Olympian Gary Russell has an odd plan if he hits it big as a pro boxer

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RIO DE JANEIRO — Gary Antuanne Russell’s older brother, Gary Allen Russell Jr., already is a professional world champion who refers to his fighting family as a dynasty.

Russell Jr., a 2008 Olympian, has said Gary Antuanne has more natural gifts than any of the boxing brothers.

After defeating Thailand’s Wuttichai Masuk by split decision on Sunday, Gary Antuanne Russell explained what the family dynasty means to him.

It’s winning gold in these Olympics, turning pro, capturing multiple world titles and then … renovating and flipping houses?

“[I want] multiple titles and financial stability for my family, point blank,” he said. “And then I want to go into the renovating business and flip houses.”

He said he occasionally watches house-flipping shows on HGTV and DIY networks and said that despite the riches that could come with world titles in multiple weight classes as a pro, he wants to create his business to send a message to his future family.

He’s an all-about-business 20-year-old whose head isn’t swelled by his success or the potential – perhaps likelihood – of professional riches in the short-term future.

“At the end of the day, if you have an offspring, you want to teach them the ropes of life,” Russell said. “By me having extra activities other than just my kids living off my wealth, it’s good for the parent to teach them that.”

He has neither children, nor wealth and, most importantly at this point, an Olympic medal, yet. He came out fast and dominated the first round, mixing his attack up and down and putting Masuk on the defensive.

Suddenly, inexplicably, that somehow changed.

“I just wanted to test how much gas he had in his gas tank, change the tempo,” Russell said. “Honestly, I’m a big study on the body. I like studying my body. They say if you run 20 miles and then walk, you start sweating more. I guess that would be the same for your oxygen. I went high tempo [in the first] and then low tempo [in the second] to get him winded. In the third round, I turned it all the way up.”

He may have been setting something up, but he put himself in a dangerous place. He’d won the first round comfortably on all three cards. But he essentially gave away the second as Masuk swept the second rounds, turning the bout into a crap shoot in which Masuk had the momentum and everything rested on the outcome of the third round.

It baffled U.S. coach Billy Walsh, who couldn’t understand Russell’s strategy.

“I was nervous after the second round,” Walsh said. “I thought he started off very well. He did everything he was asked, and then he just shut off. Sometimes when you switch off, it’s very difficult to turn it back on again. In fairness to him, I thought he came back and clearly won the third round as well.”

Russell had a strong third round, doubling his jab, punishing Masuk with hard body shots and a straight left hand – “I knew I was [hurting him] because he was making noise and grabbing onto me,” Russell said – and regained the momentum he’d given away in the second.

Masuk, who visited the dressing room before the fight to wish Russell luck, winked at him when they were fighting on the inside.

Russell responded by raising his arms in a victory mode as Walsh, associate coach Kay Koroma and assistant coach Augie Sanchez pleaded with him to stop.

“They don’t like us as it is,” Walsh said. “We don’t want to give them an excuse that we’re showboating. Amateur boxing, the judges don’t like that.”

Russell pulled his arms down and fought the closing seconds of the match, eking out the win. Two judges gave him the third round and one favored Masuk, allowing him to advance to the quarterfinals on Tuesday, where he’ll face Fazliddin Gaibnazarov of Uzebekistan.

A win there and he’ll guarantee himself at least a bronze medal.

He’s clearly pleased with the two wins, but isn’t overly excited. It’s all part of the plan laid out by his father and his older brother, Gary Jr.

“He tells me I’m cut from a different cloth,” Gary Antuanne Russell said of Gary Jr. “Our blood in this business is royalty and you have to walk it and live it. I believe him.”

He’s got a long way to go before he fulfills those lofty goals, but so far, he’s done what he’s set out to do.

If he continues, maybe he’ll have enough money that he can rethink those plans to flip houses.