By: Sean Crose
Hard to believe it’s been almost a year.
That’s right, it’s time for Gary Russell Jr’s annual endeavor inside the boxing ring. Okay, that’s a bit harsh. Russell argued that he wanted to be more active. It’s just, well, he doesn’t fight much. And that’s too bad because the 31-1 WBC featherweight champion is a brilliant fighter. He may not be a knockout artist, but his versatile skill set is nothing short of impressive. Either way, Russell Jr will slide between the ropes at Atlantic City’s Borgata Hotel and Casino on Saturday night in the main event of a card game that will be broadcast live on Showtime.
Russell Jr’s rival? Mark Magsayo is undefeated. Fighting under the guidance of Manny Pacquiao and coached by Freddy Roach, Pacquiao’s corner man, 23-0 Magsayo is fighting for his first world championship. He certainly won’t be against any laziness. However, anyone who watched Magsayo’s final bout, an absolute fight against Julio Ceja last summer in a title knockout, knows how capable the Filipino boxer is. After bouncing down from relentless body shots that came after he got up, Magsayo landed perfectly in the tenth minute sending Ceja down – and out completely. That fight led to this weekend’s battle. If nothing else, Magsayo showed the heart and strength to get his shot, which means he’s not down at all.
As for Russell Jr – his last match was in February 2021 against the undefeated Tugsogt Nyambayar team 11-0. Although Nyambayar did not lack skill or courage, the awkwardness of male singer Russell’s sharp shooting proved to be excessive. The catch here is that Russell looks like a top boxer when he trains. He looks like a SPECIAL fighter. The man wins again and again. Moreover, his only loss was Vasyl Lomachenko, one of the greats of the time. Russell Jr, of course, wants top-notch fights – which is practically impossible, especially for a boxer of Russell’s caliber. However, if he impresses on Saturday, the longest dominating list in the sport could make it much harder for him to avoid it.
