Tim Bradley Says Gary Antuanne Russell Turned Down Two Million
Tim Bradley says Gary Antuanne Russell walked away from a $2 million chance to fight Shakur Stevenson for the 140-pound title.
The former two-division champion posted the criticism after Stevenson called Russell out and Russell answered that the fight should happen later. Bradley treated that delay as a duck.
“When five hundred thousand is your biggest paycheck, okay, and you got an opportunity to make two million dollars to fight one of the best fighters on planet Earth, right?” Bradley said. “You can dethrone him, and this is for the one hundred and forty pound crown, and you turn it down.”
He did not soften the label. “You talking about duck.”
The $2 million figure is Bradley’s number. Dan Rafael has reported that Zuffa Boxing contacted Premier Boxing Champions about Russell, but the public reporting did not include a confirmed purse. Bradley is presenting the offer as fact. That distinction matters.
Russell is the WBA super lightweight champion at 19-1 with 17 knockouts. He won the belt from José Valenzuela in March 2025 and kept it with a unanimous decision over Andy Hiraoka on February 21 at T-Mobile Arena.
Stevenson is 25-0 with 11 knockouts. He became a four-division champion on January 31 when he took the WBO and Ring junior welterweight titles from Teofimo Lopez at Madison Square Garden. He has since signed with Zuffa Boxing and has been hunting a first defense at 140.
Those belts sitting in the same division is why the pairing keeps coming back. Russell said earlier this year that a Stevenson fight “would go viral.” Stevenson has said Russell is one of the toughest men he has sparred and could give him one of his hardest nights.
The timing is the argument now. Russell has said he wants both men to collect more wins first and fight “on the back end.” After Stevenson’s latest callout, Russell put out a video saying the camps still want the fight down the line.
Bradley heard that as stalling.
“These fighters, I don’t know what the hell is up with these fighters today, man,” he said. “These managers is tripping today. These fighters are tripping straight soft as hell.”
He named Russell directly. “Ain’t nothing but talk.”
Then he asked the question that sits under every delayed unification. “How you know you gonna be here down the line, bro? How you know you not gonna get a L again? How you know you gonna be in that position, bro? Please explain.”
That last part is the sharpest cut. Russell’s only loss is a split decision to Alberto Puello in 2024. He has gone 12 rounds in both of his world title fights. Waiting only works if both champions stay unbeaten and both belts stay on them.
Stevenson has other names in play, including talk of Devin Haney at a catchweight. Russell has been linked to a possible WBA mandatory. Neither man is required to wait on the other.
A 140-pound unification between a 25-0 technician and a 17-knockout southpaw champion is still one of the cleaner fights the division can make. Bradley’s point is that the money and the belts are already on the table, at least as he understands the offer.
Russell’s point is that the same fight might be bigger later. That only holds if both men keep winning and the public still wants it when they finally sign.
Until a contract is announced, the record is this. Stevenson called the name. Russell said later. Bradley called it a duck and put a $2 million price on the chance Russell did not take.
