Gary Russell Jr. has completely loved his time close to the highest of the featherweight division. Earlier than struggling a shoulder damage in his most up-to-date journey to the ring, Russell presided over the boxing world because the longest-reigning champion.
But, with Mark Magsayo truncating his championship run, Russell (31-2, 18 KOs) is nearly completed competing at 126 kilos. Because the 34-year-old continues his rehab stint, he not too long ago revealed that he’s washing his arms of the lone division he’s ever recognized.
“There’s no want to remain at 26,” mentioned Russell to BoxingScene.com when requested what he plans to do subsequent.
Since shedding his WBC world title, his championship trinket has begun to make the rounds. Magsayo, in his very subsequent battle, proved to be nothing greater than a transient titlist, shedding his newly gained belt by the hands of Rey Vargas.
Whereas Russell might push the envelope and work his manner again into the higher echelon of the division, he stays bored with doing so. As an alternative, the 34-year-old believes that it could be sagacious to proceed his profession at a better weight class.
Through the years, the speedy former champion has perpetually referred to as out the likes of Terence Crawford, Devin Haney, and Leo Santa Cruz, all of which preside in numerous weight lessons.
By and enormous, the norm for fighters who choose to maneuver up in weight can be to take action at a reserved tempo of 1 singular division. Russell, nonetheless, isn’t precisely positive that preventing the perfect fighters at 130 kilos would actually get his engine going. Somewhat, the Maryland native reveals that he’s vacillating between a pair of choices. Though he hasn’t formally made up his thoughts, the previous WBC belt holder acknowledges that ahead of later, he’ll decide one specific weight class to compete in for the foreseeable future.
“To be sincere, 30, 35, I don’t know, we’ll see.”