Gary Russell Jr. Mark Magsayo’s pre-fight wound reveal: “During the battle, I’m sure everyone will be able to see something”

By: Hans Themistode

The mind of Gary Russell Jr. keep racing.

The WBC featherweight champion is still dealing with the pain of losing his younger brother, Gary “Boosa” Russell to a sudden heart attack in December 2020. While still grieving, Russell Jr. is trying to find peace as he deals with the health issues of his father/coach, Gary Russell Sr., who was recently forced to have his leg amputated due to a protracted battle with diabetes.

In addition to the mental pain, Russell Jr is also facing physical illnesses. The Maryland resident is just hours away from ending a career-long 23-month layoff in a mandatory title challenge against the undefeated Mark Magsayo. While the WBC belt holder has admitted that injuries are a part of the game, this time around, he’s going to be a little more baffled than usual.

“I never get into any of my fights 100%, to be honest with you,” Russell Jr told BoxingScene.com recently. “I actually have a bit of a minor injury, but I don’t want to talk about it in detail until after the game.”

Although Russell Jr.’s seven-year title reign. making him the longest-reigning champion in the sport of boxing, but his ring appearances were few and far between. With just one annual appearance from 2015 to 2020, Russell Jr has not been able to compete at all in 2021.

Due to a longer-than-expected sideline, Russell Jr is now trying to make a slight comeback, even if that means fighting when he shouldn’t.

“I haven’t competed in almost two years,” Russell Jr said in an interview with Brian Custer on The Last Stand Podcast. “I really want to get into the ring and fight. I really love what I do. I’m a real competitor, I’m a real champion. I feel as if this is something that champions are supposed to do, not look for a way out. “

In Magsayo, Russell Jr will attempt to derail his rough-and-tumble opponent who is on a 23-match winning streak, including consecutive stops.

Throughout his lead-up to the Maryland resident’s title defense, he’s been nothing but praise for the Filipino native. In addition to eager to end his hiatus in the ring, Russell Jr is confident that even a scaled-down version of himself will be overwhelming for his required challenger.

“If you really have that kind of skill, then it shows. I believe in myself and I feel that despite the injury, my skills and what I bring will be far superior to the opponent.”

The confidence of Russell Jr. has been built over years of consistently working without lights and cameras. Throughout his career, the longtime defending champion believes he has set himself apart from the rest of the group due to his otherworldly speed and skill in the ring. However, due to his dominance, Russell Jr is well aware that his supporters are used to seeing him compete at a certain level.

Although Russell Jr believes he will successfully defend his title for the fifth time in a row, he doubts that his fans will immediately recognize that he is not 100%.

“During the war, I’m sure everyone will be able to see something. I’ll tell them after it’s all said and done but after the W.”