Gary Russell Jr. boasts about as sound of skills and acumen as any world champion in boxing today.
If there's one knock on the reigning WBC featherweight titleholder going on five years, it's his relatively low activity. Russell has fought one bout per year dating back to 2015, including his fifth-round TKO of Kiko Martínez last May.
Russell, who will defend the belt against Tugstsogt Nyambayar at the PPL Center in Allentown, Penn. on Saturday night, is well aware of the lingering criticism but believes it's a bit misled.
"I think a lot of people tend to overlook the fact that I’m one of these guys who want to make the fights happen," Russell told DAZN News earlier in the week. "I can’t make these guys get in the ring.
"It’s bittersweet because it’s flattering as well — the fact that I compete once a year because I’m only competing against people who want to become world champion and the other world champions aren’t willing to step in the ring," he continued asserting. "This is the reason I’m competing once a year."
That being said, Russell (30-1, 18 KOs) seems optimistic that he could up his activity in 2020. His mandatory bout against Nyambayar this weekend is early enough on the calendar to book one or possibly two more fights before the year is up. Russell insists that he still wants all the smoke with the likes of WBA junior lightweight champion Leo Santa Cruz and WBA (Regular) lightweight titleholder Gervonta Davis, but doubt seeps out of his pores at this point.
"Me and Leo Santa Cruz have been in the same weight division for I don’t know how long now. Why hasn’t that fight ever happened?" Russell pondered. "The WBC is the most prestigious sanctioning body in the sport of boxing right now. I’m currently the longest-reigning champion in the WBC. Why haven’t any other champions tried to get the title? There’s a reason for that."
Russell even notoriously resorted to WWE-like antics last September, when he cornered and draped an arm around Santa Cruz's father and trainer, Jose, backstage at the Rabobank Theater in Bakersfield, Calif. Russell played with the gold chains dangling around the elder Santa Cruz's neck while recording the entire incident and posting it onto his Instagram account.
“Stop ducking me,” Russell said in the IG clip as he stares into the camera. “Come see me. I want you. I’m in arms reach — I can touch him. I can put my hands on him, Leo.”
The video was met with stinging criticism, as many felt that Russell crossed the line. The fact that Santa Cruz’s dad is battling bone marrow cancer only added to the feeling. However, even in hindsight, Russell doesn't have regrets about the incident and believes that once again his point was misconstrued.
"You had a lot of people who saw the video and thought I meant ill will toward his dad … there are a lot of ignorant people in the world that thought I really meant harm toward his father," Russell began explaining. "At the end of the day, we are entertainers. I wanted to invoke the fighting spirit. I wanted to create some kind of emotion from Leo Santa Cruz. I’ve been a world champion for five years and why is it that I could get this close to your dad and put my arm around him, but I can’t get within 10 feet of you? That doesn’t make sense. That’s what that video was."
Russell's father and trainer, Gary Russell Sr., agrees, adding that his son "never disrespected Santa Cruz's father" in the footage.
While Russell still holds onto hope that the Santa Cruz fight happens this year, he acknowledges that a clash with "Tank" Davis could be bigger.
"It’d be tremendous," he said without hesitation.
Added his father, referring to the fighters' DMV roots: "You got Baltimore (Davis' hometown) and you got DC (Russell's city)."
Russell said he was "planning on breaking my foot off in him," referring to Tevin Farmer, who called him out, but Farmer's loss to Joseph Diaz late last month changed that.
Sr. also stated that facing a Ryan Garcia or Devin Haney would be of interest to "Mr." Gary Russell's camp.
Whatever transpires, the 31-year-old Russell believes that 2020 has got to be the year that something gives, especially between himself, Santa Cruz and Davis — all fighters under the PBC umbrella.
"Nobody wants to see a Gervonta Davis fight, a Leo Santa Cruz fight, no one wants to see a Mr. Gary Russell Jr. fight unless they’re competing against (one another)," he claimed. "Hopefully, we could get something out of this.
"I definitely believe this year could be the year for one of these fights to happen."
Until then, Russell will look to handle his business Saturday night.
"I’m ready to get this thing over with," he said, referring to the mandatory challenge from Nyambayar. "I'm ready to make (the bigger fights) happen."