TEN years ago to the day, Tim Bradley and Ruslan Provodnikov stepped into a boxing ring in Carson, California, to face one another. What took place over those 12 incredible rounds became more than just the Fight Of The Year, it crystallised for many of us why we fell in love with this great sport in the first place.
For Bradley, it was a chance to break free of the anguish he’d suffered at the hands of an incredulous sport following his hugely controversial win over Manny Pacquiao.
For Provodnikov, the fight was as much about guaranteeing food for his family back home in Siberia as it was an opportunity at a world title.
Both men sat down with Boxing News to explain how this brutal war played out, what it took from them, but also what it provided them both with.
Tim Bradley: I was in a very dark place at that time, right before agreeing the fight with Ruslan Provodnikov. I would say it was partly myself and it was partly just the world, the public in general.
At that point, I hated myself. I hated myself for many reasons. It was more that it [the fight with Manny Pacquiao] shouldn’t have been that close. I should have done more. And I kept saying this to myself constantly, because my family and my kids had to deal with the turmoil as well, which hurt me, affected me, more than actually not winning. Just seeing my kids going to school and being laughed at and being talked about, people talking about their father.
It definitely played a huge part in why I endured that pain. It’s almost like I was I was fighting to
