By Allan Fox: Gary Russell Jr. says he’s been given a promise by Al Haymon that Leo Santa Cruz will be his next fight, as long as he successfully defends his WBC featherweight title next monty against Tugstsogt Nyambayar on February 8.
Russell Jr. (30-1, 18 KOs) says if Haymon fails to produce the fight against WBA Super World 130-lb champion Santa Cruz (37-1-1, 19 KOs), he’s going to move up to 135, and go after fights against Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis and Vasiliy Lomachenko.
Russell Jr., 31, is facing the unbeaten amateur standout Nyambayar (11-0, 9 KOs) in the main event on February 8 LIVE on SHOWTIME at the PPL Center in Allentown, Pennsylvania. This is a Premier Boxing Champions card. This is expected to be a tough fight for Russell Jr., as ‘King Tug’ Nyambayar, who comes from Mongolia, can punch, and he’s young at 27. Nyambayar lacks hand speed and experience, and that could be his undoing against Russell Jr.
Russell Jr. says Al Haymon has promised him Santa Cruz fight AFTER Nyambayar
“He promised me Leo Santa Cruz immediately after this fight,” said Russell Jr. to Thaboxingvoice in talking about Al Haymon. “I don’t overlook anybody, because he’s a very worthy opponent. If we get through him, I want Leo. If I don’t get Leo after this dude [Tugstsogt Nyambayar], then you’re going to see some dramatic changes in my end. Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis moved up from 126 to 130 to 135.
“He couldn’t even make the weight at 135, and you mean to tell me he’s going to move back down to 130 and fight Leo?” said Russell Jr. “I highly doubt it that he can make 130. He can’t even make 135. The proof is in the pudding. He’s showed that his level of professionalism inside and outside the ring,” said Russell Jr. on Gervonta.
What looks bad right now for Russell Jr. is the fact that there’s a lot of talk about Santa Cruz facing Tank Davis next. Santa Cruz is saying he wants Davis (23-0, 22 KOs) next, and it’s hard to imagine Mayweather Promotions will pass up on his offer.
Santa Cruz started his career at 118, and he didn’t look good in his last fight in beating Miguel Flores by a 12 round unanimous decision on November 23. Leo won the vacant WBA Super World super featherweight title with the victory over Flores, but it was close. This was a fighter that had lost 2 out of his last 4 fights going into the Santa Cruz bout.
Tank Davis WON’T be able to make weight for Santa Cruz fight
“You’re coming to a world class fight, and not be able to make weight,” said Russell Jr. about Tank Davis failing to make weight repeatedly for fights. “Stuff like that speaks volumes about you as an individual. I think he’s going to be his own worst enemy in that fight,” said Russell Jr. about a fight between Tank Davis and Santa Cruz.
“I don’t think he’s going to be able to make weight to even fight Leo Santa Cruz,” said Russell Jr. about Davis likely not able to make weight at 130 to fight Santa Cruz. “Leo Santa Cruz isn’t a big guy. He’s not a 135-pounder. He’s a 122-lb fighter, and he’s fought against some good guys in his division. But I don’t see him moving up to 135 to compete against Gervonta, and I damn sure don’t think Gervonta can cut the weight to fight at 130 to fight Leo.” Russell said.
It would be a mistake on Russell’s part to assume the Tank Davis vs. Santa Cruz WON’T take place just because of the possibility Tank won’t make weight. Even if Davis fails to make weight, the fight will still take place. Mayweather Promotions won’t keep Davis away from Santa Cruz because they’re worried about him not making weight. They’ll likely make that fight, and hope for the best with Tank.
Russell Jr. said that if Haymon doesn’t come through with his promise of being given the Santa Cruz fight, he may sign a one-fight deal with Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing USA stable. He would then face IBF super featherweight champion Tevin Farmer, as long as he beats Joseph ‘Jo Jo’ Diaz in their fight on January 30.
Russell Jr. willing to fight Gervonta at 135 or at a catchweight
“I was willing to meet Gervonta at whatever weight they want to fight at,” said Russell Jr. “We can meet at a catchweight. It doesn’t matter to me. We can meet at 135, and we can make the fight happen, but they don’t want to make it happen. It’s possible,” said Russell Jr. when asked if Gervonta can talk Al Haymon into letting him fight Santa Cruz at whatever weight.
“We get paid on our ability to produce,” continued Russell Jr. on Tank Davis. “When it’s time to produce, he’s been consistently showing that he’s unprofessional to make weight, and maintain his weight. I think that’s a habit with him, a way of living, and a lifestyle. I think that’ll catch up to him on the back end,” said Russell Jr. about Gervonta Davis’ problems trying to make weight.
That’s a pipe dream on Russell’s part in him thinking Tank Davis will agree to fight him at a catchweight, because he’s struggling to make 135. He’s not going to agree to come in lower than that if he can’t even make the weight for the division.
It doesn’t matter if Russell Jr. is willing to take the fight with Tank Davis, because it’ll come down to Mayweather Promotions. They’ve been matching Davis carefully since he turned professional in 2013, and they’re unlikely to put him in against an experienced fighter like Russell Jr.
Lomachenko, Farmer or Tank Davis will be in Russell’s target sight if he doesn’t get Santa Cruz
“Eddie Hearns doesn’t really have any fighters like that,” Russell Jr. said about Santa Cruz and Tank Davis. “He’s got a couple of fighters, but he doesn’t have no real stars. He’s trying to get his stable up. All the stars are on this side of the fence [with Premier Boxing Champions]. I’d do a one fight deal with him if he’s open for business. If Tevin [Farmer] wants to fight me.
“If he gets passed Jo Jo Diaz, and I get past this dude [Tugstsogt Nyambayar], and Leo won’t take the fight,” Russell Jr. said about him potentially taking a fight with Farmer. “I wouldn’t mind hollering at Eddie to see what he’d give me for Tevin. We can do a one fight deal. I don’t want to be at 126 anymore. The only reason I was at 126 for so long is because I wanted a fight against Leo Santa Cruz.
It would be best for Russell Jr. to already start planning on making his move up to 135, because it doesn’t look like he’ll get the Santa Cruz fight. Tevin Farmer would be a good plan-B option for Russell Jr. at 130, but that’ll require that he gets passed Joseph Diaz Jr. on January 30. The light hitting Farmer is going to be up against in the Diaz fight, and there’s a good chance he loses.
Russell Jr. ready to move up to 135
“If I don’t get it, I might move up to 135. I want to fight Lomachenko. That’s a fight that I want to make happen. Before the conclusion of my career, I want to be at 135. The only reason I’m at 126 is because I want Leo. If I don’t get Leo, I’m going to immediately jump up to 135 or I’ll see what Tevin is talking about. It’s a process of elimination,” said Russell Jr.
In 2014, Russell Jr. lost a 12 round majority decision to Vasiliy Lomachenko, and he’s wanted a rematch ever since then. It’s possible that Russell Jr. might get a rematch with Lomachenko, but not likely. Lomachenko has a lot of options for interesting fights, and he’s not going to want to revisit a second fight with Russell Jr.
Tevin Farmer might lose to Joseph Diaz this month in their fight on January 30, and it’ll then be pointless for Russell Jr. to go after him. Russell Jr gave Lomachenko one of the toughest fights of his pro career, and he came close to beating him. If he’d been able to deal with his movement, he would have gotten the win.
Santa Cruz has been hiding from Russell Jr.
“I really want to put my hands on Leo Santa Cruz, and I really want to get in the ring and fight him,” said Russell Jr. “I don’t want to fight his dad. That was a subliminal message that a lot of ignorant people took incorrectly. ‘I’m close enough to your dad to put my arm around him, but I can’t get within 10 feet of you. What’s the problem?'” said Russell Jr. about Santa Cruz. “That was a subliminal message that a lot of people took, and ran with.
“That was me picking on Leo,” said Russell Jr. “‘I’ve been trying to see you for the past five years, but they got you in hiding.”
At this point, it’s pretty much academic that Santa Cruz wants no part of fighting Russell Jr. The fact that Russell Jr. is still wasting his time pursuing that fight is troubling, because it’s like he doesn’t get it. Russell Jr. looks silly waiting on a fight that will likely never happen.
In hindsight, someone should have told Russell Jr. a long time ago that Santa Cruz will NEVER fight him. At least if Russell had known that years ago, he could have bailed on the featherweight division, and moved up to 130 and 135, and gotten some big fights.
Russell Jr: Tank Davis doesn’t want to fight
“I honestly think Tank don’t want to fight,” said Russell Jr. “I think if he did want to fight, it would be to save face at this point. He knows a lot of people are going, ‘Hey, what’s up? Gary is calling you out. Are you going to fight him? It ain’t nothing personal with Tank. He just came up at the wrong place at the wrong time.
“Let’s make it happen. We can do that at the Redskins stadium,” said Russell Jr. “That’s like 50,000. That’s a fight that can be made just for the people. Even if Tank didn’t have a title. When I move up to 135, I don’t have to have a title. We can fight just for the people.
“They would want to see that. Who wouldn’t want to see that fight. It doesn’t have to be [a world title on the line]. I’m trying to see whoever, and I’m a real dog,” said Russell Jr.
Davis doesn’t sound eager to take guys like Devin Haney, Lomachenkoa and Ryan Garcia. Why would it be any different now that Russell Jr. is calling out Gervonta? Look at how Mayweather Promotions is matching Tank Davis.
They’re putting him in with older fighters like Yuriorkis Gamboa, and fringe level guys like Jose Pedraza. Russell Jr. isn’t old, and he’s not someone that Tank Davis can be counted on to beat. As a result, we probably won’t see Tank Davis fighting Russell Jr. while he’s still in his prime.
