Gary Russell Jr. is clear on who he wants to fight next, Leo Santa Cruz in a 126-poud title-unification fight.
If it doesn’t happen? Bye bye 126 pounds. Russell said he’ll vacate his featherweight title and move up in weight to pursue two other fighters on his radar — lightweights Gervonta Davis and Vasiliy Lomachenko, the latter of whom outpointed him in 2014.
Yes, that means he’d skip over 130 pounds.
Russell (30-1, 18 KOs) faces Tugstsogt Nyambayar (11-0, 9 KOs) on Feb. 8 in Allentown, Pennsylvania, on Showtime.
“I definitely want Leo Santa Cruz,” Russell told The PBC Podcast. “The only reason why I’ve been still competing at 126 is because I want a title unification with Santa Cruz. If we can’t get Leo Santa Cruz within the time frame which we want, I plan on moving up in weight. I don’t really have any thought of stopping at 130; I want to go straight to 135.
“There are a couple of guys that I want. I want Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis, I definitely want a rematch with Vasyl Lomachenko. And I feel like the only way for me to make those fights happen is to put myself in the same weight division as these guys.”
There’s no chance he’d make a pit stop at 130?
“If Tevin farmer beats Jo Jo Diaz … I’m one of those guys, I answer any challenge,” Russell said. “I’m a real fighter, I’m a real warrior. You know, if someone says they want to fight me and they’re acting like they want that, I’m going to give it them.
“They have to be careful what they ask for. So if Tevin Farmer were to beat Jo Jo Diaz and we don’t get the Leo Santa Cruz fight, I wouldn’t mind stopping at 130 just to shut him up for mentioning my name.”