Gary Russell Jr.: record, next fight and profile →
Joseph "JoJo" Diaz (26-0, 14 KOs) successfully defended his NABF and NABO Featherweight Titles with a dominant third-round knockout victory against former world champion Victor "Vikingo" Terrazas (38-5-2, 21 KOs) in the main event of the Feb. 22 edition of Golden Boy Boxing on ESPN at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, Calif.
Joseph Diaz Jr. can’t wait to get his shot at Gary Russell Jr. The undefeated Diaz, the mandatory challenger for Russell’s WBC featherweight title, expects to challenge Russell sometime in May or June. First, the 2012 American Olympian will keep busy Thursday night, when he’ll meet Mexico’s Victor Terrazas in a 10-round fight ESPN2 will televise from Fantasy Springs Casino in Indio, California (11:30 p.m. ET).
Featherweight contender Joseph Diaz (25-0, 13 KO's) kicks off his 2018 by facing veteran, Victor Terrazas (38-4-2/21 KO's), on Thursday night at the Fantasy Springs Casino in Indio, California. Should Diaz come out victorious, he will be in line to face WBC titlist Gary Russell Jr. next. Diaz is rated number one by the WBC.
While there were over two dozen boxers in attendance at Cipriani's in New York City on Wednesday as Showtime announced their upcoming boxing schedule, it doesn't mean that some of those who were absent are not a part of the networks plans. Stephen Espinoza, who was just recently elevated as the President of Showtime Sports and Event Programming, told BoxingScene.com:
Joseph Diaz has already secured his shot at the WBC featherweight championship, and he hopes the World Boxing Council (WBC) will ensure that their champion, Gary Russell Jr., will fight him by this coming May. In fact, Russell Jr. should be facing Diaz in the upcoming months but he decided to take an interim-fight, according to the WBC. 'JoJo' will do the same when he faces former world champion Victor Terrazas (38-4-2, 21 KOs) on February 22 at the Fantasy Springs Casino in Indio.
Golden Boy Promotions announced on Friday morning that featherweight Joseph Diaz would be kicking off his 2018 campaign by facing veteran and former world champion Victor Terrazas on February 22nd at the Fantasy Springs Resort Casino as part of their 'Golden Boy on ESPN' series. Diaz (25-0, 13 KO's) is the number one rated challenger under the WBC and the plan is to go immediately after that belt-holder, Gary Russell Jr.
WBC featherweight champion Gary Russell Jr. (28-1, 17 KOs) will make a voluntary defense of his world title on a date in February, according to World Boxing Council President Maurcio Sulaiman. However, the sanctioning body's leader states that Russell would then have to make a mandatory defense against undefeated challenger Joseph 'JoJo' Diaz (25-0, 13 KOs).
NEW YORK – One potential rematch for Vasyl Lomachenko was ruined Saturday night, but that didn’t stop him from taking questions about another. Orlando Salido, the only boxer to beat Lomachenko, retired following his technical-knockout defeat to fellow Mexican Miguel Roman on Saturday night in Las Vegas. But Lomachenko says he would fight Gary Russell Jr. again if Russell were willing to move up from featherweight to super featherweight for their rematch.
Gary Russell Jr. wants to fight Joseph Diaz Jr. The WBC featherweight champion isn’t so sure the feeling is mutual. Russell questioned Tuesday night whether Diaz’s handlers at Golden Boy Promotions will allow the undefeated Diaz to participate in the mandatory title fight he has earned.
According to World Boxing Council President Mauricio Sulaiman, WBC featherweight world champion Gary Russell Jr. (28-1, 17 KOs) will have to make a mandatory defense against Joseph Diaz. Sulaiman indicates that Russell vs. Diaz will be "mandated for around May." Russell has not been very active in the last few years.