Gary Russell Jr. Turns Down $1 Million Fight Offer From Eddie Hearn: ‘It was Beneath my Standards’

Published 02/04/2021, 12:51 AM EST

Gary Russell Jr. is one of the most staunch featherweights in present-day boxing. The 32-year-old has hung around the sport for a while and has stormed his way to the top to become the champion. Over the course of his extensive boxing run, Russell Jr. has fought several resilient opponents, beating a major chunk of them.

However, he turned down a fight with former featherweight champion Josh Warrington. In a chat with the PBC podcast, the southpaw reasoned why he didn’t take up the big money fight with Warrington.

“Eddie Hearn reached out to me through Instagram. He offered me a million dollars to fight Josh Warrington for a unification match, and I felt like it was a little. It was beneath my standards,” he said.

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Warrington is managed by Eddie Hearn‘s Matchroom Sport. Russell Jr. asserted Hearn reached out to him personally and offered him a whopping $1 million fight with Warrington. Not just a big money fight, but Hearn wanted to stage this bout for the unified featherweight title.

However, the Maryland native declined this offer. Russell Jr. has defended his WBC title five times successfully. Now, he has his eyes keenly set on unifying his titles. However, he wants the price to be right as well.

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Should Gary Russell Jr. take up the Josh Warrington fight now?

Gary Russell Jr. and Josh Warrington rank among the top-tier featherweights of all time. A collision between them can shape the featherweight landscape and offer them a mighty chance to prove their worth. That said, this fight will also offer a colossal paycheck to Russell Jr. and Warrington.

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‘The Leeds Warrior’ is an undefeated boxer who has a 30-0 track-record. He has every skill set to give Russel Jr a tough battle within the ring. Moreover, citing Russell Jr.’s current boxing run, Warrington is just an ideal opponent for him at this stage.

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What do you make of Gary Russell Jr.’s aforementioned statements?

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Written by:

Prathamesh Singh Chauhan is a Boxing Author at EssentiallySports. He is a graduate from the International Institute of Sports Management who combines his love for sports, particularly combat sports, and his flair for writing and analysis to help him in his day-to-day work. He has prior professional experience with sporting organizations such as Star Sports, Khelo India, and NBA.

Gary Russell Jr. Turns Down $1 Million Fight Offer From Eddie Hearn: ‘It was Beneath my Standards’

Should Gary Russell Jr. take up the Josh Warrington fight now?

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