Gary Russell Jr. could have a big 2020 but will the fights be made?
Last Saturday Gary Russell Jr. (Capitol Heights, MD) defeated Tugstsogt Nyambayar by the scores of 118-110, 117-111 and 116-112.
“We just focused and showed I’m one of the longest reigning champions for a reason,” said Russell Jr (31-1, 18 KOs).
That brings us to the question on everyone’s mind. Who is the next opponent and will it be another big name?
A couple of fights should be easy to make. Leo Santa Cruz and Gervonta Davis. Both are with Premier Boxing Champions. “I’ve been calling Leo Santa Cruz (and Davis) out for the longest time, but none of these guys answered my call,” said Russell Jr.
Santa Cruz (37-1-1, 19 KOs) is an action fighter who is willing to stand in the pocket. That could be an entertaining fight if Santa Cruz could apply consistent pressure. In his last fight, Santa Cruz defeated Miguel Flores by unanimous decision (115-112 and 117-110 twice).
Davis’ speed will always make him and interesting opponent for Russell Jr. but, unfortunately for fight fans, Davis is in some legal hot water. This comes on the heels of a lackluster win over former unified Featherweight World Champion Yuriorkis Gamboa.
The other intriguing option is a rematch with Vasyl Lomachenko (14-1). It would give Russell Jr. an opportunity to get revenge on the only opponent to defeat him. In the first fight, Lomachenko dominated Russell Jr. despite it being a majority decision (116-112 twice, 114-114). It was Lomachenko’s fourth professional fight.
If Russell Jr. can land one of those three opponents it will give him the platform he needs to become even more of a household name. Until then, he’ll be known as a really good pro who is slightly under great.
Photo Credit: Amanda Westcott/SHOWTIME
