By Mike Coppinger
Gary Russell Jr. (24-0, 14KOs) is preparing his first world title opportunity, a bout against two-time Olympic gold medalist Vasyl Lomachenko (1-1, 1KO) for the vacant World Boxing Organization featherweight title on June 21 at the StubHub Center in Carson, Calif.
It's a leap in competition for Russell, as it is for Lomanchenko, but Russell believes fans and critics alike will be quite surprised by the result of the bout.
"The fight is going to be easier than a lot of people think," Russell told BoxingScene.com in a phone interview Saturday. "I think (Lomachenko) brings a level of amateur pedigree to the ring, but he’s underestimating the importance of getting the rounds as a professional. I think we’ll take him into the later rounds and he’s going to have problems. If he gets reckless or careless, he might get knocked out."
Follow Mike Coppinger on Twitter: @MikeCoppinger
