Russell Jr vs Diaz Odds – Saturday night sees WBC world featherweight champion Gary Russell Jr facing Joseph “Jojo” Diaz on Showtime Boxing. Russell Jr will be making the third defense of his WBC belt and a win over Diaz will help him make a case for top 10 status on today’s pound for pound list.
Time passes and things change. In June of 2014, Russell Jr experienced the only loss of his career at the hands of Vasyl Lomachenko. At the time, the loss was a black mark because Lomachenko was 1-1 as a professional at the time. Since then however, Lomachenko has been perfect, winning world championships in three weight classes and quickly climbing to the top of current pound for pound lists. Russell Jr’s loss by majority decision doesn’t look so bad now.
Inactivity is responsible for holding Russell Jr back. From 2015-2017 Russell Jr has logged just one fight a year and that is simply not enough work. Here he is looking for a showcase win against an undefeated up and comer.
Russell Jr vs Diaz Odds
Diaz is a tough customer. The 25 year old has been brought along by Oscar De La Hoya and his Golden Boy Promotions and he has always been the “A” side of his fights. One of the major factors in this one may be how Diaz adjusts to the change. This fight will be fought under the Premier Boxing Champions banner. What that could mean to the judges who will likely be seeing Diaz for the first time remains to be seen.
Diaz is going to be slower than Russell Jr and at this level of boxing, speed kills. Diaz has been taken care of in terms of competition and he has blossomed into a talented and exciting fighter. One thing to like about Diaz is that he has recognized Russell Jr as one of the top guns in the weight class for a long time and he has wanted this fight.
But Russell Jr is unlikely to be looking past him. As well as speed and competition level, Russell Jr is also the higher skilled boxer of the two. Diaz is no slouch and like Russell Jr he is also a lefty so the two fighters will be feeling each other out in the early going. At the end of the day it should be Russell Jr who has separated himself as the superior fighter.
Showtime Boxing is featuring a WBC world champioship doubleheader, as they are also featuring the lightweight champion Adonis Stevenson’s title defense against Badou Jack. To see the GMS Odds review for Stevenson vs Jack, click here.
Promoter Tom Brown and his TGB Promotions have put together a seven fight boxing card at the glitzy MGM Grand in Oxon Hill, Maryland. The undercard sees Gary Antuanne (5-0) and Antonio Russell (10-0) both looking to continue following in their main event brother’s foot steps.
Below are the main event odds as we head into fight day. Check your sports books for the latest line and check your local listings for start times on Showtime.
Sat 5/19 – MGM National Harbor – Oxon Hill, Maryland – Showtime
Featherweight 12 rounds –
Joseph Diaz +230 o11½ -320
Gary Russell Jr -270 u11½ +260
Russell Jr vs Diaz Odds / Check out more boxing news and features at The Sweet Science.
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