By Ryan Maquiñana

Gary Russell Jr. (16-0, 10 KOs) is one of the hottest prospects in the sport.  16 consecutive victories have resulted in a co-feature spot against Chicago’s Eric Estrada (9-1, 3 KOs) on this Saturday’s Khan-Judah card.  Before that, a decorated amateur career culminated in a spot on the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team.

“I know what it feels like,” the 23-year-old recalled, a tinge of wistfulness in his tone.  “I lost my very first fight when I was seven.”

After incurring a loss like that, a lot of kids his age would have waffled through their fourth different sport by the end of the week.  Not Gary.

“Oh my goodness, it struck a chord with me when I lost that first fight,” the 126-pounder said, shaking his head.  “I was so motivated from that point on, I didn’t even want to go to the playground.  I just wanted to be at the gym and never feel like that again.”

“Mr.” Russell eventually encountered his initial conqueror eight years later and avenged the loss.

“I started winning, but I really had to beat him before I felt like I had accomplished something big, and I got him,” he said, grinning with delicious delight.

Such resolve came in handy in the 2007 Olympic Trials, when he dropped his opening round bout to Roberto Marroquin.  True to form, he reversed the tables on his Texas tormentor, beating him twice in a row to advance to Beijing.

From these events, one can draw that Russell’s confidence has been earned the old-fashioned way, and not received like so many pampered prospects today.  For the reason behind his resolve, look no further than his five younger brothers (Allen, Antonio, Antuanne, Darreke, and Isaiah), who have given Gary no choice but to lead by example.

“It means a lot to me, not just boxing-wise but life in general to have my brothers look up to me as a mentor or role model,” Russell said with nary a hesitation.  “It keeps me on track mentally to portray a good image to my younger brothers because I know what it’s going to take when they get to that next level of life.  I try to show them that hard work pays off when you’re willing to make sacrifices in your daily life.”

Russell has found the going just a bit tougher in the professional ranks.

“There’s less room for error in the pros,” he said, nodding his head.  “The headgear’s gone, and getting hit with eight-ounce gloves is different.  You have to be 100 percent more focused and be a little more in tune with who you are and your identity as a fighter.”

Speaking of identification, all five younger brothers use their middle names because they share their father’s name of Gary, which is fitting.  The reason is that Gary Russell Sr. has trained them all in the fine arts of fisticuffs, instilling a team mentality at their Beltway boxing headquarters, the New Revival Center of Renewal in Capitol Heights.

“I’m like Miracle Whip.  They just spread me around,” Gary Sr. joked.  “For this camp, they do understand if Gary Jr., Allen, and Antonio have something coming up, then we’ll have them train together.  We coordinate drills so we have one doing the heavy bag and one on the double end bag and another shadowboxing to rotate them.  We do it all together within close proximity and I can oversee everything.”

The brick walls house both a gym and a church.  With the help of Rev. Anthony Briscoe, the Russell family has helped contribute to the local community at New Revival, which also prides itself as a “ministry to the homeless and formerly incarcerated.”

“Reverend Briscoe’s been great,” Gary Sr. beamed.  “He’s not just a preacher, we help each other out in the gym.  He even does the mitts with some of the fighters.  He’s around a lot of guys, giving them spiritual advice and being a mentor and friend to them.  Everyone respects him because he’s real.  There’s no deviations from his character.”

Spirituality is an important component of the Russells’ success.  Seven years ago, the tragic killing of Gary Jr.’s older brother DeVaughn—an amateur boxing star in his own right—has continually forced the young fighter to reflect on the sibling bond.

“I feel like I’m short of a team member right now, but it motivates me a lot,” Gary Jr. once told Afro-American Point of View.

Fast forward to today and the fellowship he’s enjoyed in Capitol Heights.

“We hold meetings at New Revival for the men in the community to talk about how to be better fathers, better brothers, better husbands, better people.  It’s more than just boxing here,” he shared.

Call it fortuitous or perhaps accidental, but all the brothers lean left inside the ropes despite their respective dexterities with the exception of Darreke, who fights orthodox but can switch to southpaw on the drop of a dime.  The Brothers Russell display their unity daily, but it’s not always easy.

“We go through the basic issues that families go through,” Gary Sr. said.  “The hard thing is when you have five boys and they all have dominant attitudes with different personalities.  They’re different with the way they act and react.  With all the time and energy it takes to make sure everyone’s staying grounded and doing the right thing, it’s tough trying to spend quality time with my wife LaJuan sometimes.  But we make it work like any other family.“

Leading the lefties’ charge is Gary Jr., who presents much more than the challenge of his unorthodox stance.  On the strength of flashy handspeed that allows him to rattle off rapid-fire combinations on cue, Russell has amassed six first-round knockouts, including one over faded former world champ Mauricio Pastrana.

“We’re in the entertainment business,” the younger Russell said matter-of-factly.  “I have fast hands, I’m strong, very savvy, I have ring generalship, and I want the fans at a point where they can’t wait to see me.  I model a lot of my style from my two favorite fighters, Sugar Ray Robinson and Meldrick Taylor.  I think I try to fight like [Taylor].  He would throw four, five, six punches in bunches.  It didn’t matter who he was in there with or if they would throw back.  He was going to get his shots off.”

However, Russell has also exhibited a propensity for hand injuries, an issue that has persisted since the amateurs.  Against trial horse Adolfo Landeros in April, Russell floored his foe with a right hook to the temple and seemed well on his way to another explosive finish in the first frame.

Unfortunately, the knockdown punch resulted in a hairline fracture of his right middle knuckle, causing him to adapt by laying off the right and cruising to the wide decision win.  Russell quickly dismissed any qualms about his durability for Saturday.

“My hand’s a lot better now,” he insisted, rubbing his left index and middle finger over the area in question as if to validate its repair.  “I’ve been icing it and taking care of it since April, and it’ll be ready for Saturday.”

Neither broken bones nor fighting away from home has deterred his progress.  So far, the well-traveled Russell has fought in nine different states and 13 cities.  Now he makes his Las Vegas debut against Estrada, a late replacement who vows to wear his foe down despite having only two knockouts in 19 bouts.

“I’m 100 percent ready for anything,” Gary Jr. declared assertively.  “We were originally facing a tall, rangy guy in Truscott who we were planning to cut off the ring and break him down in the later rounds.  People think they know how to deal with me on film but then it’s a whole different story when you have to defend against what I’m bringing no matter who it is.”

His father agrees.

“The outcome is what it is,” Gary Sr. said.  “You can fight in the desert or fight in Australia or anywhere else against whoever.  A fight is a fight.  If you get caught up in the venue, then you’re limited as an athlete.  A good athlete will perform.  We have an old saying.  If you have a good dog, he’ll guard any yard the same way.  I tell Gary that no matter if you’re in New Jersey, Detroit, on HBO, whatever.  We go in and put in our work.  Even if it’s a phone booth in London, a fight is a fight.”

While the Estrada bout won’t make the HBO airwaves, the network’s brass (or what’s left of it after Ross Greenburg’s recent exit) will be in attentive attendance at the Mandalay Bay Events Center.  Gary Jr. somewhat echoes his father when asked if the presence of the suits will have an effect on him.

“It’s a little different but the objectives are still the same,” he stated.  “At the end of the day, my main focus is to get that ‘W’ by any means necessary.  I’m definitely excited that the fans will get to see what I do best.”

In addition, although Russell is technically a promotional free agent, with well-connected advisor Al Haymon calling the shots, he might be one crowd-pleasing performance away from making his debut on the “Heart and Soul of Boxing.”

“Whatever my management team comes up, I’m O.K. with,” he said, deferring to Haymon and his handlers.  “I know Al is very picky about who he wants on his team, and I’m grateful I’m on it.  I’m only 23 so there’s no rush at all.  We’re definitely coming back in September though.”

Regardless of the result, when Saturday’s festivities are over, father and son will get back on the road for yet another fight next week.  Allen has made the Olympic Trials in Mobile, Ala., as a 141-pounder, and looks to finish what Gary Jr. started in 2008.  (Unfortunately, Gary Jr. had medical issues in Beijing that prevented him from making the weigh-in, rendering him unable to compete.)

“I always tell [Allen] he’s going to have to make sacrifices,” Gary Jr. said sternly.  “When I was going through the amateurs getting ready for my fights, I didn’t have time to hang out with my friends.  I had to focus.  You’re going to have to train when your opponent’s not.  That’s what makes me different from the other guys.”

“One thing about Gary Jr. is that I don’t have to bring him with me to the gym,” his father added.  “We had a family reunion last weekend and when we got home, I didn’t have to tell him where to go.  He took his brothers to the gym.”

“I worked out until maybe 1 or 2 a.m.,” Gary Jr. reported.  “My brothers have to know that my opponents don’t do this, and that’s the big difference between me and them.  I have to be a leader.”

The Russells wouldn’t have it any other way.

Ryan Maquiñana is a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America.  E-mail him at rmaquinana@gmail.com, contact him on Facebook at www.facebook.com/rmaq28 or follow him on Twitter: @RMaq28.