Gary Russell, JR. Puts on Virtuoso Performance Stopping Jhonny Gonzalez to Capture the WBC Featherweight Title
By Travis Fleming
Last night, Gary Russell, JR. put on the most dominating championship performance of 2015, in destroying and stopping WBC featherweight champion Jhonny Gonzalez in just four rounds!
Russell was protected for a long time, despite having undeniable talent. He ended an impressive amateur career in disappointment and heartache, when he fell ill due to weight loss just hours before weighing in for the 2008 Olympics and was forced to pull out of the competition. In the pro ranks, he quickly got noticed for his incredible hand speed, which may be the fastest in boxing, and won Ring Magazine’s prospect of the year in 2011.
Most expected him to break out in 2012 and capture a title, but it took another three years until he finally stepped up in opposition level. Last year, Russell made his first trip to the elite level against amateur great Vasyl Lomachenko for the vacant WBO featherweight title. He disappointed in that fight, losing a clear decision where he had a few moments, but was, ultimately, outclassed by one of the greatest amateur fighters who ever lived, in just his third pro bout.
A lot of people wrote Russell off after this. He rebounded last year against Christopher Martin, winning a clear decision but failing to capture attention. He then signed to fight murderous punching Mexican champion Jhonny Gonzalez. Across boxing groups and forums everywhere, people were predicting a KO for Gonzalez over a Gary Russell who most felt did nothing to deserve another title shot only two fights after losing clearly to Lomachenko, in his first, supposedly, undeserved title shot.
Last night, Gary Russell, JR. got sweet redemption and shut a lot of people up. He made up for his weak opposition level, his loss against Lomachenko, and his disappointment of missing the Olympics by putting on the most impressive championship performance of the year! Congratulations to him on proving his worth and reaching his lifelong dream of becoming a world champion. He always looked like an incredible talent and last night he finally lived up to it.
From the beginning of the fight, Russell controlled the pace with his jab. He found his rhythm early and began to land lead straight lefts and lead right hooks from his southpaw stance. Russell threw his trademark lightning fast combinations, but seemed to flurry less and pick his power shots more than he did against Lomachenko. Russell also threw with much more authority, and sat down on his punches a lot more than he did versus Lomachenko. In round three, Gonzalez landed his first significant shot, a good right to the body. Unfortunately, that would be all the success he would find. Russell continued to control pace and distance with a stiff jab, and he was outspeeding and outlanding Gonzalez.
Toward the end of the round, Russell landed a solid straight left and then a counter right hook that dropped Gonzalez hard. Gonzalez made it to the end of the round but was not fully recovered when he came out for round four. In the fourth, Russell sensed his opponent was still hurt and came out with guns blazing, throwing blinding combinations. In an early round ambush, Russell landed a right hook then a straight left that sent Gonzalez to the canvass for the second time. Jhonny wobbled on rubber legs, getting up from the knock down, and Russell jumped right back on him with another combo that would make Roy Jones Junior proud. The combo was punctuated with a right uppercut as Gonzalez fell to the mat for the third time. The ref waved it off and Russell was crowned WBC featherweight champion. This fight proved that, truly, anything can happen in boxing.
The televised undercard was a massive disappointment with Jermell Charlo posturing and coasting, while Vanes Martirosyan attempted to mount an attack. The two are friends and former sparring partners and it truly looked like a glorified sparring session. After an unexciting seven rounds, with neither guy landing anything significant, Charlo looked like the better fighter but he wasn’t doing enough, while Vanes was throwing, but not quick, or accurate, enough to land with frequency. It was a dull standstill with neither winning clearly. In the eighth round, Vanes was cut by an accidental clash of heads over his left eye and appeared in pain. He soldiered on and came on strong to win the last two rounds. At the end, I had it a draw. Charlo got the decision and I have no big issue with that as there were plenty of swing rounds where neither guy did much that could have gone either way. In the end, the more talented guy got the decision but looked underwhelming in his biggest test to date. I expected more from Charlo and think he should count himself lucky that the fight with Demetrius Andrade didn’t materialize as Andrade would have put on a clinic versus this lackadaisical version of Charlo. Charlo will need an impressive performance in his next fight to keep the fans interested in his title run.
Jermell Charlo’s twin brother Jermall Charlo, as well as J’Leon Love of the money team, won unanimous decisions in other bouts on the card from Vegas.
