Gary Russell Jr.: I Have Maybe Six Fights Before I Retire

WBC featherweight champion Gary Russell Jr. has laid out groundwork for the end of his career.

In a press conference to officially announce his upcoming title defense against Joseph Diaz on May 19, Russell Jr. said he has maybe about six fights remaining in his career. Russell Jr. explained that his reasoning for only fighting in six more fights is because he’s been boxing ever since he was seven years old in 1996 and that he wants to find as much financial success as possible in order to retire comfortably.

“Regardless of what the situation is, you want a sense of financial stability for yourself and your family. I’m at the point of my career where I have maybe six more fights in me. We want to maximize everything,” Russell Jr. said.

Russell Jr. also said he would consider moving up in weight if he does not get a unification fight with any of the other world champions in the featherweight division. Among the fighters Russell Jr. said he would like to fight when moving up in weight, including Mikey Garcia and Gervonta Davis, the WBC featherweight champion said he would like to retire fighting former WBO super featherweight champion Vasyl Lomachenko. Russell Jr. and Lomachenko do share history in the ring together with Lomachenko coming out victorious in their 2014 fight, handing Russell Jr. his first and only professional loss thus far.

Russell Jr. and Diaz will headline a boxing card at MGM National Harbor in Maryland. The fight will be televised on Showtime as part of a split-site broadcast that will also feature a WBC light heavyweight title fight between Badou Jack and Adonis Stevenson that is taking place in Canada.