He doesn’t fight often, but the current hiatus that Gary Russell Jr. is on far exceeds his meager ring appearances.
The now 35-year-old was a proud WBC featherweight champion. If not for a freak injury to his right shoulder during his title defense against Mark Magsayo in 2021, he believes that his championship status would be unchanged.
For Russell, he was forced to navigate through the sport of boxing with a black cloud hanging over his head. Although he wanted to continue his career, he was unsure if he would be able to. Patience, however, along with a dogged mentality and nonstop rehabilitation, has Russell feeling confident that he can now move forward.
Fighting at 126 pounds is officially out of the question. But just because Russell plans on infiltrating a new weight class, that doesn’t mean he’ll move up only one division. Nothing is set in stone, but Russell has mentioned time and time again that he would love to tussle with several fighters in the lightweight division.
The land of 135-pounders has a bevy of names to choose from. Gervonta Davis, Shakur Stevenson, and Devin Haney are all fighters Russell is hoping to eventually lure into the ring. If, however, none of those former and current champions are available, Russell has another opponent in mind.
Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz made his name after a competitive scrap with Gervonta Davis in 2021. Since then, the 25-year-old has picked up three consecutive victories. In doing so, Russell has become somewhat of a fan. The way the noteworthy contender conducts himself in the ring is something that Russell respects wholeheartedly. With that said, he believes that if they squared off, it would be one-way traffic.
“I wouldn’t mind Pitbull Cruz,” said Russell to a group of reporters when asked who he would like to fight next. “I like him, he a little dog but I’d burn his ass up.”