Gary Russell Jr. talks Vasily Lomachenko vs. Teofimo Lopez

By Boxing News - 02/07/2020 - Comments

By Dan Ambrose: WBC featherweight champion Gary Russell Jr. (30-1, 18 KOs) will be defending against Tugstsogt Nyambayar (11-0, 9 KOs) this Saturday night on Showtime at the PPL Center, Allentown, Pennsylvania.

(Photo credit: Amanda Westcott/SHOWTIME)

This will be Russell’s last defense of his WBC 126-lb title before he vacates it, and moves up 2 weight divisions to go after the top guys at lightweight.

Before leaving the featherweight division, Russell would like to face Leo Santa Cruz (37-1-1, 19 KOs). That fight probably won’t happen. Santa Cruz wants to fight Gervonta Davis, and Russell hasn’t been mentioned by him as someone he wants to fight anytime soon.

Russell Jr: Teofimo Lopez is hungry and nothing to lose

“I’m not sure. In the sport of boxing you got these little gloves on. Everyone has got a puncher’s chance,” said Russell Jr., when asked who wins a fight between Lomachenko and Teofimo Lopez. “You can’t never underestimate nobody or overlook anyone.

“I do think Teofimo Lopez is hungry, he’s driven, and once again he’s in the position where he has everything to gain and nothing to lose,” said Russell Jr. “A lot of those guys push a little harder, and they’re much more hungrier than a lot of these champions are. Only time will tell.

Teofimo (15-0, 12 KOs) has the power, youth and punch accuracy to defeat Lomachenko if he can catch up to him long enough for him to land one of his big shots. The hunger that Lopez has could be enough for him to beat Lomachenko if he doesn’t get frustrated and give up in the first half of the fight. Lomachenko has a way of forcing his opponents to mentally quit with the way that he hits them with a lot of punches.

Lopez, 22, will likely be moving up to 140 in 2021, so a fight between him and Russell jr. would seem unlikely.

Gervonta Davis’ unprofessionalism will catch up to him

“He couldn’t hold the weight at 135 realistically for his last fight against Yuriorkis Gamboa,” said Russell Jr. “I think his professionalism will catch up to him, and I don’t think he’ll be able to make weight for that fight at 130. If they fight next, then I want the winner,” said Russell jr. on him wanting the Tank Davis vs. Leo Santa Cruz winner.

Davis is already missing weight for his fights, and he’s not going to be able to continue to do this without it hurting his career. As popular as Gervonta is, he may find it difficult for him to get guys that want to fight him if they have faith in his ability to make weight

Russell Jr. Tank Davis, Santa Cruz, Lomanchenko & Haney

“I want the winner of whoever fights. If I can’t, then I don’t want to just be fighting anybody. These Joes with no name, and these taxi cab drivers that some of these guys have been competing against. I want someone in the upper echelon, and someone in the top five.

“Devin Haney is in the weight division, and Teofimo is up there. I would definitely want a rematch with Vasiliy Lomachenko. That’s another one. They’re names are on the list too. They can get it,” said Russell Jr., wanting to fight Luke Campbell vs. Javier Fortuna winner,” said Russell Jr.

Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis is someone that may not be long for the 135-lb division. he came in over the lightweight limit for his first fight at 135 last December against Yuriorkis Gamboa, and this is Tank at just 25. If Davis keeps eating well in between fights, he’ll likely end up at 140, and then eventually 147.

Lomachenko is expected to head back down to 130 if he beats Teofimo Lopez in their unification fight in April or May. Loma won’t be staying around the lightweight division.

Dealing with mandatory challengers results in Russell fighting once a year

“The reason I only fight once a year is because I continually get forced to compete against mandatory challengers,” said Russell Jr. “None of the other champions want to fight. The reason I’m not competing is because none of these other guys want to step inside the ring with me.

“It’s frustrating and flattering as well, because one of the reasons these guys don’t want to get in the ring is because of my skill-set, tenacity, ring IQ and etc. You’ve got to take the good with the bad, the bitter with the sweet,” said Russell Jr. “I just focus on being the best I possibly can whenever I do compete.”

Russell’s inactivity isn’t just about him being stuck doing mandatory defenses. He could have obviously been fighting 2 or 3 times a year if he’d wanted to. Just by not being choosy, Russell Jr. could have fought a lot more than he’s done.

Russell has had the WBC title for five years since 2015, and he’s only defended it 4 times. In some ways, the World Boxing Council will gain a lot when Russell vacates their featherweight title, because the guy that grabs the title will likely be a lot busier than Russell has been in terms of making title defenses.

Tugstsogt Nyambayar skilled fighter says Russell

“I think styles make fights, and I think he’s technically better than some of the guys I’ve competed against,” said Russell Jr. about his opponent Tugstsogt Nyambayar for this Saturday. “And I would love to see him fight against Jo Jo Diaz. I think Jo Jo Diaz would probably give him a run for his money.

“Jo Jo is strong, rough and rugged. He’s more of a boxer style. It’s a different type of style,” said Russell Jr. “I think he’s more technical than just a brawler. I think it’s going to be a high speed chess match. Why wouldn’t he take a chance?” said Russell Jr. on Tugstsogt.

“If he loses, then he’s lost to one of the best fighters in the world. He’s taking a chance to get an upset, and if he wins, he’s beaten one of the best fighters in the world,” said Russell Jr. on Tugstsogt.

“If I don’t have a signed contract that Leo Santa Cruz will take the fight, then I’ll definitely be vacating by [WBC 126-lb] title, and jumping two weight classes, and going directly to 135, and challenge these bigger guys,” said Russell Jr.

Tugstsogt, 27, is a good fighter, but he’s struggled when fighting better opposition. He didn’t look so great against Claudio Marrero in beating him by a close 12 round decision in January 2019. Tugstsogt is coming off of a 13-month layoff, and that’s a long time for a fighter about to take one one of the best fighters at 126.

Russell Jr. to move up to lightweight 

“I’m not getting fights in my weight division,” said Russell Jr. “Maybe they need to feel that they’re getting some kind of disadvantage. Maybe they need to fight a smaller guy. Not at all. I’m completely comfortable at 126. I can compete easily at 135 as well.

“My weight never really fluctuates that much,” said Russell Jr. “I walk around at 135. It’s not really a big issue or a problem with me making weight. There’s no one at 130 that I want to compete against. The only reason I wanted to stop at 130 was specifically for Tevin Farmer, because he was the only guy that mentioned my name.

“They said he wanted to compete against me.,” said Russell Jr. “He said if he got past Jo Jo, he wanted to fight me. I’m one of those guys that will answer the call. And I’m a true fighter, and I’m a real warrior. I’m 126 lbs.

That’s a big move up in weight for Russell Jr. in him moving up two weight classes to begin competing at 135. It’ll be interesting to see how well Russell Jr. does at lightweight against the bigger fighters that have a weight advantage over him.

He says he walks around at 135. So if Russell’s weight remains constant, he’ll be competing against potentially fighters that are heavy as 150 after they rehydrate. Russell’s speed and boxing skills might not be enough for him to handle the size of the guys he’ll be fighting at lightweight.

Jo Jo Diaz beating Farmer didn’t surprise Russell Jr.

“If someone walked into this room, and they were 150 lbs, it doesn’t matter,” said Russell Jr. “If they say they want to fight me, glove him up. I saw bits and pieces of it,” said Russell Jr. on the Tevin Farmer vs. Jo Jo Diaz fight.

“I felt that Jo Jo would win the fight. I think he brought too much tenacity, and he was too strong,” Russell Jr. about Jo Joe Diaz Jr.  “Tevin Farmer is a good boxer, but I think he already lost 4 times, and he got stopped once before. I didn’t think he had the physical strength.

“He didn’t have enough power to keep a real animal off of him, and Jo Jo was coming. Proof is in the pudding. He couldn’t keep Jo Jo off him,” said Russell Jr. on Farmer.

Joseph ‘Jo Jo’ Diaz Jr. (31-1, 15 KOs) easily beat IBF super featherweight champion Tevin Farmer last month on January 30. Russell Jr. saw it coming with the strength and the aggressiveness that Diaz Jr. had going for him against Farmer, who had nothing to hold him off with.

Farmer’s loss was also a loss for Russell Jr., because he was hoping to fight him until then. With Farmer’s defeat, there’s no longer any reason for Russell Jr. to fight him.

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