Russell Signs With Manager, Will Fight as a Pro in January

Capitol Heights boxer Gary Russell Jr., whose collapse before his weigh-in at the Olympics cost him a chance to fight in Beijing, said he has signed with manager Al Hayman and is scheduled to fight for the first time as a professional on Jan. 17. A location and opponent have yet to be determined.

Russell, 20, who appeared too muscle-bound for his 119-pound weight class in Beijing, will move up to featherweight (126 pounds). "It's definitely not forgotten," Russell said of his Beijing experience. "People go through things in life and they have to deal with certain things that will motivate them. This was my thing."

Though some, including famed promoter Don King, speculated that Russell's collapse while trying to shed two pounds before the weigh-in might not help him land a professional contract, Russell and his father and trainer, Gary Russell Sr., said they had offers from several promoters and spent much of the fall sifting through them.

"It's been a completely different kind of training as far as the punch output," Gary Jr. said. "As an amateur you are trying to throw a whole lot of punches because everything is based on a punch count. Now we're more conservative with the punches we're throwing. I always thought I would be a better pro than amateur anyway."

Gary Sr. said he briefly considered having Gary Jr. remain an amateur so he could compete in the 2012 Games in London. Two of Russell's other sons, Allan and Antonio, are ranked among the top 13 in the world in their age and weight classes and could be contenders for the next Olympics.