By Sean Jones: Gary Russell Jr says he’s ready to move up to 140 to face Adrien Broner or 147 to go after the top fighters in that division. WBC featherweight champion Russell (31-1, 18 KOs) is willing to meet the former four-division world champion ‘The Problem’ Broner three weight classes above his own division.
Frustrated that he can’t get any of the other top fighters at 126 to face him, the 31-year-old Russell Jr desperate to get a good-paying fight against a notable opponent. For the longest time, Russell has been after a match against Leo Santa Cruz, but he’s had no luck in getting him to agree to face him.
One obstacle that Russell Jr may have in getting a fight against the 31-year-old Broner is the fact that he’s retired, and he wants a cool $10 million to resume his career. Broner (33-4-1, 24 KOs) isn’t going to make that kind of money fighting Russell, who doesn’t have a large fan base despite being a highly talented fighter.
Russell has the hand speed to give Broner a tough fight, but he might be a little too small.
Russell Jr: Broner can come get it
“That’s what it’s looking like. If someone at 147 wants some, they can come get it,” said Gary Russell Jr on social media. “AB is at 140. He can come get it.
“He knows what it is. AB can get it too. We can move up. I’ll meet these dudes at a catchweight. These guys are scared. They’re acting like suckers,” said Russell Jr in expressing his anger at the other top fighters that don’t want to fight him.
Russell Jr is the second guy that has called out Broner in the last 24 hours. Regis Prograis says he wants a piece of the action against Broner, as long as someone will give AB his $10 million asking price to get off the couch. Prograis wants to send Broner into retirement, and he’s got the size, power, and talent to do the job against him.
Broner would have a good chance of beating Russell if the fight takes place at 140, as he started his career at 135 and has moved up to 147. But there’s no reason for Broner to resume his career to fight Russell when it doesn’t bring in fans.
The fighters that Broner wants are guys like Pacquiao and Keith Thurman because those are the money fights for him. He can’t make money facing Russell Jr or Prograis. Broner is doing those guys favors by fighting them at this point in his career.
Gary should be trying to avenge loss to Lomachenko
Russell Jr should be calling out Vasiliy Lomachenko because he lost to him six years ago in 2014. Lomachenko struggled in the first six rounds with the speed of Russell, but then he took the fight to the outside and cruised to a 12 round majority decision win.
Russell Jr is coming off of a 12 round unanimous decision win over previously unbeaten Tugstsogt Nyambayar last February. Early on, Russell did well but in the second part of the fight, Nyambayar imposed his will on him and made it close at the end.
That performance showed that Russell lacks the size and power to close the show against bigger fighters that possess power.
