Russell: Gonzalez is More Dangerous Than Lomachenko

By Keith Idec

Gary Russell Jr. respects Vasyl Lomachenko, but he considers Jhonny Gonzalez to be a more dangerous opponent.

Russell, whom Lomachenko beat by majority decision in a 12-rounder for the then-unclaimed WBO featherweight title nine months ago, will get his second title shot Saturday night against Gonzalez. Their 12-round fight for Gonzalez’s WBC 126-pound championship is set to headline Showtime’s doubleheader from Palms Resort Casino in Las Vegas (10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT).

Russell expects Gonzalez (57-8, 48 KOs) to be a bigger puncher than Ukraine’s Lomachenko (3-1, 1 KO), who was just 1-1 as a professional prior to out-boxing Russell during their fight in Carson, Calif.

“They’re two very different fighters,” Russell said on conference call Monday. “Lomachenko has a little more hand speed than Jhonny Gonzalez. Gonzalez is more of a puncher. Jhonny Gonzalez is more of a dangerous fighter than Lomachenko because of his punching ability and just him being a seasoned professional, being able to get all these rounds in as a professional. Lomachenko definitely is a good fighter. We take every fight serious. You take no one for granted. This is a dangerous fight with Jhonny Gonzalez. But we feel as though what we bring to the table will be superior in the end.”

The 26-year-old Russell (25-1, 14 KOs) believes his superior speed and boxing ability ultimately will help him win the WBC featherweight title from the 33-year-old Gonzalez, who made his pro debut 15½ years ago.

“I don’t think he’s going to be able to deal with my speed,” Russell said. “He’s always been slow on his feet. Even though he’s been a puncher, a lot of punchers have to really set to actually fire their punches efficiently. I think he lacks the ring generalship as far as the footwork goes, that he would need the foot quickness to close the distance. … And a lot of his shots are wide. I feel that I’ll be able to out-punch him and punch in between his shots.”

Keith Idec covers boxing for The Record and Herald News, of Woodland Park, N.J., and BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.