Gary Russell Jr. was quicker than Tugstsogt Nyambayar, as expected. He was also better.
Russell used his hand speed and overall ring generalship to dominate his Mongolian foe early in the fight and then hold him off as the fight became more competitive to win a unanimous decision Saturday in Allentown, Pennsylvania.
Russell (31-1, 18 KOs) was making the fifth defense of the featherweight title he won by stopping Jhonny Gonzalez in March 2015, meaning he has held a major title for almost five years.
The scores were 116-112, 117-111 and 118-110, which accurately reflected Russell’s ability to control the fight.
In the early rounds, Russell used his probing right jab – which creates distance more than it lands – to set up scoring power shots Nyambayar didn’t see coming. Russell used his feet and acute sense of danger to spin away whenever the aggressive Nyambayar got close enough to land punches.
That changed to a good degree in the middle rounds, when Nyambayar’s persistence began to pay off. Hard shots to the body and some to the head slowed Russell down just enough to give Nyambayar openings he didn’t have earlier.
The result was a competitive fight from about Round 5 on, a period in which the fighters traded moments of effectiveness. The problem for Nyambayar was that he had fallen too far behind in the early rounds to win the fight, a fact the visitor from Asia lamented.
Russell had predicted that Nyambayar, a 2012 Olympmic silver medalist, was no pushover.
“I knew I had a very, very tough opponent,” Russell said in the ring afterward. “I knew he would bring his physical game. He had everything to gain and nothing to lose. We were focused.
“I’m one of the longest reigning champions for a reason.”
Russell was asked what made the difference in the fight.
“My ring generalship, my hand speed, my ring IQ,” he said. “He had only 11 fights. Of course, he was a silver medalist, but he had only 11 fights. I had over 30-some professional fights. My experience [was the difference in] this fight.”
Of course, Nyambayar (11-1, 9 KOs) was disappointed after losing in his first fight for a major title. However, he undoubtedly scored points in the eyes of fans who will have appreciated his technical abilities combined with his controlled aggression.
Nyambayar also presumably learned a great deal in defeat. Among his lessons, according to him: Don’t give away rounds.
“I made a mistake,” he said through a translator. “I was waiting for him during the fight. I want a rematch.”
That isn’t likely, at least not any time soon. Russell passionately wants a s second fight with lightweight titleholder Vassiliy Lomachenko, the only fighter to beat him. Another potential opponent at 135 pounds is Gervonta Davis. Russell is willing to move up two weight classes to meet either of them.
A more realistic possibility is a showdown with junior lightweight beltholder Leo Santa Cruz, who, like Russell, fights under the Premier Boxing Champions banner.
“I’ll probably get Leo Santa Cruz next,” Russell said. “If not, I’ll jump two weight classes, skip over 130 and go straight to 135 … to get the guys I want.”