Gary Antonio Russell Dominates Victor Santillan

Gary Antonio Russell added another championship to his family’s considerable collection by comprehensively outpointing Victor Santillan and taking the WBA interim super-bantamweight title at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Russell dropped Santillan with a counter right hook early in the final round and won by scores of 119-108 from judges John McCarthy and Don Trella, with Max DeLuca returning 118-109. All three cards accurately reflected a contest in which Russell’s superior speed, accuracy and variety were evident almost throughout.

The 33-year-old southpaw from Capitol Heights, Maryland, improved his record to 22-1 with 13 stoppages. Santillan, who was defending the interim belt he had won earlier in the year, fell to 16-3. There was no dispute about the verdict and little reason for one. Russell doubled his opponent’s number of landed punches and completed the evening by producing its only knockdown.

Both fighters fought southpaw, which helped create an untidy start. Santillan advanced behind his right jab and attempted to force Russell backwards, while Russell used his quicker feet to adjust the distance before firing short combinations. The first three rounds were interrupted repeatedly by clinches, with referee Robert Hoyle becoming more involved than either man would have preferred.

Santillan complained about Russell holding and striking near the back of his head. Hoyle warned Russell before cautioning both fighters over their persistent wrestling. The referee stopped the action during the third to deliver another lecture and repeated the exercise in the fourth. By the interval between the sixth and seventh, he warned that point deductions would follow if the holding continued. None was eventually taken, though Hoyle certainly received plenty of practice with his stern expression.

Between those interruptions, Russell was landing the cleaner punches. His hands were considerably quicker and his straight left repeatedly split Santillan’s guard. When the Dominican attempted to close the distance, Russell either met him with short combinations or stepped inside to smother the reply.

Santillan had occasional success downstairs, particularly when he managed to keep one hand free during the close exchanges. Body punching was his most reliable route into the contest, but he could not maintain sufficient pressure to turn isolated successes into winning rounds.

Russell became more authoritative in the fourth, initiating exchanges rather than waiting for Santillan to advance. He used the right jab to create openings, then followed with straight left hands and hooks to the body. Santillan’s work rate began to decline during the fifth, and his increasingly wide punches allowed Russell to beat him to the target before moving away.

The sixth was Santillan’s most productive round statistically. He landed 16 punches and connected with several solid blows to the body. Russell remained composed, replying with quicker combinations and preventing the champion from building lasting momentum.

The technical difference widened during the second half. Russell began the seventh with a sharp combination and controlled the exchanges at both long and short range. Santillan continued advancing but was no longer doing so behind an effective jab, leaving him to follow rather than cut off the ring.

Russell’s hand speed proved increasingly decisive through the eighth and ninth. He landed straight punches before Santillan could set himself and then tied him up whenever the Dominican came close enough to work. It did not always make for gripping entertainment, but efficiency has never depended on applause.

The tenth was among Russell’s strongest rounds. He connected with 25 of 52 punches, including 17 power shots, while Santillan managed only eight. Russell was now able to plant his feet for longer combinations, striking the body before switching upstairs and leaving Santillan struggling to mount a meaningful response.

Santillan continued marching forward in the championship rounds, but determination could not disguise the widening gap. Russell landed stinging left hands during the 11th and entered the final session with the result already beyond reasonable doubt.

He nevertheless supplied a decisive final flourish. At the beginning of the 12th, Russell drew Santillan forward and delivered a counter right hook to the temple which dropped him heavily. Santillan rose, immediately sought the safety of a clinch and survived Russell’s attempts to finish the contest. The knockdown came from a counter right hook early in the final round.

The punch totals confirmed Russell’s dominance. He landed 233 of 665 blows, while Santillan connected with 107 of 593. Russell held advantages of 63-22 in jabs and 170-85 in power punches. He landed 44.3 per cent of his power shots compared with Santillan’s 29.7 per cent. CompuBox recorded Russell outlanding Santillan in all 12 rounds.

Russell is now the WBA’s interim champion beneath undisputed ruler Naoya Inoue. Should the Japanese star move up to featherweight, Russell could be elevated to full champion, one of those administrative miracles boxing excels at. He will nevertheless have earned his place near the front of the queue.

After losing a technical decision to Emmanuel Rodriguez in 2022 when an accidental clash of heads ended their rematch, Russell endured lengthy periods of inactivity. This performance demonstrated that his speed and ability remain intact. The contest itself was not always attractive, but Russell’s superiority was absolute.

Gary Antonio Russell won every meaningful part of this fight, and the wide scorecards were justified. Victor Santillan came forward but followed rather than cutting off the ring, seldom bringing his feet into position before punching.

Russell’s timing mattered more than his hand speed. He drew Santillan into range, landed the straight left and smothered the return. There was too much holding, however, and Russell was fortunate referee Robert Hoyle repeatedly warned him without deducting a point.

Santillan’s best work came to the body, but only in isolated bursts. The final-round knockdown summed everything up: Santillan stepped in without controlling the distance and Russell timed him with a sharp counter right hook.

Russell looked good, but beating Santillan remains a long way from troubling Naoya Inoue.