The first thing that went through my mind when it was reported that Manny Pacquiao and Ruslan Provodnikov are facing off in an exhibition match on 18 April in Las Vegas was a bit troubling.

You see, Provodnikov is one guy who stood out among Pacquiao’s bevy of sparmates during his heyday.

The Russian puncher helped Pacquiao prepare for Timothy Bradley and Juan Manuel Marquez.

They sparred in Baguio City during the Bradley buildup and in Los Angeles, specifically at the Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood, for the Marquez prep.

I always saw in Provodnikov a menacing fighter, somebody capable of scrambling anyone’s brains with his power punches.

That’s exactly what he did to Bradley when they fought even though he went on to lose their 2013 bout.

Bradley suffered a concussion and later admitted that Provodnikov hit harder than Pacquiao.

So, here’s the thing.

They are set to meet at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas.

Provodnikov has been retired since 2016 after racking up a 25-2-0 win-loss-draw record with 18 knockouts.

Though he lost to five fighters, three of them Pacquiao’s victims, Provodnikov called it quits with his fearsome reputation intact.

In fact, I spoke with someone who used to train him at the Wild Card just hours after filing this piece to get his thoughts about the exhibition match that is taking place in about eight weeks.

“Walang bisyo (He doesn’t have a vice),” said Marvin Somodio, who serves as Freddie Roach’s right-hand man at the Wild Card for a decade and a half now.

One more thing, Somodio noted.

“Matibay (He’s durable),” he added.

But he will be going up against a Pacquiao, though older by five years at 47, who is a bit more active.

After Provodnikov retired, Pacquiao went on to resume fighting, traveling to Australia to battle Jeff Horn, and taking on Adrien Broner, Keith Thurman, Yordenis Ugas and lastly, Mario Barrios.

But here’s another thing.

With his association with Pacquiao, Provodnikov went on to develop utmost admiration towards the Hall of Famer, calling him once as the best guy he has ever known.

And whenever Pacquiao celebrates his birthday, Provodnikov would make it a point to greet him online, again, expressing his deep respect to his sparmate.

But boxing’s a business and both fighters are fully aware of what’s at stake.

Call it an exhibition but knowing Pacquiao’s winning mentality and Provodnikov’s killer instinct, it’s not going to be a mere exhibition.

I would love to see this at ringside.