Gary Russell Jr. facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Gary Russell Jr. |
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Russell Jr. (center) in 2010
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| Statistics | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rated at | Featherweight | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 4+1/2 in | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Reach | 64 in | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | June 5, 1988 Washington, D.C., U.S. |
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| Stance | Southpaw | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Boxing record | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total fights | 33 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wins | 31 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wins by KO | 18 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Losses | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Gary Allen Russell Jr. (born June 5, 1988) is an American professional boxer. He was a world champion, holding the WBC featherweight title from 2015 to 2022.
Before becoming a professional, Russell was a successful amateur boxer. He won a bronze medal at the 2005 World Championships. In 2011, he was named "Prospect of the Year" by top sports magazines. Gary Russell Jr. comes from a family of boxers. His younger brothers, Gary Antonio Russell and Gary Antuanne Russell, are also professional fighters.
Early Boxing Career
Amateur Achievements
Gary Russell Jr. had a very strong amateur boxing career. He competed in many tournaments before turning professional. He won a bronze medal at the 2005 World Championships in the bantamweight division. He also earned gold medals at the Golden Gloves and National Championships in 2005 and 2006.
Olympic Challenge
Russell Jr. aimed for an Olympic medal. However, his dream ended early at the Olympics. He missed the official weigh-in. This happened after he lost consciousness in his dorm room. Gary finished his amateur career with an impressive record of 163 wins and only 10 losses.
Starting as a Professional Boxer
Gary Russell Jr. began his professional boxing journey on January 16, 2009. His first fight was against Antonio Reyes. Over the next five years, he built an amazing record. He won 24 fights in a row without any losses. Fourteen of these wins came by knockout, meaning he stopped his opponents early.
His first professional loss happened on June 21, 2014. He fought Vasiliy Lomachenko for a vacant featherweight title. Lomachenko won the fight by a majority decision after 12 rounds. Two judges scored the fight for Lomachenko, while one judge scored it as a draw.
WBC Featherweight Champion
Winning the Title: Russell Jr. vs. González
On March 28, 2015, Gary Russell Jr. got another chance at a world title. He fought Jhonny González, who was the WBC featherweight champion. The fight took place in Paradise, Nevada. Russell Jr. was slightly favored to win this important match.
He won the fight by a technical knockout in the fourth round. Russell Jr. knocked González down twice in the third round. He knocked him down again in the fourth round. The referee then stopped the fight because González could not continue. Russell Jr. landed many more punches than his opponent. After winning, he said he wanted to fight Lomachenko again.
First Defense: Russell Jr. vs. Hyland
Russell Jr. was supposed to defend his title in November 2015. However, he got injured during training and had to pull out. His first title defense was rescheduled for April 16, 2016. He faced Patrick Hyland in Montville, Connecticut.
Russell Jr. was a huge favorite to win this fight. He proved why, winning by knockout in the second round. Hyland was knocked down three times in that round. The referee stopped the fight, and Russell Jr. kept his championship belt.
Second Defense: Russell Jr. vs. Escandón
Gary Russell Jr. was set to defend his WBC title again. He was scheduled to fight Óscar Escandón, the interim featherweight champion. The fight was first planned for February 2017. Escandón had to withdraw due to a back injury.
The fight was postponed and finally took place on May 27, 2017. The new location was Oxon Hill, Maryland. Russell Jr. was still the favorite to win. He won the fight by technical knockout in the seventh round. Russell Jr. controlled the fight from the beginning. He knocked Escandón down in the third round. He stopped him with a strong punch in the seventh round.
Third Defense: Russell Jr. vs. Diaz
On May 19, 2018, Russell Jr. made his third title defense. He fought Joseph Diaz, who was the top-ranked challenger. The fight happened in Oxon Hill, Maryland. Russell Jr. was expected to win this match.
He won the fight by a unanimous decision. All three judges scored the fight 117–111 in his favor. Even though he won clearly, Russell Jr. was not completely happy. He said he hurt his right hand during the fight. He had to keep using it because his opponent was tough.
Fourth Defense: Russell Jr. vs. Martínez
In May 2019, Russell Jr. defended his title for the fourth time. He fought Kiko Martínez, a former champion in a lighter weight class. This fight was part of a bigger boxing event in New York City.
Russell Jr. won the fight by technical knockout in the fifth round. The fight was stopped by the doctor. Martínez had a cut above his left eye that made him unable to continue. Russell Jr. was ahead on all the judges' scorecards. He had landed many more punches than Martínez. Before this fight, Russell Jr. had expressed frustration. He wanted to fight other champions to unify titles. He even said he might move up to a higher weight class if he couldn't get those fights.
Fifth Defense: Russell Jr. vs. Nyambayar
On February 8, 2020, Gary Russell Jr. had his fifth title defense. He faced Tugstsogt Nyambayar, who was the top challenger. The fight took place in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Russell Jr. was once again the favorite to win.
He won the fight by a unanimous decision. The judges scored the fight 118–110, 117–111, and 116–112 in his favor. This win showed his continued dominance in the featherweight division.
Losing the Title: Russell Jr. vs. Magsayo
On January 22, 2022, Gary Russell Jr. defended his title for the sixth time. He fought Mark Magsayo in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Russell Jr. was still the favorite to win this fight.
However, Russell Jr. lost his title by a majority decision. Two judges scored the fight for Magsayo. One judge scored it as a draw. Russell Jr. threw fewer punches than usual in this fight. He said he had an undisclosed right arm injury. He explained that he fought with "one arm" because he didn't want to postpone the fight. This loss ended his long reign as WBC featherweight champion.
Professional boxing record
| 33 fights | 31 wins | 2 losses |
| By knockout | 18 | 0 |
| By decision | 13 | 2 |
| No. | Result | Record | Opponent | Type | Round, time | Date | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 33 | Loss | 31–2 | Mark Magsayo | MD | 12 | Jan 22, 2022 | Borgata, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S. | Lost WBC featherweight title |
| 32 | Win | 31–1 | Tugstsogt Nyambayar | UD | 12 | Feb 8, 2020 | PPL Center, Allentown, Pennsylvania, U.S. | Retained WBC featherweight title |
| 31 | Win | 30–1 | Kiko Martínez | TKO | 5 (12), 2:52 | May 18, 2019 | Barclays Center, New York City, New York, U.S. | Retained WBC featherweight title |
| 30 | Win | 29–1 | Joseph Diaz | UD | 12 | May 19, 2018 | MGM National Harbor, Oxon Hill, Maryland, U.S. | Retained WBC featherweight title |
| 29 | Win | 28–1 | Óscar Escandón | TKO | 7 (12), 0:59 | May 20, 2017 | MGM National Harbor, Oxon Hill, Maryland, U.S. | Retained WBC featherweight title |
| 28 | Win | 27–1 | Patrick Hyland | KO | 2 (12), 1:33 | Apr 16, 2016 | Mohegan Sun Arena, Montville, Connecticut, U.S. | Retained WBC featherweight title |
| 27 | Win | 26–1 | Jhonny González | TKO | 4 (12), 0:37 | Mar 28, 2015 | Pearl Concert Theater, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. | Won WBC featherweight title |
| 26 | Win | 25–1 | Christopher Martin Peña | UD | 10 | Dec 20, 2014 | Little Creek Casino Resort, Shelton, Washington, U.S. | |
| 25 | Loss | 24–1 | Vasiliy Lomachenko | MD | 12 | Jun 21, 2014 | StubHub Center, Carson, California, U.S. | For vacant WBO featherweight title |
| 24 | Win | 24–0 | Miguel Tamayo | KO | 4 (8), 1:04 | Jan 30, 2014 | Barclays Center, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 23 | Win | 23–0 | Juan Ruiz | UD | 10 | Aug 9, 2013 | Fantasy Springs Resort Casino, Indio, California, U.S. | |
| 22 | Win | 22–0 | Vyacheslav Gusev | UD | 10 | Mar 2, 2013 | The Joint, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. | |
| 21 | Win | 21–0 | Roberto Castaneda | KO | 3 (10), 1:25 | Nov 9, 2012 | Fantasy Springs Resort Casino, Indio, California, U.S. | |
| 20 | Win | 20–0 | Christopher Pérez | TKO | 3 (10), 1:41 | Jun 30, 2012 | Fantasy Springs Resort Casino, Indio, California, U.S. | |
| 19 | Win | 19–0 | Heriberto Ruiz | KO | 1 (10), 2:12 | Nov 26, 2011 | U.S. Bank Arena, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S. | |
| 18 | Win | 18–0 | Leonilo Miranda | UD | 8 | Sep 3, 2011 | Beau Rivage, Biloxi, Mississippi, U.S. | |
| 17 | Win | 17–0 | Eric Estrada | UD | 8 | Jul 23, 2011 | Mandalay Bay Events Center, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. | |
| 16 | Win | 16–0 | Antonio Meza | KO | 4 (8), 2:42 | Jun 17, 2011 | State Farm Arena, Hidalgo, Texas, U.S. | |
| 15 | Win | 15–0 | Adolfo Landeros | UD | 6 | Apr 15, 2011 | Longshoremen's Hall, San Francisco, California, U.S. | |
| 14 | Win | 14–0 | Feider Viloria | TD | 7 (8), 0:50 | Jan 28, 2011 | Four Points by Sheraton, San Diego, California, U.S. | Unanimous TD: Viloria cut from an accidental head clash |
| 13 | Win | 13–0 | Guadalupe de Leon | UD | 6 | Oct 28, 2010 | Nokia Theatre L.A. Live, Los Angeles, California, U.S. | |
| 12 | Win | 12–0 | Willie Villanueva | KO | 1 (6), 2:56 | Sep 25, 2010 | Fitzgeralds Casino and Hotel, Tunica Resorts, Mississippi, U.S. | |
| 11 | Win | 11–0 | Mauricio Pastrana | TKO | 1 (6), 1:46 | Jul 22, 2010 | Nokia Theatre L.A. Live, Los Angeles, California, U.S. | |
| 10 | Win | 10–0 | Rodrigo Aranda | KO | 2 (6), 0:34 | Jun 24, 2010 | Nokia Theatre L.A. Live, Los Angeles, California, U.S. | |
| 9 | Win | 9–0 | Carlos Diaz | KO | 1 (6), 1:32 | Apr 16, 2010 | The New Daisy Theatre, Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. | |
| 8 | Win | 8–0 | Jairo Delgado | KO | 1 (6), 2:38 | Feb 19, 2010 | Wolstein Center, Cleveland, Ohio, U.S. | |
| 7 | Win | 7–0 | David Orosco Cano | TKO | 1 (4), 2:58 | Jan 30, 2010 | Fitzgeralds Casino and Hotel, Tunica Resorts, Mississippi, U.S. | |
| 6 | Win | 6–0 | Rodrigo Romero | TKO | 3 (4), 0:38 | Dec 18, 2009 | Grand Casino Mille Lacs, Hinckley, Minnesota, U.S. | |
| 5 | Win | 5–0 | Noe Lopez Jr. | UD | 4 | Oct 23, 2009 | Entertainment Center, Laredo, Texas, U.S. | |
| 4 | Win | 4–0 | Jason Jones | TKO | 1 (4), 0:28 | Aug 7, 2009 | Star of the Desert Arena, Primm, Nevada, U.S. | |
| 3 | Win | 3–0 | Alvaro Muro | UD | 4 | May 1, 2009 | Chumash Casino Resort, Santa Ynez, California, U.S. | |
| 2 | Win | 2–0 | John Wampash | UD | 4 | Feb 14, 2009 | BankAtlantic Center, Sunrise, Florida, U.S. | |
| 1 | Win | 1–0 | Antonio Reyes | TKO | 3 (4), 0:21 | Jan 16, 2009 | Million Dollar Elm Casino, Tulsa, Oklahoma, U.S. |
See also
In Spanish: Gary Russell Jr. para niños
- Notable boxing families
