Ruslan Provodnikov's Manager: It's Juan Manuel Marquez Or Manny Pacquiao For Russian Champion

Vadim Kornilov, the manager of Ruslan Provodnikov, confirmed that the reigning WBO light welterweight champion will face either Juan Manuel Marquez or Manny Pacquiao in his first title defense.

Kornilov told Boxingscene that Marquez remains on top of their list of possible opponents, but they will be forced to face Pacquiao if the 40-year-old Mexican boxing icon remains uninterested in facing Provodnikov.

"If we fail to reach an agreement on a pay-per-view fight with Juan Manuel Marquez, then the possibility of a fight against Pacquiao is really great," Kornilov said.

Kornilov also added that even if they end up facing Marquez in their first fight in 2014, they will still be open to the idea of squaring off with Pacquiao later this year.

"Given that the fans, promoters and [HBO] are very interested in a fight between Pacquiao and Provodnikov, we are most likely going to have to do it. Provodnikov only wants to fight only against the most dangerous and most well-known opponents and he does not intend to accept less meaningful alternatives," Kornilov said.

Provodnikov, who is coming off a breakout win over Mike Alvarado in their WBO light welterweight title showdown in October, previously expressed no interest in facing Pacquiao, who is his former sparring partner, both trained by Hall of Famer coach Freddie Roach.

But the 29-year-old native of Beryozovo, who holds 23-2 record with 16 knockouts, recently had a change of heart.

Provodnikov revealed that he could face Pacquiao on April 12 in Las Vegas, saying that the opportunity to face a great fighter like Pacquiao is too good to turn down even if it would also mean that he will be forced to part ways with a great trainer like Roach.

"The chances are good that we will meet Pacquiao on April 12. As you know, I originally did not want to fight with the Filipino, because we both trained under the guidance of Freddie Roach. Then, while I was on vacation at a resort - I carefully thought about the situation. And I decided that if fate is giving me the opportunity, then I need to use it. To refuse a fight with such a great boxer is stupid. I've always wanted to fight with the best - and Pacquiao is at the top of the ceiling," Provodnikov said.