Provodnikov to fight Castillo in Moscow on Nov. 28

Ruslan Provodnikov has finally come up with an opponent for his Nov. 28 fight in Moscow- Jose Luis Castillo. Yes, THE Jose Luis Castillo who on May 7, 2005 went toe-to-toe and left hook to left hook with Diego Corrales, and gifted boxing fans one of the greatest, must brutal wars ever witnessed inside a boxing ring.

After coming in above the lightweight limit and knocking out Corrales in their Oct 2005 rematch, Castillo (66-12-1, 57 KOs) moved up to light welterweight and was knocked out by Ricky Hatton in 2007. In 2010, fighting Alfonso Gomez at welterweight, Castillo retired on his stool after five rounds and announced his retirement. He fought twice more in 2010. Last year, in a bout televised by ESPN 2, Castillo dropped a lop-sided 10-round decision to Antwone Smith. Castillo has been able to reel off wins against middling competition on non-televised fights, but every time he's stepped up his level of competition on a televised bout, he's looked more and more shopworn.

Provodnikov (23-3, 16 KOs), who is looking to get back into the win column after dropping a split decision to Chris Algieri earlier this year, is a high risk/ low reward proposition for most fighters. Provodnikov doesn't posess a title belt, but he does have an iron chin, and a aggressive, move forward style that swarms and overwhelms opponents.

Castillo was once a great inside fighter. He took Floyd Mayweather, Jr. to the limit in their April 2002 fight. That was more than a decade ago. When he enters the ring in Moscow to face Provodnikov on Nov. 28, Castillo will be 40-years old, and a little more than two weeks away from turning 41.

While I am a fan of Provodnikov, this is a fight that I don't want to see, because I'm afraid for Castillo's health.