Russell Demands Crack At Vacant WBO Feather Crown

CAPITOL HEIGHTS, MD., October 10 – Featherweight Gary Russell, Jr. (Capitol Heights, Md.) has been designated as the mandatory challenger for the WBO Featherweight title and he looks forward to challenging the WBO champion for the title belt.

“On October 9th, my team received written confirmation from the WBO that I am the mandatory challenger for their featherweight world title,” Russell said. “I'm ready for my first world title fight and cannot wait for the fight to get made.”

Russell, who owns two unanimous decision victories in 2013, has been ranked second in the WBO's featherweight rankings since March. The 2008 Olympian recorded his first victory of the year in early March, setting a Compubox record for defensive brilliance in a one-handed win over Vyacheslav Gusev. His second victory came in August with a 10-round win over Juan Ruiz.

An undefeated professional and highly decorated amateur, Russell is known for having the fastest hands in boxing and one-punch knockout power. He's racked up 23 victories in his four years in the pro ranks and looks forward to stepping up his level of opposition in his first title fight.

The WBO has ordered that Russell must be given a shot at their featherweight title within the next 180 days.

Gary Russell, Jr., is a promising featherweight known for the fastest hands in the sport of boxing and one punch knockout power. A 2008 Olympian, Russell was an amateur standout before entering the pro ranks in January of 2009 and now boasts a 23-0 (13 KOs) record. Boxing is a family affair for the Russells with his father, Gary Russell, Sr., serving as his trainer and three younger brothers also involved in the sweet science. For the latest information on Gary Russell, Jr., go to www.mrgaryrussell.com and follow him on twitter @mrgaryrusselljr.

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