American featherweight prospect Gary Russell Jr makes his HBO debut on Saturday night against Leonilo Miranda, the co-feature to the Jan Zaveck vs Andre Berto main event from the Beau Rivage Casino in Biloxi, Miss.

Russell (17-0, 10 KO) was recently dismissed by Top Rank's Bob Arum as just "another Al Haymon creation," despite the fact that Arum admitted to having never seen Russell. Since I've actually seen him fight, I can honestly state that I think I'm a better judge of boxing talent in this instance than Bob Arum is. Take that, ya millionaire!

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Russell, 23, was born in Washington, D.C., and now fights out of Capitol Heights, Md., trained by his father, the senior Gary Russell. He was a two-time national champion, the 2005 bronze medalist at the World Amateur Championships, and one of the few serious U.S. hopes for gold in Beijing at the 2008 Olympics, but had to pull out of the competition after having trouble making the 119-pound limit for his division, as he basically just grew out of the weight class at the worst time. He turned professional on January 16, 2009.

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Showtime will have back-to-back prospect showcases on ShoBox: The New Generation this Friday and Saturday, and the most hyped prospect of all those featured main events the first night. Here's a look at cruiserweight prospect Lateef "Power" Kayode:

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Kayode, 28, was born in Nigeria and now fights out of Freddie Roach's Wild Card stable in Hollywood. He's got an impressive look about him, at a ripped 6'2" that has only gone slightly over the cruiserweight limit of 200 lbs in his pro career. Like many with his background, Kayode learned to box and it helped him escape a rough street life, and eventually became a solid amateur, winning gold medals in amateur competitions in Ghana, Morocco and Algeria. As a pro, he is 16-0 with 14 stoppage wins.

Pros

He's got real power, so the nickname is no jive. And he punches nicely to the body, too, targeting it and wearing out opponents. The biggest pro for Kayode is his training -- led by Freddie Roach, he has gone from puncher to puncher with some skills, if not yet quite a "boxer-puncher." Roach is the ace in the hole who has in the past taken raw physical prospects and turned them into fighting machines.

Cons

He is still very raw, and his overall skillset is improving but still limited. Though he's had some solid wins for his level, he struggled a bit last time out against Nicholas Iannuzzi. Friday's opponent is Matt Godfrey (20-2, 10 KO) who himself has limitations, but can box a little, and is a good test for Kayode right now.

YouTube Links

vs Chris Thomas (2010-03-27) - Part 1 / Part 2
vs Nicholas Iannuzzi (2011-02-04) - Full Fight

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Diego Magdaleno (19-0, 7 KO) is a 24-year-old Mexican-American fighter based in Las Vegas. The 5'6" southpaw has a powerful build and a 67" reach. A Top Rank prospect, Magdaleno is starting to get a TV push.

Pros

Magdaleno used to be criticized for lacking knockout power, or not finishing off opponents despite his intimidating physical build. But in his last four fights, Magdaleno has been demolishing opponents with power and precision. He also appears to have the body to move up at least two more divisions, so growing out of the 130-pound ranks probably won't be all that big of a deal. His ability to box smart also probably became a bit underrated while many focused on his supposed lack of power.

Cons

The cons for Magdaleno have fallen by the wayside. That's not to say he's a perfect prospect, but it will take better opposition than what he's faced to really get a read on his weaknesses. Right now, he can pretty easily physically overwhelm opponents, especially with his newfound aggression.

YouTube Links

vs Derrick Campos (2010-11-06) - Full Fight
vs Gilberto Sanchez Leon (2011-05-06) - Full Fight

Other Super Featherweight Prospects

Puerto Rico's Luis Cruz (18-0, 14 KO) had some difficulty getting by Martin Honorio in April, and many felt he would have lost the fight had it not been on his home turf. Aussie Will Tomlinson (17-0-1, 12 KO) has been picking up regional trinkets down under. 22-year-old Cleveland native Yaundale "Money Shot" Evans (14-0, 10 KO) recently went on the Roy Jones Jr tour bus to Russia, too. He's faced very light competition so far. Mexican prospect Dante Jardon (16-1, 14 KO) makes for excitement. UK southpaw Liam Walsh (11-0, 8 KO) is starting to make a name for himself, as he captured the Commonwealth title late last year.

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23-year-old Filipino Mercito Gesta (21-0-1, 11 KO) turned pro in 2003 as a flyweight. Really, he might not be at lightweight anymore, as his last couple of fights have been at or near the junior welterweight limit, but the lightweight division is short on quality prospects, and I'd rather talk about Gesta than the rest of the field. The young southpaw (5'7", 68" reach) just signed a four-year contract with Top Rank.

Pros

Like Manny Pacquiao, who also started young and very light, Gesta has put on weight and carries a lot of it in abnormally thick legs for a boxer. But he also has a thicker upper body than Pacquiao. The kid's built like a tank, and lately it's definitely showing in his performances. His KO rate doesn't sell his power and improving technique.

Cons

Spotty defensively, and can get really flat-footed. Doesn't have the best speed of hand or foot, and the Pacquiao comparisons end mostly at the fact that they're both: 1) Filipino, 2) left-handed, 3) tree trunk-legged.

YouTube Links

vs Oscar Meza (2010-06-04) - Part 1 and Part 2
vs Ivan Valle (2010-10-22) - Full Fight

Other Lightweight Prospects

Ugandan-born Sharif Bogere (20-0, 12 KO) has one of the most elaborate entrances in all of boxing, and showed some serious grit in a recent bloody, dirty win over Raymundo Beltran. Bogere had troubles in that fight, and it was close in the end, but I think it showed that he can handle a tough fight. That's always a good test for a prospect to pass.

Albuquerque's Archie Ray Marquez (12-0, 8 KO) is one of the better prospects in the division. That says some things, and in my opinion, not good things. New Jersey's Michael Perez (13-0-1, 7 KO) recently tore through a non-game Ira Terry. 20-year-old Hylon Williams Jr (14-0, 3 KO) can box, but can't punch at all.

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19-year-old Arizona native Jose Benavidez Jr (11-0, 10 KO) might be the best American prospect in all of boxing. He was signed to a big contract by Top Rank after a tremendous amateur career, going 120-5 and winning the National Golden Gloves at just 16 years of age. The 5'11" junior welterweight turned pro four months shy of his 18th birthday, and trained under Freddie Roach for a while, getting in sparring with the likes of Manny Pacquiao, Amir Khan and Timothy Bradley, among others.

Pros

Offensively, Benavidez is a prodigious talent who mixes up his punches like a fighter well beyond his teenage years. He's scored just about every type of knockout you can already, and has shown a great love of tearing up opponents to the body.

Cons

It's still very early to tell overall, of course. But he's shown some defensive holes that definitely need some work, as just about any fighter his age does. It will likely be a while before we see him seriously tested.

YouTube Links

Top Rank Bio
vs Josh Beeman (2010-06-26) - Full Fight

Other Junior Welterweight Prospects

Benavidez's amateur rival Frankie Gomez (9-0, 7 KO) is just about as good a prospect. Also 19, Gomez beat Benavidez in the USA Boxing National Championship. [Video]

Japan's Yoshihiro Kamegai (17-0, 15 KO) is someone to watch. Since he knows better than I do, here's what our Japanese boxing expert Sidney Boquiren said in January about Kamegai:

Kamegai is wonderfully talented but needs bigger tests. The Alfaro fight was a good step up in competition and the Teiken fighter showed a good chin in hanging with a former titleholder. That was my biggest concern about the guy – he has nice offensive skills (though I would not invest too much in that high KO percentage) and is touted to have excellent footwork in his defense (which I have not seen in his recent fights). The chin was a question mark, but I still wonder how he’ll do against a fresher, more active opponent.

Unless Akihiko Honda and company want to start importing opponents or sending their charge abroad, I think we won’t see how good this guy can really be for a while.

22-year-old Jessie Vargas (15-0, 8 KO) is tough to get a read on, but bears mentioning. 18-year-old Filipino Jason Pagara (26-1, 15 KO) is a promising youngster who turned pro at 14. Quebecois prospect Pier Olivier Cote (16-0, 11 KO) looked nasty on the Pacquiao vs Mosley undercard and at 26 could be in the game soon. Vernon Paris (24-0, 14 KO) does some old school tricks that almost nobody does anymore and has talent, but personal inconsistencies are a concern. He's failed three drug tests during his career and was the target of an attempted murder in 2006, and now fights with bullets lodged in his back and thigh.

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Nigerian welterweight prospect Wale Omotoso may not be the most well-known prospect in the world, but he's got the game to back up a standing as top welterweight prospect out there today. Omotoso (18-0, 16 KO) lives in and fights out of Australia as a professional, and turned 26 this month. He's a right-hander, standing 5'10½" with a 67½" reach, and has won the Australian and OPBF titles at 147 pounds, and is currently defending an IBF regional trinket. He claims an amateur record of 47-1, and says the great Nigerian champion Dick Tiger is his idol.

Pros

He's got a mental toughness that comes from a very, very rough background in Lagos, where he was a gang member, it seems, out of necessity more than choice. In the ring, he's a very cool customer, doesn't get rattled, moves around well, has good speed, can punch, and works behind his jab very well. He dominated both Sam Colomban and a faded but still annoying Emanuel Augustus.

Cons

Competition isn't all that stiff in Australia for him anymore, and he could use a change of scenery if he's going to become a serious contender. He wants a shot at Jan Zaveck's IBF title, but doesn't appear to be quite on the radar just yet. Physically, his reach is a bit short for a welterweight despite good height.

YouTube Links

vs Samuel Colomban (2008-08-22) - Full Fight
vs Emanuel Augustus (2009-08-21) - Full Fight

Other Welterweight Prospects

Akron's Shawn Porter (18-0, 13 KO) has brought himself down from 154 and is giving hints that he's headed all the way to 140, but he's at 147 for now. He's been a sparring partner for Manny Pacquiao, preparing the Filipino champ for both Miguel Cotto and Shane Mosley. I like him a lot, though some are a bit cautious about his prospects. Porter's Ohio rival Willie Nelson (16-1-1, 10 KO) is 6'3", but is basically tall and nothing else. His flaws were seriously exposed last time out by Vincent Arroyo (11-1, 7 KO).

Golden Boy's Keith Thurman (15-0, 14 KO) is a good-looking prospect in most respects, but he doesn't fight enough. Currently, he's been off since November, and he fought just three times last year. The best American prospect out there might be 28-year-old Brad Solomon (17-0, 7 KO), who learned to box in a Louisiana penitentiary. He's not my favorite, but his style has led to some easy wins over decent fighters.

The UK has some very nice prospects in the division. Chief among them at the moment is Kell Brook (23-0, 16 KO), who is already among the best fighters in the shallow division. He has recently left Frank Warren for Matchroom, a move he hopes will get him bigger and better fights, as he had stalled under Warren's care. There's also Frankie Gavin (10-0, 8 KO), who is a great prospect in terms of talent, but looks like he still belongs at 140, and was lethargic in his last fight. Commonwealth champ Denton Vassell (17-0, 9 KO) is probably the best prospect under the Hatton Promotions banner. And Lee Purdy (15-2-1, 8 KO) recently captured the British title from Craig Watson. The two will rematch on July 16, and Purdy might well be a gritty one-hit wonder more than anything.

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While it's cliché to go with the already very popular "Canelo" Alvarez of Mexico, I feel it's also important to remember that he's still just 20 years old, still really just a prospect, and still isn't a complete fighter. Alvarez (36-0-1, 26 KO) has been featured on major cards, has headlined on HBO, and is hugely popular in his home country. At 5'9" with a 71" reach, Alvarez is built wide, and while it may have been preferable for him to stay at welterweight longer, eventually they're going to have to face facts and stop saying he can fight at welterweight, when he's failing to make 150-pound catchweights. Kids at 20 don't go down in weight.

Pros

He's got power and he's highly entertaining, and has a natural charisma he doesn't have to force. Alvarez has controlled aggression offensively that seems to get more controlled as he faces tougher competition. While he basically trucked through Jose Miguel Cotto last year, and then eventually thrashed Carlos Baldomir, he's been smart and effective against Lovemore N'dou and Matthew Hatton in his last two. It's a good thing -- neither N'dou nor Hatton were making him do anything drastic, and he didn't take stupid risks just to impress. He has the ability to take stupid risks, though. That's also a good thing. He punches well in combination, closes in on wounded foes nicely, and never can be caught admiring his own work. His body work is very good when he zeroes in.

Cons

He's got huge holes defensively, isn't particularly quick with his hands, goes wide with his shots, and his footwork seems iffy to me at times. Though he's 20, more is expected of him -- and that's never good, frankly. The guys he's faced in recent bigger fights have been all very carefully selected. Sooner or later, people are going to expect him to fight serious competition. The next fight is not a hand-picked opponent (Ryan Rhodes), and could be trouble. We'll see how he handles a strong, fairly slick southpaw. It's a big test.

YouTube Links

vs Brian Camechis (2010-03-26) - Full Fight
vs Carlos Baldomir (2010-09-18) - Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 and Part 4
vs Matthew Hatton (2011-03-05) - Highlights

Other Junior Middleweight Prospects

Erislandy Lara (15-0-1, 10 KO) will have a chance in July to prove his worth against Paul Williams. Big, big fight for him. 25-year-old New Mexico southpaw Austin "No Doubt" Trout (22-0, 13 KO) beat Canelo's brother Rigoberto last time out for a weak title, then got caught up in the demise of of the bogus "Empire" boxing promotions. He's moving on with his career, and really deserves more exposure.

23-year-old Prince Arron (21-3-1, 4 KO) doesn't have a pretty record and seems punchless on paper, but the 6'3" Brit has made huge strides in the last couple of years, and recently claimed the British title with a terrific win over Sam Webb. He's learned to get more power out of his punches, and he's learned to fight with his height. He'd be somewhat out of left field, but don't be shocked if he winds up being a serious contender -- if he keeps improving.

Belarus' Sergey Rabchenko (17-0, 12 KO) was a big amateur star, but has done almost nothing professionally, and barely got past Bradley Pryce recently. Yudel Jhonson (10-0, 7 KO) has some thinking he's the top Cuban prospect at 154, and not Lara. Poor Vanes Martirosyan (29-0, 18 KO) is still basically a prospect, isn't he? It's not for his lack of desire to get good fights.

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Since he already holds a major title (the WBA's trinket), you could argue that Gennady Golovkin (20-0, 17 KO) is not a prospect anymore. And yes, I think he's already a top contender at 160, but that's more the lack of strong veteran depth in the division than anything. Make no mistake -- Golovkin is still a prospect in most respects. And he's a damn good one. That Kazakh fighter is currently without a full-time promoter, but isn't letting that stop him from fighting, either. He grew tired of Universum's nonsense and split with the firm, which was made official earlier this year. He's a 5'10" righty, former amateur star, and 29 years old.

Pros

Golovkin can fight. Ain't no joke. He can fight. If you don't take me seriously (and I can't blame you), maybe some accounts of his sparring escapades will help:

"Alfredo Angulo is a very strong, very competitive, prideful guy who has a great team behind him, but Golovkin is on another level," said [trainer Sam] Garcia, who says he watched three sparring sessions between the two over the course of one week. "His strength, his demeanor, his skill, everything he did in there was just too much for Angulo, which surprised the hell out of me."

[From Doug Fischer's notes] "His right hand is like a laser beam. It reminds me of Kostya Tszyu’s right. The way he holds his hands also reminds me of Tszyu. Come to think of it, Golovkin kind of looks of like Tszyu. He’s got the same muscle tone, Central Asian facial features and oil-black hair (sans the pigtail)."

As an amateur, Golovkin took silver at the 2004 Olympics, losing to Russia's Gaydarbek Gaydarbekov in the gold medal match. To get there, he beat eventual bronze medalist Andre Dirrell. He also won the gold at the 2003 World Championships in Bangkok, beating some very stiff competition, in this order: Matt Korobov, Andy Lee, Lucian Bute (KO-4), Yordanis Despaigne, and Oleg Mashkin. All but Mashkin have found at least some success as professionals. Golovkin is a good, strong all-around fighter with no glaring weaknesses, and any concern that he had "just a European style" have probably been thwarted by his famous sparring sessions with Angulo, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr, and now "Canelo" Alvarez.

Cons

The only con really is that he hasn't faced stiff competition professionally. He won the interim WBA title against a weak opponent, then claimed the full title against a weak opponent. It clearly hasn't been his preference, as he split from Universum in part because of their general insistence on avoiding tough fights for their clients. He's been dying to get a fight with Hassan N'dam N'jikam, but it hasn't happened. At 5'10", he's on the short end of middleweights, but he makes up for that by being good.

YouTube Links

vs Mikhail Makarov (2009-11-21) - Full Fight
vs Milton Nunez (2010-08-14) - Full Fight
vs Nilson Julio Tapia - Full Fight

Other Middleweight Prospects

The aforementioned Hassan N'dam N'jikam (26-0, 17 KO) is another serious prospect in a division that does have a lot of them, but he got a bit of a break last time out against Giovanni Lorenzo. Fernando Guerrero (21-0, 16 KO) is a BLH favorite and TV regular who seems to have stagnated at about the level he was at in 2009, to be honest. He's a good fighter, but doesn't look like he'll ever be more than that. Maksym Bursak (22-0-1, 8 KO) is a solid prospect from Ukraine, but not a future star.

I think it would be foolish to give up on Canadian puncher David Lemieux (25-1, 24 KO) just because he lost to a veteran fighter who fought exactly the right fight. Lemieux still has real skills and a big punch, and he's got the right backing to correct his young man's flaws. Top Rank's Matt Korobov (15-0, 9 KO) hit a wall a while back and has been protected to a huge degree. He once excited observers, but is now almost a forgotten man, hidden deep on off-TV undercards. I'm not quite as "forgiving" of Daniel Jacobs (22-1, 19 KO) as I am Lemieux -- Jacobs just seems to have some serious issues that are going to be very, very hard to correct. He'd be wise to emulate Victor Ortiz, another super-hyped Golden Boy prospect who lost to a relative unknown it turned out could really fight. Ortiz has recovered. Jacobs does have the skill, but does he have that will?

The good news for Julio Cesar Chavez Jr (42-0-1, 30 KO) is that he'll make a lot of money no matter what. Andy Lee (26-1, 19 KO) is kind of in the same boat -- he's got the Irish thing in his favor, plus he makes for exciting fights.