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NATIONAL HARBOR, MD - In the main event Saturday night at the MGM National Harbor in Maryland, WBC Featherweight Champion, Gary Russell, Jr. (29-1, 17 KOs) suited up to go against #1 contender Joseph “JoJo” Diaz (26-1, 14 KOs). The parallels for both men were unmistakable. Both fighters trained by their fathers, both former U.S. Olympians, both rising through the professional ranks boasting only a mild blemishes on their records and now both on a collision course to determine who would take home the WBC Featherweight championship belt.  In a sport where loud trash talking and cocky dispositions are used to sell tickets, these two men were refreshingly calm and respectful of one another. Neither shying away from their gifts and what they believed they would bring to the fight. But both staying within the lines of professionalism and decorum. Leading up to tonight’s fight, Russell Jr. had fought once in three years. In May of last year he beat Oscar Escandon at this same venue with a 7th round TKO. There was some question, whether he might suffer some ring rust headed into the headline fight this evening. Over this same period, Diaz, Jr. has had eleven fights leading to this evening. Russell, Jr. is known for his incredible hand speed, and quickness while southpaw, Diaz, Jr. brings notable power into the ring. The age old question would be asked again. Does speed beat power? In the opening round, Diaz, Jr. was quick to take the center of the ring and almost immediately gave up ground as Russell, Jr. would fire several rapid jabs through the peek-a-boo guard of Diaz, Jr. Russell, Jr. speed was apparent and Diaz, Jr. seemed comfortable absorbing pitty-pat jabs in the first round. While no real damage was done, Diaz, Jr. returned to his corner at the end of the round with a face that belonged on a tomato can.  “This will just make me a hungrier fighter. I hope I got the respect of a lot of fight fans. I wanted to become champion against the best featherweight fighter in the world. Tonight wasn’t my night but I’m going to bounce back harder and I’ll be champion soon, said Diaz, Jr.”
Both men’s performances this evening should pave the way for future fights in the near future. We just hope to find them in the DMV. Round 2 would see the arrival of Diaz, Jr. as the bigger fighter he began to move forward and deliver body shots on Russell, Jr. that could be felt in the first row. At times through the first four rounds, it appeared that Russell, Jr. might be in for a long night. The game plan for Diaz, Jr. was evident. He would try to break down the body of Russell, Jr. and wear him down for the later rounds. But it seemed that Diaz would be the one who wore down. Russell, Jr. out landed Diaz, Jr. with a personal best of 992 punches to Diaz, Jr.’s 491. What made this punch count even more remarkable was that Russell, Jr. suffered a hand injury early in the fight. “I hurt my right hand in the second or third round, so we had to make adjustments. “We train to survive those body shots, said Russell, Jr.” The fight would go the distance with Gary Russell, Jr. raising his arms to a unanimous decision victory, 117-111; 117-111; 115-113. But Diaz, Jr. made it known that he was the real deal at the #1 ranking. He fell short this evening but put on a tremendous display of heart and character throughout the fight, taking no rounds off and marching forward on every occasion he could find. “This will just make me a hungrier fighter. I hope I got the respect of a lot of fight fans. I wanted to become champion against the best featherweight fighter in the world. Tonight wasn’t my night but I’m going to bounce back harder and I’ll be champion soon, said Diaz, Jr.” Both men’s performances this evening should pave the way for future fights in the near future. We just hope to find them in the DMV. About the Author: Darryl Keeton is an avid striking, grappling and wrestling fan living in Upper Marlboro, MD. He is a Certified Personal Trainer and holds a black belt in ITF Tae Kwon Do with additional training in Combat Jujutsu, Boxing and Muay Thai.
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