Gary Russell Jr. thrills, beats Joseph Diaz in unanimous decision

OXON HILL — Gary Russell Jr. was disappointed. He wanted a knockout.

But after having been inactive for nearly a year to the date, the Maryland native delivered an entertaining performance Saturday — earning a unanimous decision victory over Joseph Diaz Jr. at the MGM National Harbor in a fight televised by Showtime.

With the win, Russell (29-1, 17 knockouts) made the third defense of his WBC featherweight championship.

The three judges scored the bout 115-113 and 117-111 twice.

“I was disappointed because I wasn’t planning on going the distance,” said Russell, a 2008 Olympian.

This was just Russell’s fourth fight since capturing the WBC title in March 2015 from Jhonny Gonzalez. He was coming off a seventh-round stoppage of journeyman Oscar Escandon, which also took place at the Harbor in May 2017.

Russell, though, wasn’t given the opportunity to shake off any ring rust. Diaz forced him into a brawl, starting in the second round. The 25-year-old landed thunderous blows to the body, backing up Russell throughout the early rounds.

Diaz (26-1 14 KOs) presented a different look for Russell as it’s rare for two left-handed fighters to face each other. Diaz, fighting in his first title bout, had success with the right hook to the body.

But in Round 6, Russell started to adapt. He started fighting from a distance, firing off crisp left hands while mixing in flurries. Russell’s superior speed limited Diaz’s output. He dictated the pace with his jab.

“We train to survive those body shots,” Russell said. We put the work in every day in the ring. We consistently grind and push ourselves to be great. We push ourselves to the limit.”

As the style of the fight changed, Russell became more and more comfortable. In Round 10, Russell landed a series of blows, including a short right hook that caused Diaz to sightly stumble.

Diaz, however, made a late push in the last two rounds. In Round 11, Russell fell to the canvas, but referee Kenny Chevalier ruled it a push. He got up and held off a swarming Diaz.

To close the last round, the two traded haymakers in the center of the ring. As the final bell rung, Russell and Diaz embraced each other.

According to Compubox, Russell landed 199 punches while throwing a staggering 992 punches.

Diaz landed 192 of 491 shots. Russell’s speed was the difference. 

“He wasn’t hurting me with any shots,” Diaz said. “He was just very fast. It was keeping me guessing. When he threw combinations, I wasn’t able to set my shots. I was a little bit hesitant.”

Russell said afterward he was dealing with a right hand injury, adding it occurred in the second or third round.

He also expressed his desire to land a bigger fight. In recent years, Russell hasn’t been able to secure a unification fight against his fellow titleholders in the division.

“We want to unify this division, or we’re moving up in weight for another title,” Russell said. “I want another belt.”