Tag: Gary Russell Jr.

Great Eight: Boxing Junkie’s best fighters in each of original divisions

Boxing Junkie has established its Great Eight, in which we determine the best boxers in each of the original weight classes.

Who are the best boxers in each of the original eight weight classes? Check out Boxing Junkie’s new “Great Eight” feature.

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Sadly, the proliferation of sanctioning body titles has diluted the value of once-precious championship belts.

If we accept that there are four major sanctioning organizations and allow each of them one “champion,” then we have 68 titleholders. That ridiculous number, which grows when the organizations add even more self-serving belts, drives boxing aficionados who want the best for the sport absolutely mad.

In effect, the sanctioning body titles mean next to nothing unless they’re unified. And even then, they’re value is often limited.

That’s why some of us look back longingly at a time when boxing had only eight divisions and one true champion in each of them. Everyone knew who the champions were and they had tremendous respect.

With that in mind, Boxing Junkie has decided to turn back the clock and establish its Great Eight, in which we determine the best boxers in each of the original weight classes – heavyweight, light heavyweight, middleweight, welterweight, lightweight, featherweight, bantamweight and flyweight.

To be clear, heavyweight includes cruiserweight, light heavyweight includes super middleweight, middleweight includes junior middleweight … all the way down to flyweight, which includes junior flyweight and strawweight.

Also, pound-for-pound has nothing to do with this. We believe the fighters selected in each division would defeat anyone else at that weight.

And, finally, this feature will be presented periodically.

Have a look:

HEAVYWEIGHT – Deontay Wilder (42-0-1, 41 KOs)

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT – Artur Beterbiev (15-0, 15 KOs)

MIDDLEWEIGHT – Canelo Alvarez (53-1-2, 36 KOs)

WELTERWEIGHT – Terence Crawford (36-0, 27 KOs)

LIGHTWEIGHT – Vasiliy Lomachenko (14-1, 10 KOs)

FEATHERWEIGHT – Gary Russell Jr. (30-1, 18 KOs)

BANTAMWEIGHT – Naoya Inoue (19-0, 16 KOs)

FLYWEIGHT – Kosei Tanaka (15-0, 9 KOs)

Gary Russell Jr. to face Olympic medalist Tugstsogt Nyambayar on Feb. 8

Gary Russell Jr. will face Tugstsogt Nyambayar in the fifth defense of his featherweight title on Feb. 8 in Allentown, Pennsylvania.

Gary Russell Jr. will face Tugstsogt Nyambayar in the fifth defense of his featherweight title on Feb. 8 in Allentown, Pennsylvania on Showtime, it was announced Monday.

Russell (30-1, 18 KOs) has fought only four times since he won a 126-pound belt in a stoppage of Jhonny Gonzalez in March 2015.

In an apparent bid to become more active, Russell faces an intriguing, yet unknown featherweight from Mongolia. Nyambayar, who now lives and trains in Carson, California,won a silver medal at the 2012 London Olympics.

Yet Nyambayar has fought only 11 times as a pro since then. The 27-year-old, nicknamed “King Tug,’’ has won them all, scoring nine stoppages in an impressive run that made him the mandatory challenger for Russell’s belt.

“Gary Russell Jr. has proven himself to be at the very elite level of this sport and one of the best fighters in the featherweight division,” said Tom Brown, President of TGB Promotions. “His speed, power and overall skill set has made him a must-watch every time he steps into that ring.

“He’s going to get all he can handle from an undefeated fighter in ‘King Tug’ Nyambayar, who has the pedigree and power to make this a memorable fight.’’

The card at Allentown’s PPL Center also will include former champion and two-time Olympic gold medalist Guillermo Rigondeaux (19-1, 13 KOs) against Venezuelan Liborio Solis (30-5-1, 14 KOs) for a junior featherweight title.