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 | 34 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wins | 32 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wins by KO | 19 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 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 the WBC featherweight champion from 2015 to 2022.
As a young boxer, Gary Russell Jr. won a bronze medal at the 2005 World Championships. He was named "Prospect of the Year" in 2011 by top sports magazines. Gary has two younger brothers, Gary Antonio Russell and Gary Antuanne Russell, who are also boxers.
Contents
- Gary Russell Jr.'s Amateur Boxing Journey
- Gary Russell Jr.'s Professional Boxing Career
- Starting as a Pro Boxer
- First Big Title Fight: WBO Featherweight
- Becoming a Champion: WBC Featherweight Title
- Winning the WBC Title Against Jhonny González
- First Title Defense: Russell Jr. vs. Hyland
- Second Title Defense: Russell Jr. vs. Escandón
- Third Title Defense: Russell Jr. vs. Diaz
- Fourth Title Defense: Russell Jr. vs. Martínez
- Fifth Title Defense: Russell Jr. vs. Nyambayar
- Losing the Title: Russell Jr. vs. Magsayo
- After Being Champion
- Professional Boxing Record
- See also
Gary Russell Jr.'s Amateur Boxing Journey
Gary Russell Jr. had a very successful amateur boxing career. He won many fights before becoming a professional. His amateur record was 163 wins and only 10 losses.
He aimed to compete in the Olympics, but a challenge prevented him from participating in the weigh-in. This meant he could not compete for an Olympic medal.
Gary Russell Jr.'s Professional Boxing Career
Gary Russell Jr. started his professional boxing career in 2009. He quickly built an impressive record.
Starting as a Pro Boxer
Gary Russell Jr. had his first professional fight on January 16, 2009. He won his first 24 fights without any losses. Many of these wins came by knockout.
First Big Title Fight: WBO Featherweight
In 2014, Gary Russell Jr. got a chance to fight for the vacant WBO featherweight title. He faced Vasiliy Lomachenko on June 21, 2014. The fight was very close, and Lomachenko won by a decision from the judges. This was Gary Russell Jr.'s first professional loss.
Becoming a Champion: WBC Featherweight Title
After his first loss, Gary Russell Jr. worked hard to earn another title shot.
Winning the WBC Title Against Jhonny González
On March 28, 2015, Gary Russell Jr. fought Jhonny González for the WBC featherweight title. Gary Russell Jr. was the favorite to win. He knocked González down twice in the third round. In the fourth round, he knocked González down again, and the referee stopped the fight. Gary Russell Jr. won by technical knockout and became the new WBC featherweight champion. He landed many more punches than his opponent.
First Title Defense: Russell Jr. vs. Hyland
Gary Russell Jr. was supposed to defend his title against Óscar Escandón in late 2015. However, he got injured during training and had to postpone the fight. His first title defense happened on April 16, 2016, against Patrick Hyland. Gary Russell Jr. was expected to win easily. He won the fight by knockout in the second round. Hyland was knocked down three times, and the referee stopped the fight.
Second Title Defense: Russell Jr. vs. Escandón
Gary Russell Jr. was then scheduled to fight Óscar Escandón for his second title defense. The fight was delayed a few times due to Escandón's injury. They finally fought on May 27, 2017. Gary Russell Jr. was again the favorite. He controlled the fight from the beginning. In the third round, he knocked Escandón down. He stopped Escandón in the seventh round with a strong punch, winning by technical knockout.
Third Title Defense: Russell Jr. vs. Diaz
On May 19, 2018, Gary Russell Jr. defended his title for the third time against Joseph Diaz. The fight took place in Maryland. Gary Russell Jr. won the fight by a unanimous decision from all three judges. Even though he won clearly, he was not completely happy with his performance. He mentioned that he had hurt his right hand during the fight.
Fourth Title Defense: Russell Jr. vs. Martínez
In May 2019, Gary Russell Jr. faced Kiko Martínez for his fourth title defense. This fight was part of a bigger boxing event. Before the fight, Gary Russell Jr. said he wanted to fight other champions to unify titles. He also said he might move up to a higher weight class if he couldn't get those fights. Gary Russell Jr. won the fight in the fifth round. The fight was stopped by the doctor because Martínez had a cut above his eye. Gary Russell Jr. was ahead on all the judges' scorecards.
Fifth Title Defense: Russell Jr. vs. Nyambayar
On February 8, 2020, Gary Russell Jr. defended his WBC title for the fifth time against Tugstsogt Nyambayar. This was a big fight, and Gary Russell Jr. was still seen as the favorite. He won the fight by a unanimous decision, meaning all the judges agreed he was the winner.
Losing the Title: Russell Jr. vs. Magsayo
On January 22, 2022, Gary Russell Jr. had his sixth title defense against Mark Magsayo. He had some trouble making weight for the fight but managed to do so. Gary Russell Jr. was still the favorite to win. However, he lost the title by a majority decision. Two judges scored the fight for Magsayo, and one judge scored it as a draw. Gary Russell Jr. threw fewer punches than usual in this fight. He later said he had an undisclosed injury to his right arm, which affected his performance.
After Being Champion
Gary Russell Jr. continued his boxing career after losing his title. He faced Hugo Castañeda in a lightweight bout on July 19, 2025. Gary Russell Jr. won the fight by technical knockout in the tenth round.
Professional Boxing Record
| 34 fights | 32 wins | 2 losses |
| By knockout | 19 | 0 |
| By decision | 13 | 2 |
| No. | Result | Record | Opponent | Type | Round, time | Date | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 34 | Win | 32–2 | Hugo Castañeda | TKO | 10 (10), 0:26 | Jul 19, 2025 | MGM Grand Garden Arena, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. | |
| 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
- Famous Boxing Families
