ALLENTOWN, Pennsylvania – Gary Russell Jr. was blunt when asked early Sunday morning what it’ll take for Gervonta Davis to agree to fight him.
Russell particularly took exception to a statement from Davis’ trainer, Calvin Ford, who has said that they shouldn’t box because Russell isn’t a big enough draw.
“[It’ll take] for him to grow some nuts, for his team to grow some cajones, and stop acting like a sucka,” Russell replied while speaking to a group of reporters after his unanimous-decision victory over Tugstsogt Nyambayar at PPL Center. “The sport of boxing is getting weak. A lot of the fighters are getting weak. Like I said, I’ll answer the call to anybody. If anybody say they wanna fight me, I’m a man, at the end of the day. We gonna fight. I don’t care if you’re 200 pounds. If you say you wanna fight me, you better put your hands up. We gonna rumble. That’s just the type of individual that I am. That’s the type of attitude and mindset you’re supposed to have as a fighter.”
Baltimore’s Davis draws Russell’s ire because the WBC featherweight champion thinks the undefeated emerging star and his team are reluctant to face top competition.
“What type of stuff is that to say, ‘Well, I don’t wanna fight him because it don’t sell?,’ ” Russell asked. “You sound like a sucka. You sound like a sucka. You mean to tell me because I’m telling you I wanna fight you, you picking and choosing who you wanna fight? Come on, man. I ain’t tryin’ to hear that. That’s really what’s going on.”
Unless Davis’ arrest last week on a simple battery charge prevents it from happening as soon as they hope, the 25-year-old Davis (23-0, 22 KOs) seems headed for a fight against Leo Santa Cruz late in the spring. The 31-year-old Russell (31-1, 18 KOs) has long wanted to face Santa Cruz (37-1-1, 19 KOs) in what would be a featherweight title unification bout, but Santa Cruz is much more interested in challenging Davis.
Santa Cruz could need to move up from 130 pounds to the lightweight limit of 135 to make the Davis fight a reality. The Rosemead, California, resident currently holds the WBA’s “super” championships in the 126-pound and 130-pound divisions.
Russell also is willing to jump up two weight classes to battle Davis in what the 2008 U.S. Olympian is certain would be a big event in the Baltimore-Washington, D.C. area. Russell was born and raised in the nation’s capital, and he resides in nearby Capitol Heights, Maryland.
“Hell, yeah, it’ll sell,” Russell said. “We don’t even have to put no titles on the line. We can do a charity event and everybody would come to that fight. So, what he’s talking about don’t even make sense. You know, the fight will sell. We can fight in D.C. Everybody and their mother, and their grandmother, will come to that fight. So, let’s make the fight happen.”
Russell has kept a close eye on Davis’ rise from the amateurs. The long-reigning champion is impressed by Davis’ development, but he has criticized Davis for a lack of discipline.
“I’m not gonna say he’s a great fighter,” Russell said. “I do take my hat off to him because I watched him come up in the amateurs. I’m glad that he had the opportunity to provide a sense of financial stability for his family and friends, and all. But he definitely don’t have the skills it take to mess with me. That’s the reason why he’s choosing, with his team and Floyd and everybody else is choosing to keep him away from me. They handpick who they wanna fight. I don’t handpick who I fight. I fight whoever says they wanna fight me. Let’s make the fight happen.”
Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.