PHILADELPHIA (DECEMBER 30, 2013)--This past March 16th at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California, WBO Welterweight Champion Timothy Bradley and Ruslan Provodnikov waged a memorable battle that saw Bradley barely hold on to his title by winning a razor- thin unanimous decision.
Provodnikov, knocked Bradley down with just seconds remaining in the bout and Bradley was rocked and badly hurt several more times in the bout that saw many ebbs and flows throughout the thrilling contest.
Even though the "Siberian Rocky" came up a bit short in the scorecards, he became a star that night because of his terrific performance
As 2013 draws to a close, many in the boxing community are giving the bout the accolades it deserves by naming it the "2013 Fight of the Year."
Kevin Iole of Yahoo.com; secondsout.com; fighthype.com; sportsmedia101.com; Robert Morales; Chris Mannix of Sportsillustrated.com; Boxingnews24.com; ringtv.com & USA Today are just a few of the many outlets that has given the fight it's highest accolade.
There are still outlets such as espn.com and the prestigious Boxing Writers Association of America that will surely follow suit and add to the recognition of the great fight.
Provodnikov (23-2, 16 KO's) would go on to capture the WBO jr. welterweight championship with a 10th - round stoppage over Mike Alvarado on October 19th, in Alvarado's hometown of Broomfield, Colorado.
"This was a great fight and we are ecstatic that the world got to see what we already knew: That Ruslan is a world championship fighter and his win over Mike Alvarado proved that," said Banner Promotions CEO Artie Pelullo.
"I would like to thank all of the media that recognized this sensational fight. Ruslan has become must see television. He has many memorable nights in store for years to come."