Gary Russell Jr. vs Oscar Escandon Preview May 20th
The MGM National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Maryland is the site of the Gary Russell Jr. vs Oscar Escandon bout this Saturday, May 20th as Russell defends his WBC Featherweight Title for the second time. The 12-round bout can be seen live in the U.S. on Showtime. Russell won the crown in March of 2015 with a fourth-round stoppage of Jhonny Gonzalez and defended it against Patrick Hyland by second round stoppage in April of 2016. Escandon last fought in March of 2016 when he stopped Robinson Castellanos in the seventh round. This fight was supposed to have taken place in March, but Escandon suffered a back injury in training. Both fighters have been out of action for well over a year due to injuries.
Russell Jr. vs Escandon Betting Odds
Here are the betting odds from online sportsbook BetOnline.ag (full review here).
- Oscar Escandon +3000
- Gary Russell Jr. -10000
My Pick
The 28-year-old Russell of Capitol Heights, Maryland, is a southpaw and enters the bout with a fine record of 27-1 along with 16 Kos. His lone loss came at the hands of Vasyl Lomachenko of Ukraine in a title shot via a majority decision in June of 2014. Russell is well known for his power, speed, and combination punching and enters the bout with a knockout ratio of 57 per cent. He stands just over 5-feet-4-inches tall and has a 64-inch reach. He turned pro back in 2009 and has boxed 124 rounds since then.
Russell’s toughest pro tests so far have been against Lomachenko and Gonzalez in his title bouts with the rest of his opponents being relative unknowns. The is a tremendous athlete, but the majority of his bouts other than the Lomachenko and Gonzalez contests, have been boring for most fans because he’s been far too superior for his opponents. He’s hoping to one day get a rematch with Lomachenko, but will have to move up in weight to do so.
The 32-year-old Escandon of Ibague, Colombia enters the ring with a mark of 25-2 with 17 Kos to his name. He turned pro back in 2008 and has 141 rounds under his belt since then. Escandon gives up three inches in reach as he’s just over 5-foot-1. However, he has a two-inch reach advantage with his wingspan of 66 inches. His two losses have been against Moises Flores by 12-round split decision in 2015 and Nehomar Cermeno by 12-round split decision in 2013.
Escandon’s biggest wins have come against the likes of Castellanos, Tyson Cave and Jesus Cuellar. He has a pretty solid chin to go along with decent power, but doesn’t possess the same level of boxing skills as Russell. He does have a puncher’s chance though because it’s very unlikely he’ll be able to match Russell when it comes to speed and mobility. Still, the champion can’t afford to take him too lightly.
Prediction…
All signs point toward a successful Russell title defence on Saturday as long as he takes Escandon seriously. Escandon’s simply not as athletic as Russell and although he may go the distance, he won’t lift the title.
There’s a good reason the odds are so wide in this fight.
Play: Russell Jr. -10000 @ BetOnline.ag
Check out my recent boxing betting picks to see my current form
Gary Russell Jr. betting • Oscar Escandon beting