Fight sites: Gary Russell Jr. at Hard Rock, Frankie Gomez at Fantasy Springs
Gary Russell Jr.’s punch connects against WBC featherweight champion Jhonny Gonzalez, left, during their title fight in Las Vegas on March 28.
Featherweight champion Gary Russell Jr. was originally aimed at defending his belt a week before Halloween in Southern California.
Conflicts prevented that, and officials confirmed to The Times on Monday that Russell (26-1, 15 knockouts) will fight Colombia’s Oscar Escandon (24-2, 16 KOs) in a World Boxing Council title bout Nov. 14 at Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas.
Showtime will televise the Premier Boxing Champions card.
Russell, who lost his shot at a vacant World Boxing Organization featherweight belt by unanimous decision to Vasyl Lomachenko in June 2014, rebounded to gain the WBC belt in March with a fourth-round technical knockout of Jhonny Gonzalez at StubHub Center in Carson.
The late-October scheduling void in the Southland was filled by Golden Boy Promotions’ Oct. 23 card at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, where the bouts will include unbeaten super-bantamweight Joseph Diaz (17-0, 10 knockouts) and unbeaten super-lightweight Frankie Gomez (18-0, 13 knockouts).
Diaz, a 2012 U.S. Olympian from South El Monte, will meet Ruben Tamayo (25-6-4) and East Los Angeles’ Gomez will fight Jorge Silva (21-9-2).
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