By Allan Fox: Chris Colbert and former WBC featherweight champion Gary Russell Jr almost came to blows during a heated confrontation on Thursday at the final press conference between Danny Garcia and Jose Benavidez Jr in New York.

It’s unclear what started the argument, but Russell Jr escalated things when he said he was tempted to smack the 25-year-old former WBA interim super featherweight champion Colbert.

Russell (31-2, 18 KOs) is coming off a loss against a very average Mark Magsayo last January. The 34-year-old Russell tried to beat Magsayo while dealing with an injured arm, but he didn’t have enough to deal with the hard-hitting Filipino fighter.

For his part, Colbert (16-1, 6 KOs) is coming off a one-sided 12-round unanimous decision loss to Hector Garcia last February.

Gary Russell Jr: “You’re out of shape.”

Chris Colbert: “I came off the block. Let’s go to the gym and spar whenever. Tonight now, whatever.

Russell: “Three months since my surgery. I smack a mother f*** right now.”

Colbert: “When you get healthy.”

Russell Jr: “I don’t need to get healthy. I can smack a mother f****.”

Colbert: “That’s not happening. Like I said if you want to fight, do it. He’s just doing too much talking. I’m always in shape to f*** a n**** up. My gym is up the block. I’m always ready to f*** a n***** up. Yeah, wherever. We can go to Gleason’s. I’m not like that.

“I’m wasting time talking about that fight. I resent the contract, but they don’t want to fight. He’s just talking. A lot of these fighters do rapping. I’m coming off a loss, and I’m down to fight the best.

“I’m going up to 135 to fight somebody [Frank Martin] they think I can’t beat, and I’m going to dominate him. Then I’ll come back down to 130 and beat his a** too,” said Colbert about Russell Jr.

“Frank Martin,” said Colbert when asked who he’ll be fighting at 135. “It’s a statement to the world because this is what I do. I’m really this guy. Don’t let this last fight [against Hector Garcia] get these n***** f**** up.

“I want it [rematch with Hector Garcia], of course, but I want it if you get the belt. If you don’t get the belt, it makes no sense then. If I go beat somebody like Gary Russell, that loss gets swept under the rug. They’re going to say, ‘Oh, you were supposed to beat him.’

“I’m here to support Danny [Garcia for his fight against Jose Benavidez Jr on Saturday night]. So that’s why I don’t want this media.”