Russell More Than Happy To Thank Haymon For Pro Path

By Jake Donovan

Over the years, there have been fighters tabbed by the fans – and those in the media brave enough to speak on the record – as the prototypical Al Haymon fighter. Jermain Taylor was the most notable, while Andre Berto is the most oft-mentioned. Both were granted plenty of exposure on the way to the top while taking on minimal risk, though both have also proven their worth – and in Berto’s case, entertainment value - post-title reigns.

It remains to be seen where Gary Russell Jr. lands when all is said and done. The D.C. native finds himself back in the title picture, taking on Mexico’s Jhonny Gonzalez (57-8, 48KOs) this weekend at The Palms in Las Vegas. The featherweight bout – which headlines live on SHOWTIME (Saturday, 10:00pm ET/7:00pm PT) – comes less than a year after falling well short versus Vasyl Lomachenko.

Russell Jr. (25-1, 14KOs) was the target of much criticism for his soft level of competition before challenging for a title. In his defense, Russell Jr. has previously targeted Gonzalez – specifically in a proposed elimination bout while the veteran was on the rebound from a technical decision loss to Daniel Ponce de Leon in 2012.

The fight was rejected for undisclosed reasons. It was a wise move by Gonzalez, who went on to upset previously unbeaten Abner Mares in Aug. ’13, and now makes the third defense of his reclaimed title.

Still, there came a healthy dose of snickering last June when Russell Jr. was thoroughly outfought by Vasyl Lomachenko – whose career has been the exact opposite, in winning a featherweight belt that night, just his third pro fight.

The featherweight contender has since returned to the win column following the lone defeat of his career, scoring a 10-round decision over Christopher Martin last December. The bout aired on Showtime, with the majority of Russell’s bouts appearing on television, regardless of opposition.

Thanks to those who handle his career, he is right back in the mix – and wise enough to show his apreciation for such efforts made on his behalf.

“I'm not surprised,” Russell Jr. stated when asked about receiving a second title opportunity inside of a year. “I have to thank… Al Haymon in general. He did everything in his power to make things happen for me to get another title shot and I'm grateful for the opportunity.”

Russell Jr. signed with Haymon prior to turning pro. His amateur run was brilliant, leading to a spot on the 2008 U.S. Olympic boxing squad that competed in Beijing. Unfortunately, Russell Jr. was reduced to the role of spectator, as he was a medical scratch for the opening round of competition after passing out due to dehydration during the morning weigh-in.

The majority of his career has been spent on shows with Golden Boy Promotions as the promoter of record, though Russell Jr. himself was always quick to mention that his only documented affiliation was to that of Haymon.

With the high-powered adviser now creating a league of his own through his Premier Boxing Champions series running on a multitude of networks – including Showtime, which makes its official PBC debut this weekend – it’s clear that the noted alliance was in fact always the right move.

“If you want to have six fights in a year, your manager or promoter should be able to do that,” insists Russell Jr., whose career had been slowed in recent years only by injury. “We feel as though Al Haymon is very efficient in doing what we want from him.

“It's about who you know, I guess.”

Jake Donovan is the Managing Editor of BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox