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GARY ANTUANNE RUSSELL DISCUSSES PRO DEBUT: "THE LONGEST JOURNEY IS WITHIN YOUR FIRST STEP"

By Percy Crawford | April 27, 2017
GARY ANTUANNE RUSSELL DISCUSSES PRO DEBUT:

"The longest journey is within your first step and I haven't even made contact with earth yet off of my first step. We just gonna keep it pushing...I'm transitioning very well. I want to thank my coach and my brother. What you see in Jr., the WBC World Champion at 126 pounds, he is nothing but what my father created. My father is the painter and he is the canvas...I know what my destination is," stated jr. welterweight Gary Antuanne Russell, who talked about his upcoming pro debut. Check it out!

PC: First and foremost, you definitely should have gotten the nod in your Olympic fight. We texted, but hadn't talked since. How do you get over the disappointment of that heading into your pro debut on May 20th?

GAR: First and foremost, it's like you said, you gotta get past that. You can't hold too much luggage on you. It was unfortunate, but I'm not going to let that hinder me from my professional career. It's a learning experience.

PC: You were set to make your debut, and I'm sure you were very anxious, and then it gets postponed. How did you deal with being so high and anxious only to be told you have to wait a few more months?

GAR: It gave me time to get better. The Olympics and my amateur career, most definitely, I had an amateur mindset. It was more so points and not getting hit. But now, going into the professional ranks, it's more preciseness and inflicting more pain. It's like chess, you gotta make the necessary moves to get the game over fast. That's the difference from amateurs to the professionals. In the pros, you have more high-intensity and it's more about being precise because you can be in there with a veteran. These veterans are in there trying to make you do stuff just so they can knock your head clean off. In the amateurs and Olympics, you got the point system. You gotta fight at a high tempo...ahah ahaha! You just trying to get off and get points and try to score. It's a big difference. Like I said, it was unfortunate for me I went through that experience. I wouldn't change anything...no, I would, I'm lying. I most definitely would (laughing). They stuck me up. But it was a learning experience and it was an experience that I enjoyed because it was a journey. The longest journey is within your first step and I haven't even made contact with earth yet off of my first step. We just gonna keep it pushing.

PC: Things are different at this level, like you mentioned. Do you feel you are smoothly transitioning into a pro and doing the type of things you need to do to become as successful in the pros as you were in the amateurs?

GAR: I'm transitioning very well. I want to thank my coach and my brother. What you see in Jr., the WBC World Champion at 126 pounds, he is nothing but what my father created. My father is the painter and he is the canvas. He's just showing y'all the creativity level of my father. I say that because Jr. has been my mentor and my vision. You have some guys that just don't want to do it and he's been phenomenal at that; hand speed, punching power, preciseness, trickery. He's been everything, the whole nine. He's just a flawless fighter and he's pulled me in.

PC: You have been fortunate to have a world champion as a mentor and another brother, Antonio, who is undefeated in his own right, to guide you from amateur to pro.

GAR: It's like they say, past is history, tomorrow is a mystery, so we must live in the present. I hope it works out for me that way, but you never know; he might retire, move up in weight, you never know. Like you said though, I have been fortunate enough to experience that. I want to get my world title while my brother is still active and my brother Antonio, who had Knockout of the Year last year.

PC: Is it an exciting feeling for you, a nervous feeling, or a little bit of both to have you kick things off knowing your brothers are backstage feeding off of your performance?

GAR: It's business! And honestly, I look at it as family business (laughing). I don't wear any stress or anything of that nature. I just worry about sharpening my tools, so when I'm ready to go to battle, they do what they are supposed to do.

PC: Where are you starting your pro career off weight wise and do you feel that's where you will make your mark?

GAR: I'm debuting at 140 pounds. I got asked the question of who do I want to fight in the pros or take the belt from in the pros. I don't have anyone specially that I want to fight, but whoever has the belts, that's who I'll be coming for. I know what my destination is. So whoever is there when I meet them, we just going to have to meet head on. It's no grudges, no singling out of anyone; it's a business and I'm just here to do my job. I'm not going to let anyone stop me from supporting and feeding my family.

PC: I look forward to following the journey, good luck to you my man, and we will definitely speak afterwards. Is there anything else you want to add before I let you go?

GAR: Everybody please stay tuned and tune-in because it's going to be a show on May 20th; a good one. Y'all wouldn't want to miss it!



[ Follow Percy Crawford on Twitter @MrLouis1ana ]

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