Gary Russell (boxer)

Gary Russell (born June 5, 1988 in Washington D.C.) is an American amateur boxer.

Amateur Career

Russell who has three boxing brothers started boxing in 1995 and is trained by his father. In 2004 he became Junior Olympic Champion.

At age 16 he won both the U.S. Championships and the Golden Gloves in 2005. He became one of only two boxers to win both the U.S. Championships and National Golden Gloves before his 17th birthday.In October 2005 the small southpaw boxer-puncher had a record of 163-10.

In November 2005 at the world championships in Mianyang the bantamweight(119lbs) beat Bulgarian Detelin Stefanov Dalakliev, 25-21, in the first round; dec. Canadian Tyson Cave, 22-9, in the second round; dec. Jordanian Al Gharaghir Ibrahim, 34-13 before losing to German Rustamhodza Rahimov, 28-17 thus winning the bronze medal at age 17 (joining Rau'shee Warren)and was named "2005 USA BOXING Athlete of the year".

He repeated his national title win in 2006, at the US championships 2007 he was injured.He has broken his hands in the past.

At the Olympic Trials 2007 he sensationally lost to Roberto Marroquin in his first fight (17:18), his first defeat to a countryman in eight years, but beat him twice later and bested national champion Rios to qualify.Russell became only the fourth boxer in U.S. team history to lose in the opening round and rebound to win his weight class, the others were Evander Holyfield, Roy Jones Jr. and Floyd Mayweather, Jr.

At the 2007 World Amateur Boxing Championships in Chicago he beat Ali Hallab to qualify for the Olympics but was beaten soundly by Russia's eventual winner Sergey Vodopyanov 16-6 and didn't medal.

He is guided by his father, his "mitt man" Robert "Herb" Martin, and his strength and conditioning coach Floyd Seymour, a former Olympic boxer who rigorously trains Russell two hours a day.

2008 Olympics

Russell's quest for a medal ended prematurely as he missed the Olympic weigh-in hours after losing consciousness in his Olympic Village dorm room. [http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/olympics/2008/08/08/bc.oly.boxer.collapses/index.html?cnn=yes]

External links

* [http://www.usaboxing.org/86_1406.htm Bio]
* [http://www.boxing-scoop.com/show_boxer.php?boxer_ID=929 Gary Russell Jr. Amateur Boxing Record]

References