AN intriguing matchup between WBA world super lightweight titlist Jose ‘Rayo’ Valenzuela and prolific knockout artist Gary Antuanne Russell was announced yesterday.
The pair will collide on March 1, featuring on an Amazon Prime pay-per-view card headlined by Gervonta Davis vs Lamont Roach at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
It is the first showdown that has been added to the Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) undercard, with the sumptuous chief support possessing all the ingredients to steal the show.
Valenzuela, 14-2 (9 KOs), comes off a split decision win over Isaac Cruz, utilising his long levers to dethrone the tenacious bruiser.
Before that, the 25-year-old suffered back-to-back defeats against Edwin De Los Santos and Chris Colbert, but then produced an emphatic sixth-round stoppage victory over Colbert towards the end of 2023.
Now, ‘Rayo’ is widely regarded as one of the most formidable operators at 140 lbs, along with fellow champions Teofimo Lopez and Richardson Hitchins.
Russell, 17-1 (17 KOs), meanwhile, was handed his first professional defeat last year, losing a fiercely contested split decision against WBC titlist Alberto Puello.
But with previous wins over seasoned campaigners such as Viktor Postol and Rances Barthelemy, the 28-year-old is still one of the most dangerous contenders in his division.
That said, a lack of activity in recent years – something that is synonymous with his brothers, Gary Russell Jr and Gary Antonio Russell, too – could be a point of concern for the American.
His fellow southpaw, on the other hand, should be gleaming with confidence following his victories over Colbert and Cruz.
