Hugh Russell (born December 15 1959 in Belfast, Northern Ireland) is a former
IrishThe Irish people are a Western European ethnic group who originate in Ireland, in north western Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolgs, Tuatha Dé Danann and the Milesians The Irish...
boxerBoxing is a combat sport where two participants, generally of similar weight, fight each other with their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee and is typically engaged in during a series of one to three-minute intervals called rounds. There are three ways to win...
. Russell won a
Flyweight bronze medalThis is the complete list of Olympic medalists in boxing from 1904 to 2008.-Light flyweight:*1968 - : up to 48 kg.-Flyweight:*1904: up to 105 lb *1920-1936: up to 112 lb *1948-1964: up to 51 kg...
at the
1980 Summer OlympicsThe 1980 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Moscow in the Soviet Union. In addition, the yachting events were held in Tallinn, and some of the preliminary matches and the quarter-finals of the football tournament...
. Two years earlier, Russell also won a bronze medal, this time representing
Northern IrelandNorthern Ireland is a part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and it is situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland. It shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
at the
1978 Commonwealth GamesThe 1978 Commonwealth Games were held in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada from 3 August-12 1978. They were boycotted by Nigeria, in protest at New Zealand's sporting contacts with apartheid-era South Africa...
in
EdmontonEdmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta. The city is located on the North Saskatchewan River in the central region of the province, an area with some of the most fertile farmland on the prairies...
.
- Defeated Samir Khiniab (Iraq) 5-0
- Defeated Emmanuel Mlundwa (Tanzania) 5-0
- Defeated Yo Ryon-Sik (North Korea) 3-2
- Lost to Peter Lessov (Bulgaria) 0-5
Known as "Little Red", Russell turned pro in 1981 and won two British titles in Bantamweight and Flyweight.
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Hugh Russell (born December 15 1959 in Belfast, Northern Ireland) is a former
IrishThe Irish people are a Western European ethnic group who originate in Ireland, in north western Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolgs, Tuatha Dé Danann and the Milesians The Irish...
boxerBoxing is a combat sport where two participants, generally of similar weight, fight each other with their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee and is typically engaged in during a series of one to three-minute intervals called rounds. There are three ways to win...
. Russell won a
Flyweight bronze medalThis is the complete list of Olympic medalists in boxing from 1904 to 2008.-Light flyweight:*1968 - : up to 48 kg.-Flyweight:*1904: up to 105 lb *1920-1936: up to 112 lb *1948-1964: up to 51 kg...
at the
1980 Summer OlympicsThe 1980 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Moscow in the Soviet Union. In addition, the yachting events were held in Tallinn, and some of the preliminary matches and the quarter-finals of the football tournament...
. Two years earlier, Russell also won a bronze medal, this time representing
Northern IrelandNorthern Ireland is a part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and it is situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland. It shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
at the
1978 Commonwealth GamesThe 1978 Commonwealth Games were held in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada from 3 August-12 1978. They were boycotted by Nigeria, in protest at New Zealand's sporting contacts with apartheid-era South Africa...
in
EdmontonEdmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta. The city is located on the North Saskatchewan River in the central region of the province, an area with some of the most fertile farmland on the prairies...
.
Olympic results
- Defeated Samir Khiniab (Iraq) 5-0
- Defeated Emmanuel Mlundwa (Tanzania) 5-0
- Defeated Yo Ryon-Sik (North Korea) 3-2
- Lost to Peter Lessov (Bulgaria) 0-5
Professional career
Known as "Little Red", Russell turned pro in 1981 and won two British titles in Bantamweight and Flyweight. He was the first boxer to win a British title at both divisions in that order.
In October 1982 he defeated Davy Larmour at the Ulster Hall to win the Irish Bantamweight title. The fight was also a final eliminator for the British Bantamweight title.
An iconic image of Russell reaching through the ropes to kiss his mother, Eileen, after winning the fight, appears in photographer Brendan Murphy's book
Eyewitness.
In January 1983, he fought in the last 15 round British title fight against reigning Bantamweight champion John Feeney. The fight was stopped in the 13th round when the referee disqualified Feeney.
Russell retired in 1985 as undefeated British flyweight champion after securing the
Lonsdale BeltThe Lonsdale Belt was a boxing prize introduced by Hugh Lowther, 5th Earl of Lonsdale, to be awarded to British boxing champions. It is still awarded to British champions today.-National Sporting Club:...
.
See also