Boxing News - Latest Headlines

By Jimmy James: WBC world champ Gary Russell Jr, said in a live interview with Golden Era Boxing, that Shakur Stevenson is not at his level and ducked him.

“Out of all the guys in the division Stevenson was the only one that attempted a fight with me, but deep down inside he knows he can’t f*** with me,’ said Russell to Golden Era Boxing.

The champ said that perhaps “it wasn’t Stevenson’s fault for not making the fight happen” and it was a promotional issue. But when I asked him regarding the fact that ‘it’s ultimately Sharkur’s wrongdoing for not signing the contract,’ Russell Jr agreed. The fighter signs the contract, and not the promotional company.

There is absolutely no doubt Stevenson avoided Russell Jr. and didn’t want to unify belts with him because he doubted himself.

There is also no doubt that Oscar Valdez, Michael Conlan, Lee Shelby, Leo Santa Cruz, and Josh Warrington all avoided Russell Jr for years. They avoided him for so long, that Russell grew five different beards in the process of waiting.

To beat Russell Jr is not an easy task. No one likes the feeling of getting stung by a thousand killer bees at the same time as your face swells up like a circus balloon.

Russell’s footwork and speed overwhelm his opponents and break them down mentally. Very few boxers want to lose their smile against him.

Stevenson and Valdez wanted zero smoke with the champ, and even though Valdez, ducked Stevenson, both Stevenson and Valdez ducked Russell Jr.

You cannot blame Russell Jr. for not fighting the best in his division when everyone around him is playing the “chicken dance” and wearing “duck costumes.”

Russell Jr. is the ultimate predator at 126-30lb and avoided for a reason, just like Demetrius Andrade, Arthur Beterbiev and David Benavidez are also in the same boat not getting the best fights.

This ducking crap has hurt the sport of boxing and it is absolutely ridiculous the number of excuses certain boxers create on the fly in order to not unify belts.

Joseph Diaz Jr and Vasyl Lomachenko were the only boxers to step up and fight the champ. He can’t chase these guys down and force them to sign the contract.

The boxing fans must uphold the responsibility to protect the boxers who are being avoided and stop worshipping undefeated fighters who are not taking risks.

If the boxing fans do not wake up and stop selling their souls to promotional and media companies, then we might all as well watch UFC and call it a day to this nonsense.