Ruslan Provodnikov entered his fight Saturday with junior welterweight champion Mike Alvarado with the reputation of a vicious fighter. Provodnikov lived up to that by stopping a battered and beaten Alvarado after the 10th round at 1stBank Center in Broomfield, Colo., near Denver. Provodnikov took Alvarado’s championship belt.

Both fighters had battered faces. Alvarado was decked twice in the eighth round.

After the 10th round, referee Tony Weeks asked Alvarado if he wanted to continue. Weeks was blocking Alvarado, so his response was not seen or heard  on the HBO telecast. But Weeks then said, “This fight’s over,” and waved it off as Alvarado sat on his stool.

Alvarado, 33, of Denver, is 34-2. Provodnikov, 29, of Russia, is 23-2 with 16 knockouts.