How do you secure a world title-unification bout in 2019? Errol Spence Jr. called out Manny Pacquiao after he beat Keith Thurman to win the WBA (super) welterweight title. Deontay Wilder told Boxing Empire boldly declared that he wanted to face the victor of Anthony Joshua-Andy Ruiz II. And, Gary Russell Jr. [checks notes]… threatened to rough up Leo Santa Cruz’s cancer-stricken dad? WTF? See for yourself:
In the now-viral video, the WBC featherweight champ filmed himself with the WBO featherweight champion Santa Cruz’s dad, Jose. While he was cool with the elder Santa Cruz, Russell quickly changed his tone when addressing his son. “Come see me before I go get your father,” Russell threatens as he speaks into the camera. “I already put my hands on him, I could’ve put him in an L.” He concluded the clip by telling his Mexican rival to “grow some cajones,” which he mispronounced as “kahunas,” a Native Hawaiian word for “wiseman or shaman.”
Jose Santa Cruz has had a highly publicized bout with myeloma, a bone cancer that required the world champ’s father to go 12 rounds with chemotherapy. Despite his illness, Santa Cruz’s father has been a consistent presence in the 31-year-old’s corner, sporting his trademark cowboy hat and gold chains at every fight.
Some people, including the legendary Lennox Lewis, weren’t fond of Russell’s tactics:
Following the backlash, Russell clarified to FightHubTV that he meant no harm by the stunt. “It wasn’t me picking on an old guy, it was a thing of me picking on Leo,” he said. “It wasn’t me trying to pick on his dad at all, for the record. I honestly like his dad, I think he’s a cool guy.”
Russell, who has been portrayed as a staunch family man, added that he was sympathetic to the senior Santa Cruz’s conditions, citing his own father’s health problems.
While the two boxers have never met professionally, they’re no strangers in the ring. Russell beat Santa Cruz in the amateur ranks. Since then, both have successfully climbed up the pro ladder. Santa Cruz having become a three-division world champion and is a mainstay in almost every P4P top 10 rankings. Russell, widely-regarded as boxing’s fastest puncher, has been one of the most avoided fighters in the sport and holds only one blemish on his record: a majority decision loss to ESPN’s #1 P4P fighter Vasyl Lomachenko.
