Gary Russell follows in brother's footsteps to win U.S. Men's Olympic Trials title
If the name sounds familiar, it's because light welterweight boxer Gary Russell, of Capitol Heights, Md., happens to have the same name as his older brother, Gary Russell Jr., who came back from a first-round Olympic Trials loss in 2008 to make the U.S. Olympic team.
On Sunday, the younger Russell followed in his brother's footsteps, working his way back from the challengers bracket to avenge an earlier tournament loss to Jaron Ennis of Philadelphia.
Russell, 19, defeated Ennis by unanimous decision to win the 2016 U.S. Men's Boxing Olympic Trials title in his weight class. It was Russell's seventh fight in seven days during the competition in Reno, Nev, which ended Sunday.
"My brother and I talk every night, every second of every day," Russell said. "That's a unit: me, my brother, my father. We put our heads together to achieve these events and accomplish, conquer and execute. … You have to win back-to-back all the way up to the championship night, you can't lose anymore. I laid it all on the line. The job isn't done yet. I gotta keep pushing."
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Russell joined eight other Olympic hopefuls to win the Trials at their weight class and now must qualify internationally to secure a spot on the U.S. men's Olympic squad for the 2016 Rio Games.
Each of the titlists will have three international qualifying opportunities, beginning with a continental tournament in March in Buenos Aires, followed by a tournament for AIBA Pro Boxing and World Series of Boxing athletes, plus a last chance qualifier.
Only lightweight Carlos Balderas, who didn't compete in Reno, has secured a spot on the U.S. Olympic team for the 2016 Games. He did it through a series of victories in the World Series of Boxing.
Bantamweight champion Shakur Stevenson likes his chances.
"I think my chances of qualifying internationally are really good," Stevenson, 18, said after winning his weight division Saturday. "I've never lost overseas. This really is a dream come true."
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Stevenson has compiled a 17-0 record in junior and youth international competition, but has yet to fight in the elite division.
Stevenson, from Newark, N.J., avenged two 2015 losses to Ruben Villa by defeating Villa twice at the Olympic Trials, including a 3-0 win on Saturday. He also was named outstanding boxer of the Trials.
Three other boxers survived winner-take-all battles Sunday to join the titlists from the winners bracket who went undefeated through the trials Olympic Trials titles in their weight divisions.
Welterweight Paul Kroll of Philadelphia won his second consecutive bout against 2015 USA Boxing National Champion Ardreal Holmes of Flint, Mich., to clinch his Trials title. Antonio Vargas, Kissimmee, Fla., and Nico Hernandez of Wichita, Kan., also won Sunday to capture Trials titles.
Other Saturday winners bracket champions include middleweight Charles Conwell, of Cleveland Heights, Ohio, light heavyweight Jonathan Esquivel, Anaheim, Calif., heavyweight Cam F. Awesome, Lenexa, Kan., and super heavyweight Marlo Moore of San Lenadro, Calif.
Photo of Gary Russell, left, by Cathleen Allison, AP