For the first time in his career, Gary Antuanne Russell will enter the ring on the back of a loss. But he is adamant that, following his decision defeat to Alberto Puello last year, history will not be repeating itself when he takes on Jose “Rayo” Valenzuela for the latter’s WBA junior welterweight title on March 1.
“There’s gotta be a winner, there’s gotta be a loser,” Russell, 17-1 (17 KOs), told media in a virtual press conference on Thursday. “But I guarantee you, I’m not doubling up on no L’s. The first one wasn’t a L for real, for real. It was a lesson. You know, you gotta crack a few eggs to make an omelet, and it’s all about how you get back up.”
That defeat came in June on the undercard of Gervonta Davis’ knockout of Frank Martin, and now Russell is back on a Davis undercard, in the co-main to his fellow Marylander’s matchup with Lamont Roach at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. And Russell made it clear that, while still smarting from his loss, he is ready to put it behind him as he focuses on the challenge posed by Valenzuela, 14-2 (KOs).
“The way I see it, I got a shot at something that can catapult me to a great position,” he said. “Yeah, I lost to Puello. I showed sportsmanship and took it on the chin. That’s all you can do when you lose. I feel like the way I’m coming back, with this dance partner, is going to allow me to showcase a lot of things.”
While Russell is well known for his aggressive style, he said that he wants to be able to show more elements to his game and feels that Valenzuela will make for an entertaining matchup.
“I feel like he’s craftier than Puello. So he’s going to force me to use a little different type of movements than I had to use with Alberto Puello. Puello tries his best to stay on the outside and keeps his opponent there. You know, he’s not an inside banger or brawler. So with that type of fighter, I have to use different type of tools and things and become victorious in a different form of fashion. Rayo, I feel like he isn’t a style that will be more suitable for me, but I do believe that he has a style that will make the fight more entertaining, versus me chasing a person around the ring like a chicken.
“I feel like I have a chip on my shoulder [after the defeat], and the right opponent in front of me. Now I want to dig in my bag, show some flashes, show some different looks to the crowd. You know, the fans haven’t really seen a certain side of me. Everybody is used to me applying pressure, and that’s it, but I can do it all. I have to show y’all and I will show y’all.”
Kieran Mulvaney has written, broadcast and podcast about boxing for HBO, Showtime, ESPN and Reuters, among other outlets. He presently co-hosts the “Fighter Health Podcast” with Dr. Margaret Goodman. He also writes regularly for National Geographic, has written several books on the Arctic and Antarctic, and is at his happiest hanging out with wild polar bears. His website is www.kieranmulvaney.com.
Read the full article here
