Gary Antuanne Russell stopped Rances Barthelemy in the sixth round on the Danny Garcia-Jose Benavidez Jr. card Saturday in Brooklyn, New York.
Gary Antuanne Russell knocked out Rances Barthelemy in the sixth round on the Danny Garcia-Jose Benavidez Jr. card Saturday at Barclay’s Center in Brooklyn, Russell’s 16th stoppage in as many fights.
The fight was competitive for five rounds, as both fighters had their moments.
Russell took the fight to Barthelemy (20-2-1, 15 KOs) and landed power shots consistently. However, the Cuban kept pace with Russell and had his own success.
The end came suddenly early in Round 6, when Russell landed a right to the temple of Barthelemy, who went down and was hurt.
He was able to get to his feet but referee Shada Murdaugh decided that Barthelemy couldn’t continue and stopped the fight, which drew protests from the loser and his team.
Russell understood Barthelemy’s frustration.
“I know Rances is a high-grade, class athlete and he wanted to continue,” he said. “Emotions were high. Whether we are bruised or beaten, as a warrior, you always want to continue but the referee was doing his job, and if he was allowed to continu,e it would have been the same outcome. I would have gotten him.
“In the sixth round I had him backing up. I knew he was looking for his right cross, and I caught him backing up, and I shot my hook and put him down. He was buzzed but he wanted to keep going. He’s a warrior.”
Barthelemy, 36, is a two-division titleholder. He was hoping to win a belt in a third.
“This is the most bitter loss of my career,” he said. “I’m destroyed. Don’t get me wrong, this wasn’t Russell’s fault at all. I’m a veteran, and I had been through something like that plenty of times in my career. The referee treated me like a rookie instead of the two-time world champion I am.”
The official time of the stoppage was 50 seconds into the sixth round.
Danny Garcia vs. Jose Benavidez Jr.: LIVE updates and results, full coverage.
Danny Garcia made a successful debut at 154 pounds Saturday at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
The former two-division titleholder outclassed Jose Benavidez Jr. to win a majority decision.
The scores were 114-114, 116-112 and 117-111. Boxing Junkie scored it 118-110, 10 rounds to two.
A full report will follow shortly.
***
Ali Eren Demirezen defeated Adam Kownacki by a unanimous decision in a 10-round heavyweight fight on the Danny Garcia-Jose Benavidez Jr. card.
Kownacki controlled the first two rounds with his volume punching but the Turk took control of the fight in Round 3 and outworked the Polish-American the rest of the way.
The scores were 97-93, 96-94 and 96-94. Boxing Junkie scored it 97-93 for Dimerezen.
***
Gary Antuanne Russell knocked out Rances Barthelemy in the sixth round on the Danny Garcia-Jose Benavidez Jr. card.
The fight was competitive for five rounds but a right from Russell to the temple of Barthelemy put the Cuban down and the fight was stopped.
***
Former two-division titleholder Danny Garcia will make his debut at 154 pounds against Jose Benavidez Jr. on Saturday at Barclay’s Center in Brooklyn, New York (Showtime).
Garcia (36-3, 21 KOs) last fought in December 2020, when he was outpointed by unified welterweight champion Errol Spence Jr.
Benavidez (27-1-1, 18 KOs) will be fighting for the second time in a comeback after a three-year layoff. He’s coming off a majority draw with Francisco Torres in November.
Also on the card, Adam Kownacki will face Ali Eren Demirezen in a battle of heavyweights. And junior welterweight contender Gary Antuanne Russell will take on Rances Barthelemy.
The card begins at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT. The main event will take place later in the show.
Boxing Junkie will post results of all the featured bouts on the card immediately after they end. Simply return to this post when the time comes.
Full coverage – a fight story, photo gallery and analysis – will follow on separate posts the night of the fight and the following day.
Danny Garcia vs. Jose Benavidez Jr.: LIVE updates and results, full coverage.
Danny Garcia made a successful debut at 154 pounds Saturday at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
The former two-division titleholder outclassed Jose Benavidez Jr. to win a majority decision.
The scores were 114-114, 116-112 and 117-111. Boxing Junkie scored it 118-110, 10 rounds to two.
A full report will follow shortly.
***
Ali Eren Demirezen defeated Adam Kownacki by a unanimous decision in a 10-round heavyweight fight on the Danny Garcia-Jose Benavidez Jr. card.
Kownacki controlled the first two rounds with his volume punching but the Turk took control of the fight in Round 3 and outworked the Polish-American the rest of the way.
The scores were 97-93, 96-94 and 96-94. Boxing Junkie scored it 97-93 for Dimerezen.
***
Gary Antuanne Russell knocked out Rances Barthelemy in the sixth round on the Danny Garcia-Jose Benavidez Jr. card.
The fight was competitive for five rounds but a right from Russell to the temple of Barthelemy put the Cuban down and the fight was stopped.
***
Former two-division titleholder Danny Garcia will make his debut at 154 pounds against Jose Benavidez Jr. on Saturday at Barclay’s Center in Brooklyn, New York (Showtime).
Garcia (36-3, 21 KOs) last fought in December 2020, when he was outpointed by unified welterweight champion Errol Spence Jr.
Benavidez (27-1-1, 18 KOs) will be fighting for the second time in a comeback after a three-year layoff. He’s coming off a majority draw with Francisco Torres in November.
Also on the card, Adam Kownacki will face Ali Eren Demirezen in a battle of heavyweights. And junior welterweight contender Gary Antuanne Russell will take on Rances Barthelemy.
The card begins at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT. The main event will take place later in the show.
Boxing Junkie will post results of all the featured bouts on the card immediately after they end. Simply return to this post when the time comes.
Full coverage – a fight story, photo gallery and analysis – will follow on separate posts the night of the fight and the following day.
Gary Antuanne Russell kept his knockout streak alive against Viktor Postol on Saturday in Las Vegas.
One could argue that Gary Antuanne Russell didn’t deserve a knockout but he definitely deserved the victory.
Russell, a rising junior welterweight contender, passed the biggest test of his career by stopping veteran Viktor Postol on Saturday at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas.
Postol, 38, had never been stopped, including in losses to Terence Crawford, Josh Taylor and Jose Ramirez.
Russell (15-0, 15 KOs) was in attack mode from the opening bell, outboxing and outworking his more-experienced and still-effective Ukrainian opponent most of the fight.
Postol (31-3, 12 KOs) countered well at times but couldn’t keep pace with the more aggressive Russell.
Russell hurt Postol in the final minute of the fight, although Postol continued to defend himself. Still, referee Mike Ortega, trying to protect Postol, stopped the fight with 29 seconds to go.
The scores at the time of the stoppage were 89-82, 89-82 and 88-83, all for Russell.
Russell was asked afterward whether he thought the fight should’ve been stopped.
“Definitely,” he said. “There was a lot of contacts. Low gloves. The judges made the correct decision. I think my performance speaks for itself.
“The talent speaks for itself. I believe I’m ready for a step-up fight.”
Postol, fighting with a heavy heart because of his country’s war with Russia, said he wasn’t at his best.
“I just couldn’t do what I wanted to do in the ring,” he said. “My legs were not there and my arms were not there like I needed them to be. I’ve fought much better fighters than Gary Russell, but for some reason I wasn’t able to perform to my abilities.
“I came here to win tonight. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to achieve my goal.”
Gary Antuanne Russell kept his knockout streak alive against Viktor Postol on Saturday in Las Vegas.
One could argue that Gary Antuanne Russell didn’t deserve a knockout but he definitely deserved the victory.
Russell, a rising junior welterweight contender, passed the biggest test of his career by stopping veteran Viktor Postol on Saturday at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas.
Postol, 38, had never been stopped, including in losses to Terence Crawford, Josh Taylor and Jose Ramirez.
Russell (15-0, 15 KOs) was in attack mode from the opening bell, outboxing and outworking his more-experienced and still-effective Ukrainian opponent most of the fight.
Postol (31-3, 12 KOs) countered well at times but couldn’t keep pace with the more aggressive Russell.
Russell hurt Postol in the final minute of the fight, although Postol continued to defend himself. Still, referee Mike Ortega, trying to protect Postol, stopped the fight with 29 seconds to go.
The scores at the time of the stoppage were 89-82, 89-82 and 88-83, all for Russell.
Russell was asked afterward whether he thought the fight should’ve been stopped.
“Definitely,” he said. “There was a lot of contacts. Low gloves. The judges made the correct decision. I think my performance speaks for itself.
“The talent speaks for itself. I believe I’m ready for a step-up fight.”
Postol, fighting with a heavy heart because of his country’s war with Russia, said he wasn’t at his best.
“I just couldn’t do what I wanted to do in the ring,” he said. “My legs were not there and my arms were not there like I needed them to be. I’ve fought much better fighters than Gary Russell, but for some reason I wasn’t able to perform to my abilities.
“I came here to win tonight. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to achieve my goal.”
Gary Antuanne Russell is confident that he’ll pass the Viktor Postol test on Saturday in Las Vegas.
Everyone should have a better handle on how good Gary Antuanne Russell is after Saturday.
Russell, a junior welterweight prospect who has stopped all 14 of his opponents, is scheduled to take on veteran Viktor Postol on the Chris Colbert-Hector Luis Garcia card Saturday in Las Vegas (Showtime).
Postol (31-3, 12 KOs) was at his peak six, seven years ago, when he held a major 140-pound title. And he’s 38, raising questions about how much the Ukrainian might have left in the tank.
At the same time, he’s a clever, durable boxer with a wealth of experience who gave Jose Ramirez more trouble than many people expected in his most-recent fight, a year and a half ago.
Make no mistake: This is a test for the talented Russell.
“A fighter of his caliber, beating him in any form is a statement,” Russell said at a news conference Thursday. “You can’t take anything away from what he’s done in this sport. He says he’s driven. Well, I’m driven too.
“A person who is determined can become dangerous. And I’m one of those determined people. We’re both going to bring our best. I’m coming to give a great performance.”
Meanwhile, Postol, who trains with Freddie Roach in Los Angeles, said he doesn’t feel like a man approaching his 40th birthday.
“I feel young and strong,” he said. “I believe in myself. I’m very confident that I will become world champion again. This fight is a step toward achieving that feat again.
“Having Freddie Roach as a trainer is a huge boost for me. He’s always able to give me the right adjustments in training and during the fight. It just helps my confidence even more.”
Postol will enter the ring with a heavy heart, as his country is at war with Russian invaders, but he’s trying to keep his mind on boxing.
“The situation in Ukraine has escalated a lot and it’s hard not to think about it,” Postol said. “I’m working on focusing on the fight. My family is in the middle of everything, but they are safe and that’s what is most important.”
Russell hopes the war will serve to inspire Postol.
Said Russell: “I hope that with everything going on back home for Postol in Ukraine, that it motivates him and makes him hungry to give the world a great fight on Saturday.”
If he wins, Russell, the brother of former featherweight champion Gary Russell Jr., believes he will have taken a major step in his career.
“To be the next rising superstar, that’s part of our plan,” he said. “I’ve believed it all along, and now that other people are starting to see it, we’re getting that much closer to our goal. The plan is to keep the knockout streak going.
“Execution is always our goal. That’s the family credo.”
Gary Antuanne Russell is confident that he’ll pass the Viktor Postol test on Saturday in Las Vegas.
Everyone should have a better handle on how good Gary Antuanne Russell is after Saturday.
Russell, a junior welterweight prospect who has stopped all 14 of his opponents, is scheduled to take on veteran Viktor Postol on the Chris Colbert-Hector Luis Garcia card Saturday in Las Vegas (Showtime).
Postol (31-3, 12 KOs) was at his peak six, seven years ago, when he held a major 140-pound title. And he’s 38, raising questions about how much the Ukrainian might have left in the tank.
At the same time, he’s a clever, durable boxer with a wealth of experience who gave Jose Ramirez more trouble than many people expected in his most-recent fight, a year and a half ago.
Make no mistake: This is a test for the talented Russell.
“A fighter of his caliber, beating him in any form is a statement,” Russell said at a news conference Thursday. “You can’t take anything away from what he’s done in this sport. He says he’s driven. Well, I’m driven too.
“A person who is determined can become dangerous. And I’m one of those determined people. We’re both going to bring our best. I’m coming to give a great performance.”
Meanwhile, Postol, who trains with Freddie Roach in Los Angeles, said he doesn’t feel like a man approaching his 40th birthday.
“I feel young and strong,” he said. “I believe in myself. I’m very confident that I will become world champion again. This fight is a step toward achieving that feat again.
“Having Freddie Roach as a trainer is a huge boost for me. He’s always able to give me the right adjustments in training and during the fight. It just helps my confidence even more.”
Postol will enter the ring with a heavy heart, as his country is at war with Russian invaders, but he’s trying to keep his mind on boxing.
“The situation in Ukraine has escalated a lot and it’s hard not to think about it,” Postol said. “I’m working on focusing on the fight. My family is in the middle of everything, but they are safe and that’s what is most important.”
Russell hopes the war will serve to inspire Postol.
Said Russell: “I hope that with everything going on back home for Postol in Ukraine, that it motivates him and makes him hungry to give the world a great fight on Saturday.”
If he wins, Russell, the brother of former featherweight champion Gary Russell Jr., believes he will have taken a major step in his career.
“To be the next rising superstar, that’s part of our plan,” he said. “I’ve believed it all along, and now that other people are starting to see it, we’re getting that much closer to our goal. The plan is to keep the knockout streak going.
“Execution is always our goal. That’s the family credo.”
Sometimes the best fighters give special performances. Sometimes they go beyond that, accomplishing something that will likely outlive them by many years.
The Filipino Flash methodically dismantled an unbeaten champion before finally putting him away in the fourth round to claim his ninth world title in three weight classes. And he did it at 38 years old, which is a division record for a new titleholder.
Donaire’s tactics weren’t complicated. He patiently waited for opportunities to counter his attacking opponent and did so with precision and power, which has always been the key to his success.
What’s harder to understand is how a man who turned professional 20 years ago and has fought an elite level for about 15 of them can still give virtuoso performances.
Donaire talked before and after the fight about mental strength and the resilience of one’s body if one takes care of it, as he does. Obviously, there is something to be said for what the man has been preaching.
That said, his ability to push the great Naoya Inoue to his limits in his previous fight and the manner in which he annihilated Oubaali a two-time Olympian, speaks to something more nebulous, something limited to a handful of fighters, something like magic.
Watching Donaire quickly reduce a good fighter like Oubaali to helpless prey at his age was like witnessing something impossible. That’s what made it so dramatic. I asked myself as it was happening, “How is he doing this after so many years?”
Magic.
Donaire expressed gratitude afterward, thanking everyone who played a role in getting him the opportunity to fight Oubaali. I thank him.
***
BAD
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qgx9wyKpHrY&t=23s
Devin Haney doesn’t deserve much criticism after his performance against Jorge Linares on Saturday in Las Vegas. After all, he defeated an elite opponent by a well-earned unanimous decision.
The problem for the 22-year-old was the manner in which he finished the fight.
Haney demonstrated for nine-plus rounds why he’s considered one off the brightest young stars in the sport. He boxed beautifully behind his superb jab, landing quick, hard power punches while always keeping defense in mind.
And one must admire his willingness to engage Linares as much as he did, which was an effort to stir the passions of fans. It was shaping up to be a brilliant performance.
Then, in the final seconds of Round 10, things changed in an instant. Linares, a strong puncher, buzzed Haney with a big right hand. The young man insisted multiple times afterward that he wasn’t hurt but I doubt many believe him.
He held much of the final two rounds, at first, it seemed, to regain his senses and then for unclear reasons. Was he simply wary of Linares’ power? Was he tired? Maybe it was a combination of both.
Bottom line: Haney’s behavior in Rounds 11 and 12 took some of luster off what was otherwise a fine performance, one that might’ve been his first career-defining victory.
Again, we shouldn’t be too hard on Haney. He looked good most of the fight and emerged with a clear victory. And he survived some adversity to do it, for which he arguably should be commended.
And he’ll probably be a better fighter going forward because of the experience he gained. That might not be good news for the other top 135-pounders and those at 140.
***
WORSE
Devin Haney holds his secondary WBC belt after his victory. David Becker / Getty Images
I still cringe when I hear people refer to “titles” like the one owned by Haney as legitimate. It’s not.
The WBC calls Haney it’s lightweight titleholder even though he sits below Teofimo Lopez, who outpointed Vasiliy Lomachenko to become undisputed champ in October.
Lomachenko won the WBC title by outpointing Luke Campbell in August 2019 and was later elevated to what the sanctioning body calls its “franchise” champion, a special designation that absolves the beltholder from facing mandatory challengers.
That’s when Haney was elevated to “full” titleholder even though he sat below Lomachenko and then Lopez, which is the cause of confusion that persists to this day.
The boxing world generally recognizes four sanctioning bodies, the IBF, WBA, WBC and WBO. Three of those organizations have 17 divisions, one (the WBC) has 18. That means 69 fighters could be champions if each body gets one per division.
Yet they’ve created more than one – sometimes more than two – in each weight class, clear evidence that the title system has spun out of control. To be clear: The more titles that exist, the less they mean.
Why do the bodies create more than one title? Greed. They charge a pretty penny to wear their pretty belts. The more the create, the more money and influence they accumulate.
Yes, the system is broken. And everyone buys into it nonetheless. The fighters love the shiny belts, the managers and promoters love to say they’re staging title fights for marketing purposes and the media goes along for the ride.
Boxing Junkie limits the mention of titles or minimizes them – calling Haney’s belt “secondary,” for example – but even we acknowledge them because readers expect it.
The good news? Haney could end up fighting Lopez for the undisputed championship. At least then there would be no more confusion.
***
RABBIT PUNCHES
Two aspects of the Donaire-Oubaali fight were arguably controversial. One, Donaire seemed to hit – and badly hurt — Oubaali a split second after the bell to end Round 3. Referee Jack Reiss ruled that the punch was legal and Donaire can claim he either initiated the punch before the bell or couldn’t hear it. However, I’m guessing Oubaali will forever claim that he lost his title in part because of a foul. And, two, Reiss was criticized for allowing Oubaali too much time to recover after the aforementioned punch, which put the Frenchman down. I tried to time what followed. Oubaali was given 11-plus seconds to get to his feet, in part because Reiss had to clear the area. And the loser had about 1 minute, 21 seconds from the time he got to his feet to recover. That’s because Reiss needed time to assess Oubaali’s condition. Frankly, I don’t agree with the criticism. Reiss is required by rules in California to conduct the assessment if a fighter’s ability to defend himself is in question. He could’ve stopped the fight but didn’t do so because he believed Oubaali was able to continue.
Gary Antuanne Russell demonstrated against Jovanie Santiago (14-2-1, 10 KOs) on the Donaire-Oubaali card why he’s considered one of the best prospects in the world. The brother of Gary Russell Jr. used controlled, coldly efficient aggression to break down an opponent who was supposed to be his most-significant test to date. A battered Santiago quit on his stool after Round 6 of the 140-pound bout. The younger Russell has now stopped all 14 of his opponents. To say he’s one to watch is an understatement. … Subriel Matias (17-1, 17 KOs) also made a strong statement on the Donaire-Oubaali card. The 140-pounder from Puerto Rico walked down and beat up Batyrzhan Jukembayev (18-1, 14 KOs) of Kazakhstan until the latter’s trainer decided he was taking too much punishment and ended the toe-to-toe brawl after eight rounds. Batyrzhan simply couldn’t cope Matias’ relentless output of power punches. Impressive performance. … Jason Quigley (19-1, 14 KOs) defeated Shane Mosley Jr. (17-4, 10 KOs) by a majority decision in an entertaining middleweight fight on the Haney-Linares card. Quigley, the one-time amateur standout from Ireland, remained a player in the 160-pound division with his victory. I doubt he could beat the top middleweights but he has probably earned a shot at one of them. I have to give Mosley some credit. I remember writing after his pro debut that he had little hope of succeeding but he has proved me wrong. He’ll never approach the heights reached by his father – that would be too much to ask – but he has turned himself into a solid fighter. … Azinga Fuzile (15-1, 9 KOs) gave a strong performance on the Haney-Linares card, stopping Martin Ward (24-2-2, 11 KOs) in eight rounds. The 130-pounder from South Africa can box and has some power. He also demonstrated mental toughness: He was coming off a crushing eighth-round knockout loss to Shavkatdzhon Rakhimov.
Sometimes the best fighters give special performances. Sometimes they go beyond that, accomplishing something that will likely outlive them by many years.
The Filipino Flash methodically dismantled an unbeaten champion before finally putting him away in the fourth round to claim his ninth world title in three weight classes. And he did it at 38 years old, which is a division record for a new titleholder.
Donaire’s tactics weren’t complicated. He patiently waited for opportunities to counter his attacking opponent and did so with precision and power, which has always been the key to his success.
What’s harder to understand is how a man who turned professional 20 years ago and has fought an elite level for about 15 of them can still give virtuoso performances.
Donaire talked before and after the fight about mental strength and the resilience of one’s body if one takes care of it, as he does. Obviously, there is something to be said for what the man has been preaching.
That said, his ability to push the great Naoya Inoue to his limits in his previous fight and the manner in which he annihilated Oubaali a two-time Olympian, speaks to something more nebulous, something limited to a handful of fighters, something like magic.
Watching Donaire quickly reduce a good fighter like Oubaali to helpless prey at his age was like witnessing something impossible. That’s what made it so dramatic. I asked myself as it was happening, “How is he doing this after so many years?”
Magic.
Donaire expressed gratitude afterward, thanking everyone who played a role in getting him the opportunity to fight Oubaali. I thank him.
***
BAD
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qgx9wyKpHrY&t=23s
Devin Haney doesn’t deserve much criticism after his performance against Jorge Linares on Saturday in Las Vegas. After all, he defeated an elite opponent by a well-earned unanimous decision.
The problem for the 22-year-old was the manner in which he finished the fight.
Haney demonstrated for nine-plus rounds why he’s considered one off the brightest young stars in the sport. He boxed beautifully behind his superb jab, landing quick, hard power punches while always keeping defense in mind.
And one must admire his willingness to engage Linares as much as he did, which was an effort to stir the passions of fans. It was shaping up to be a brilliant performance.
Then, in the final seconds of Round 10, things changed in an instant. Linares, a strong puncher, buzzed Haney with a big right hand. The young man insisted multiple times afterward that he wasn’t hurt but I doubt many believe him.
He held much of the final two rounds, at first, it seemed, to regain his senses and then for unclear reasons. Was he simply wary of Linares’ power? Was he tired? Maybe it was a combination of both.
Bottom line: Haney’s behavior in Rounds 11 and 12 took some of luster off what was otherwise a fine performance, one that might’ve been his first career-defining victory.
Again, we shouldn’t be too hard on Haney. He looked good most of the fight and emerged with a clear victory. And he survived some adversity to do it, for which he arguably should be commended.
And he’ll probably be a better fighter going forward because of the experience he gained. That might not be good news for the other top 135-pounders and those at 140.
***
WORSE
Devin Haney holds his secondary WBC belt after his victory. David Becker / Getty Images
I still cringe when I hear people refer to “titles” like the one owned by Haney as legitimate. It’s not.
The WBC calls Haney it’s lightweight titleholder even though he sits below Teofimo Lopez, who outpointed Vasiliy Lomachenko to become undisputed champ in October.
Lomachenko won the WBC title by outpointing Luke Campbell in August 2019 and was later elevated to what the sanctioning body calls its “franchise” champion, a special designation that absolves the beltholder from facing mandatory challengers.
That’s when Haney was elevated to “full” titleholder even though he sat below Lomachenko and then Lopez, which is the cause of confusion that persists to this day.
The boxing world generally recognizes four sanctioning bodies, the IBF, WBA, WBC and WBO. Three of those organizations have 17 divisions, one (the WBC) has 18. That means 69 fighters could be champions if each body gets one per division.
Yet they’ve created more than one – sometimes more than two – in each weight class, clear evidence that the title system has spun out of control. To be clear: The more titles that exist, the less they mean.
Why do the bodies create more than one title? Greed. They charge a pretty penny to wear their pretty belts. The more the create, the more money and influence they accumulate.
Yes, the system is broken. And everyone buys into it nonetheless. The fighters love the shiny belts, the managers and promoters love to say they’re staging title fights for marketing purposes and the media goes along for the ride.
Boxing Junkie limits the mention of titles or minimizes them – calling Haney’s belt “secondary,” for example – but even we acknowledge them because readers expect it.
The good news? Haney could end up fighting Lopez for the undisputed championship. At least then there would be no more confusion.
***
RABBIT PUNCHES
Two aspects of the Donaire-Oubaali fight were arguably controversial. One, Donaire seemed to hit – and badly hurt — Oubaali a split second after the bell to end Round 3. Referee Jack Reiss ruled that the punch was legal and Donaire can claim he either initiated the punch before the bell or couldn’t hear it. However, I’m guessing Oubaali will forever claim that he lost his title in part because of a foul. And, two, Reiss was criticized for allowing Oubaali too much time to recover after the aforementioned punch, which put the Frenchman down. I tried to time what followed. Oubaali was given 11-plus seconds to get to his feet, in part because Reiss had to clear the area. And the loser had about 1 minute, 21 seconds from the time he got to his feet to recover. That’s because Reiss needed time to assess Oubaali’s condition. Frankly, I don’t agree with the criticism. Reiss is required by rules in California to conduct the assessment if a fighter’s ability to defend himself is in question. He could’ve stopped the fight but didn’t do so because he believed Oubaali was able to continue.
Gary Antuanne Russell demonstrated against Jovanie Santiago (14-2-1, 10 KOs) on the Donaire-Oubaali card why he’s considered one of the best prospects in the world. The brother of Gary Russell Jr. used controlled, coldly efficient aggression to break down an opponent who was supposed to be his most-significant test to date. A battered Santiago quit on his stool after Round 6 of the 140-pound bout. The younger Russell has now stopped all 14 of his opponents. To say he’s one to watch is an understatement. … Subriel Matias (17-1, 17 KOs) also made a strong statement on the Donaire-Oubaali card. The 140-pounder from Puerto Rico walked down and beat up Batyrzhan Jukembayev (18-1, 14 KOs) of Kazakhstan until the latter’s trainer decided he was taking too much punishment and ended the toe-to-toe brawl after eight rounds. Batyrzhan simply couldn’t cope Matias’ relentless output of power punches. Impressive performance. … Jason Quigley (19-1, 14 KOs) defeated Shane Mosley Jr. (17-4, 10 KOs) by a majority decision in an entertaining middleweight fight on the Haney-Linares card. Quigley, the one-time amateur standout from Ireland, remained a player in the 160-pound division with his victory. I doubt he could beat the top middleweights but he has probably earned a shot at one of them. I have to give Mosley some credit. I remember writing after his pro debut that he had little hope of succeeding but he has proved me wrong. He’ll never approach the heights reached by his father – that would be too much to ask – but he has turned himself into a solid fighter. … Azinga Fuzile (15-1, 9 KOs) gave a strong performance on the Haney-Linares card, stopping Martin Ward (24-2-2, 11 KOs) in eight rounds. The 130-pounder from South Africa can box and has some power. He also demonstrated mental toughness: He was coming off a crushing eighth-round knockout loss to Shavkatdzhon Rakhimov.
Gary Antuanne Russell beat up and then stopped Jovanie Santiago after six rounds on the Nordine Oubaali-Nonito Donaire card Saturday.
There are now two important boxers named Gary Russell.
Gary Antuanne Russell, a younger brother of the long-reigning featherweight champ Gary Russell Jr., turned what was supposed to be a test against Jovanie Santiago into a brutal beat down on the Nordine Oubaali-Nonito Donaire card Saturday in Carson, Calif.
Santiago, who went the distance with Adrien Broner in his previous fight, quit on his stool after the sixth round of the scheduled 10-round junior welterweight fight.
Russell, who has stopped all 14 of his opponents, came out firing at the opening bell and was never really challenged. He fought with controlled aggression, landing precise, hard shots that quickly broke Santiago (14-2-1, 10 KOs) down.
Russell landed a right hook that forced Santiago to take a knee in Round 4 and battered him almost at will thereafter. The former U.S. Olympian delivered a particularly brutal beating in Round 6, which convinced Santiago and his handlers that enough was enough.
Russell, only 24, wasn’t ranked by any of the four major sanctioning bodies going into the fight. You can bet will be soon.
