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Photo by Chris Farina/Top Rank
Shortly after Vasyl Lomachenko‘s brave points defeat against Orlando Salido, this fight was announced, leaving many cynics, including Gary Russell Jr. himself, unhappy that Lomachenko had jumped the queue, not warranting this opportunity in only his third fight.
This is a fair comment, but then again, has Russell Jr. earned this shot?
The American has built up a decent record since turning pro back in 2009. However, many of Russell Jr.’s opponents have been far from the upper echelons of the featherweight division, many only being announced in the final week leading up to the fight. Therefore, maybe both are extremely lucky to be fighting for this coveted world title.
Nevertheless, it is still very refreshing to see two amateur stars pit their wits against one another minus the head gear that served them so well.
Although this fight is not the main attraction on Saturday night, it has generated a lot of interest across the boxing world, due to it being evenly matched, irrespective of how both men earned their shot.
