Russell out of April 21 fight

Dan Rafael of espn.com is reporting that hot Featherweight prospect Gary Russell has been forced to withdraw from next Saturday’s Showtime televised fight due to an ankle injury.

“It was a misstep in the ring when he was training,” Said Golden Boy Promotions Richard. “Nothing is broken. It’s a sprain, but he can’t train and he can’t fight. It’s nothing that serious but nevertheless the doctor said he shouldn’t put any weight on it for the next two to three weeks and that he needs to let it rest. The good news is nothing is broken.”

“He really wanted to fight,” Schaefer said. “It was a Showtime card, good exposure. He tried to find a way to get it better but obviously that was not the case.”

Russell (19-0, 11 KOs) had been scheduled to face Dat Nguyen (17-2, 6 KOs) but Nguyen dropped out of the bout recently because of what Golden Boy Promotions termed “managerial issues.” Golden Boy had been looking for a new opponent for Russell to face

Schaefer said Russell, who also has nursed hand injuries, will return on June 30 on a Showtime card that Golden Boy is planning to take place in Washington, D.C., Russell’s hometown. It would be Russell’s first professional bout in his hometown.