Gary Antuanne Russell Warns All Champions at 140
Newly crowned WBA junior welterweight champion “The Last” Gary Antuanne Russell (18-1, 17KO) wants all the belts as a rematch with WBC champion Alberto “La Avispa” Puello (24-0, 10KO) could be next.
When a fighter suffers their first defeat, they typically look to take a light touch returning to the ring. The Last, coming off a loss to La Avispa in 2024, turned in an excellent performance en route to taking away the WBA title from Jose “Rayo” Valenzuela in March 2025.
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It was clear Russell took that defeat to heart and pulled out all the tools in the shed against Valenzuela. His footwork, defense, counter-punching, and punch output were in cheat mode. Russell was ebullient afterwards. During the post-fight interview, the WBA champion sent a message to all the other champions:
“This is a stepping stone. This is a marathon, and in a marathon, you come across a table with some water. But that’s just a pit stop so you can keep going to the next. I’m coming.”
WHY IT SHOULD OCCUR
WBO champion Teofimo Lopez is busy taking on top contender Arnold Barboza on May 2. IBF champion Richardson Hitchins is free but the only option that makes sense is a rematch with Puello. Following Russell’s win over Rayo, Puello defended the WBC belt with a close split-decision victory against Sandor Martin.
Early in Russell’s career, many felt he had the talent and pedigree to be an elite fighter. Those expectations were tempered following his defeat to Puello. It’s safe to say this is the version of Russell that fans and pundits were expecting to see in their first encounter.
Russell and Puello are both promoted by PBC. A rematch in a unification clash would make all the sense in the world. The winner could claim they’re the best in the junior welterweight division. For the camps of Russell, Puello, and matchmakers at PBC, it should be their priority to start the work behind the scenes to make it a reality within the next calendar year.
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