talks about a possible showdown with Manny Pacquiao.

When asked about the possibility of pitting Provodnikov against Pacquiao, trainer Freddie Roach, who handles both fighters, doubts if it is going to happen, saying that the two fighters are good friends.

"They are good friends and I don't think they will fight," said Roach in an interview with Boxingscene, while also adding that Provodnikov will watch Pacquiao's next fight against Brandon Rios on Nov. 24th in Macau.

But when Top Rank promoter Bob Arum was asked to give his take on the possible Pacquiao-Provodnikov showdown in the near future, Arum said: "Why not?"

However, Arum stressed out that the former pound-for-pound king should focus on his upcoming fight against Rios before thinking about other fighters, while also adding that Provodnikov could also face Mexican veteran Juan Manuel Marquez, who recently lost to Timothy Bradley.

Like Arum, famed HBO analyst Larry Merchant also likes the Pacquiao vs Provodnikov idea, saying that Provodnikov earned a shot against big-name fighters like Pacquiao with his performance against Alvarado.

The veteran analyst also recognized that Roach handling both fighters could be a stumbling block, but Merchant believes that both parties could find a way to stage the fight probably next year.

"Roach has talked about that and they've talked about that. They're professionals and they understand that. When you a get a chance to fight a guy like Pacquiao, that's where the money is; that's where the top of the mountain is. We better see what happens with Pacquiao and Rios and whether Pacquiao really wants to fight him. See what the other options are," Merchant said in a separate interview with Boxingscene.