DENVER — Russian boxer Ruslan Provodnikov had a handshake and a friendly pat on the head for his American opponent, while Mike Alvarado presented his challenger a bright orange Denver Broncos jersey bearing the name of his hometown team's quarterback, Peyton Manning.
Provodnikov and Alvarado appeared together at a news conference at Elway's restaurant in Denver ahead of their WBO junior welterweight title fight set for Oct. 19 at the 1stBANK Center in nearby Broomfield. The bout is Alvarado's first title defense.
Alvarado takes a record of 34-1, including 23 KOs, into the upcoming bout against Provodnikov.
Provodnikov, the WBO's No. 1 ranked contender, has a record of 22-2 with 15 KOs over his six-year pro career.