Gary Russell Sr, father and trainer of the fighting Russell brothers, dies at 63

Gary Russell Sr., father and trainer of former featherweight champion Gary Jr. and undefeated prospects Gary Antuanne and Gary Antonio, died yesterday at the age of 63.

Russell Sr. suffered a stroke in 2015 and Jake Donovan reports that he “battled Type 2 diabetes for years,” which resulted in his leg being amputated this past December.

Four of Russell’s six sons went into the Sweet Science under his tutelage and achieved some staggering results; all four won national Golden Gloves titles and two of them, Gary Jr. and Gary Antuanne, made the U.S. Olympic team. Gary Jr. remains among the most talented fighters in the sport despite narrowly losing his title to Mark Magsayo in January, while Gary Antuanne and Gary Antonio each boast top-five rankings in at least one sanctioning body apiece.

We at Bad Left Hook wish the Russell family the best in their time of mourning.