Russell Turns Pro

From Les Carpenter:

Capitol Heights boxer Gary Russell Jr., whose collapse before his weigh-in at the Olympics cost him a chance to fight in Beijing, said he has signed with manager Al Hayman and is scheduled to fight for the first time as a professional on Jan . 17. A location and opponent have yet to be determined.

Russell, who appeared too muscle-bound for his 119-pound weight class in Beijing, will move up to featherweight.

"It's definitely not forgotten," Russell said of his Beijing experience. "People go through things in life and they have to deal with certain things that will motivate them. This was my thing."

Though some, including famed promoter Don King, speculated that Russell's collapse while trying to shed two pounds before the weigh-in might not help him land a professional contract, Russell and his father and trainer, Gary Russell Sr., said they had offers from several promoters and spent much of the fall sifting through them.

"It's been a completely different kind of training as far as the punch output," Gary Jr. said. "As an amateur you are trying to throw a whole lot of punches because everything is based on a punch count. Now we're more conservative with the punches we're throwing. I always thought I would be a better pro than amateur anyway."

Gary Sr. said he briefly considered having Gary Jr. remain an amateur so he could compete in the 2012 Games in London, as two-time Olympian Rau'Shee Warren and national team member Michael Hunter have done. Two of Russell's sons, Allan and Antonio, are ranked among the top 13 in the world at their age and weight classes and could be contenders for the next Olympics.

By Tracee Hamilton  |  December 10, 2008; 3:38 PM ET  | Category:  Boxing
Previous: IOC Won't Sell U.S. TV Rights in Bad Economy | Next: Local Skater In Second At Junior Grand Prix

The comments to this entry are closed.