BoxRec

Gary Russell Jr vs Pitbull Cruz likely for late summer

Gary Antuanne Russell and Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz are likely to fight in August or September, according to ESPN Knockout’s Salvador Rodriguez.

Rodriguez says that August 22 and September 5 are possible dates. The fight is targeted for Las Vegas.

Russell (19-1, 17 KO) would be defending the WBA super lightweight title against Cruz (28-3-2, 18 KO), who is the WBC’s interim champ at the weight, and is a former WBA titleholder at 140, and title challenger at 135.

The 29-year-old Russell fought on February 21, holding off a solid challenge from Andy Hiraoka to retain the title, which he won from Jose Valenzuela in 2025. If this fight does happen in 2026, it would be the first time since 2022 that Russell has fought twice in a calendar year.

I’m leaning toward Russell by decision. Cruz is always dangerous with his pressure and power, but Russell’s speed, footwork, and sharper boxing skills should allow him to control the distance and rack up rounds. I can see Cruz making it competitive late, but over 12 rounds Russell’s movement and punch selection give him the edge on the scorecards. FNF