The March 1st pay-per-view co-feature in Brooklyn, New York will pit two of the brightest young stars in the 140-pound division against each other as WBA junior welterweight champion Jose “Rayo” Valenzuela makes the first defense against 2016 U.S. Olympian Gary Antuanne Russell in a fight scheduled for twelve rounds. The main event that night will be Gervonta "Tank" Davis' WBA lighweight title defense against junior lightweight titlist Lamont Roach. The 25 year-old Valenzuela (14-2, 9 KOs) became a champion in his last outing, upsetting Mexico's Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz by decision in August. Originally from Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico, Valenzuela is trained by the great Robert Garcia. He earned the world title fight following a pair of exciting contests against top contender Chris Colbert. After losing a debated decision to Colbert in March 2023, Valenzuela bounced back to blast out Colbert in round six of their December 2023 rematch, delivering one of the year’s top knockouts. Valenzuela burst onto the scene in 2018, quickly racking up 12 wins and a first-round knockout of former champion Francisco Vargas, before dropping a 2022 bout against top contender Edwin De Los Santos. 

 

“I’m here to show the world what it means to be great,” said Valenzuela. “Bring me your most ferocious, and I will bring back their heads. On March 1 I will achieve victory against Gary Antuanne Russell and cement my legacy in the super lightweight division. Don’t miss it, because I’m making sure everyone knows where I stand at 140 pounds.”

 

Fighting out of his native Capitol Heights, Md., Russell (17-1, 17 KOs) has carried on the legacy left by his late father Gary Sr. A member of one of the sport’s preeminent fighting families, Russell trains alongside his older brothers, former WBC featherweight champion Gary Jr. and bantamweight contender Gary Antonio. The 28-year old will look to capture a world title in his second attempt, after dropping a competitive decision to Alberto Puello in their June 2024 clash for the WBC 140-pound title. Going into that fight, Russell had not allowed an opponent to make it to the final bell since turning pro in 2017 following his run representing the U.S. at the Rio 2016 Summer Olympics. On his way to title contention Russell became the first fighter to knock out former world champion Viktor Postol and two-division champion Rances Barthelemy.

 

However, Russell has not fought snce the loss to Puello. “I can’t wait to get back in the ring and display my skills,” said Russell. “Not everyone can perform when the heat gets turned up in the kitchen, but like Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson said, can you smell what we’re cooking? We’re gonna find out if Valenzuela is ready on March 1st.”