By Lem Satterfield
Unbeaten southpaw featherweight Gary Russell Jr. of Capitol Heights, MD., will pursue his 11th knockout and his 17th win without a loss, and undefeated heavyweight prospect Seth Mitchell of Brandywine, MD., will be after his eighth consecutive knockout, his 10th stoppage in his past 11 fights, and his 21st straight victory when they face opponents to be determined, respectively, in July and August, their promoter, Golden Boy Promotions CEO, Richard Schaefer, told BoxingScene.com.
Both combatants are fighting out of Prince George's County in Maryland.
The 23-year-old Russell (16-0, 10 KOs) is coming off of a June 17 fourth-round knockout of 28-year-old southpaw Antonio Meza (24-10-1, 16 KOs) of Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico, whom he floored once in the third round and twice in the fourth.
Schaefer is targeting Russell for the July 23, Golden Boy Promotions event featuring 24-year-old WBA junior welterweight champion Amir Khan (25-1, 17 KOs) of England against 33-year-old Bronx native and southpaw IBF titlist Zab Judah (41-6, 28KOs) of Las Vegas at the Mandalay Bay Hotel in Las Vegas.
"I'm looking to have on that Khan-Judah card there Gary Russell, who has maybe the fastest hands in the sport. Gary Russell is as exciting as it comes," said Schaefer. "Gary Russell is fantastic. I think he's one of the most exciting fighters right now in the sport."
A 29-year-old, 6-foot-2, 245-pounder, Mitchell (22-0-1, 16 KOs) is coming off of May's first-round stoppage of 6-3 Nicaraguan Evans "The Sandman" Quinn (20-6-1, 18 KOs) of Miami during Mitchell's Showtime-television debut.
Mitchell will likely be back in action on the Aug. 27 undercard of a bout featuring 27-year-old WBA interim junior welterweight king Marcos Rene Maidana (30-2, 27 KOs) of Argentina against 28-year-old southpaw WBO and WBA interim lightweight king Robert Guerrero (29-1-1, 18 KOs) of Gilroy, Calif., at the HP Pavilion, San Jose, Calif.
"Seth Mitchell will be on the Guerrero-Maidana card, and we're working on securing his opponent there. Seth Mitchell is another young fighter who is coming up very nicely and whom we are tremendously proud of," said Schaefer.
"So we have guys who are in big, meaningful fights, and that just shows you that we believe in those fighters," said Schaefer. "It's keeping me busy, but I'm happy to give these fighters these kinds of opportunities, because they deserve it."