Ruslan Provodnikov is ready to fight Manny Pacquiao, but a few days after the fight ended, just 48 hours before the evening’s fight, he told World Boxing News that he was still waiting to find out if it would even happen.

At this rate, the fight could become another Pacquiao event that will never fully come to fruition.

The former world champion admitted that the delay from the original date of April 18 is disappointing, but insisted that he thinks the exhibition will be postponed until June.

Provodnikov described the opportunity to face Pacquiao as something he never expected, saying he was “extremely cheerful” when he first heard about the fight.

“It’s disappointing that the fight won’t take place in April, but I hope it will happen in June. I really hope so and I believe in it,” he told WBN exclusively.

Contrary to this belief, no binding June date has been given.

I’m still waiting

The development follows a confused week of fights in which the fight was stopped just 48 hours before the scheduled date, leaving fans having to adjust travel plans after days of silence on whether the event would even take place.

Nothing has improved in this situation.

World Boxing News has repeatedly tried to get answers, but there are still mixed signals as to whether the fight will even happen. Pacquiao remained hushed throughout, while Provodnikov’s team previously admitted to WBN that they also had no information.

There is little sign of unified direction behind the scenes, as the situation remains as unresolved now as it was before the April date dropped.

The pattern stretches over weeks, with the fight already in doubt early in the build-up before a postponement was finally confirmed on April 16.

Ready to go

Provodnikov says that everything is in place on his side.

“We have prepared everything. As soon as they give us the go-ahead, I will pack my bag and be ready to fly to America with my team,” he added.

This leaves a clear imbalance – one fighter is ready and the other has not yet provided an exact schedule.

Last chance

As for his career, Provodnikov made it clear to WBN that this is not a comeback.

“My career is already behind me. I moved on to other things, other work, and today I focus on my family,” he said.

“Boxing is a thing of the past. Maybe exhibition fights – just to go out and entertain people – but to seriously come back and restart your career, no. Everything has its time.”

With Provodnikov ruling out a full return, a fight with Pacquiao seems like a infrequent opportunity – one that still doesn’t have a confirmed date.

The looming possibility of a second fight between Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather further complicates the situation. Given the significant money associated with the Netflix event, the risk of any competitor sustaining unnecessary injuries during the previous exhibition becomes a earnest factor.

Despite Provodnikov’s enthusiasm, it’s becoming increasingly arduous to ignore the possibility that the fight may not happen at all.

If this fight continues, everything previously planned could quickly become irrelevant.

For now, Provodnikov has spoken, but the situation still hasn’t happened.

About the author

Phil Jay is the editor-in-chief of World Boxing News (WBN) and a boxing veteran with over 15 years of experience. Read the full biography.