DESPITE fighting with just one hand, Gary Russell thought he still won against Mark Magsayo and did enough to retain his WBC featherweight title.
Russell, 33, who lost by majority decision, insisted he gave his Filipino challenger a ‘boxing lesson all way through.’
“I believe in my skills set and what I bring to the ring. I felt like I still won the fight, to be honest with you,” said the American from Maryland after the bout at Borgata Hotel in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
“I landed clean whenever I wanted to. I couldn’t use my right arm but I was still able to throw effective shots and touch him at will.”
Despite not having fought for almost two years, Russell was a 4-1 favorite going to his sixth defense of the 126-pound title he won in 2015 against Jhonny Gonzalez.
On fight week, the former champion admitted nursing a ‘slight injury’ which he did not divulge until after the bout.
One-armed fighter
But the injury became obvious from the fourth round until the rest of the fight when Russell began favoring his right shoulder and was forced to fight with just one hand.
“I believe I have a torn tendon on my right shoulder,” he disclosed in the post-fight presser, adding he sustained the injury about two weeks before the fight.
He refused to postpone the mandatory fight though, because as Russell said, ‘this is what warriors do.’
“I’m a true champion,” he said. “I fight regardless of the situation. I refuse to not compete and display my skills.”
Russell raised the possibility of undergoing surgery to repair the hurting shoulder, which he said has bothered him since the 2008 Olympics.
But he vowed to be back and compete as an elite fighter again.
“Please believe, I will be back. I still want these fights. I’m out to give my shoulder a fix and be back at it,” said Russell, whose record fell to 31-2 with 18 KOs.
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