Ruslan Provodnikov (The Russian Rocky) boxer

Ruslan Mikhailovich Provodnikov (Russian: Руслан Михайлович Проводников; born 20 January 1984) is a Russian former professional boxer and politician. He held the WBO junior welterweight title from 2013 to 2014, and challenged once for the WBO welterweight title in 2013 against Timothy Bradley, in a fight that was named Fight of the Year by The Ring magazine and the Boxing Writers Association of America. During the prime of his career, Provodnikov was known as a highly aggressive pressure fighter possessing formidable punching power, stamina and an exceptionally durable chin.Provodnikov said that he wanted to learn English. Provodnikov was translated to have said, "I think boxing saved my life", as part of a translation of a statement Provodnikov made in response to an interviewer's question about what career he would have chosen if he was not a boxer.Ruslan Mikhailovich Provodnikov was born in Beryozovo, a small village in Western Siberia to an ethnic Russian father and an ethnic Mansi mother, but identifies himself as Mansi. Provodnikov said that he used to street-fight as a child, so his dad took him to a boxing trainer when he was ten years old to box. He would regularly make a 1-day trip to train at a gym that was something closer to what a professional boxing gym should be. As an amateur he won 130 of 150 fights. He was discovered in Ekaterinburg by his current promoters and managers, who brought him to the U.S.Provodnikov said that he enjoyed playing soccer and basketball.Provodnikov said he wanted to provide for his son and give his son options in life. He said he was having his son grow up in the same place where he did, and that he wanted his son to experience the way he lived. He said he wanted his son to play sports and watch less TV and use the internet less.Provodnikov said that he enjoyed eating raw meat such as raw moose liver and raw fish, and he said that he believed that eating meat made him strong.