Tim Bradley has withdrawn his accusation that Gary Antuanne Russell ducked Shakur Stevenson after hearing Russell has another route to a similar payday. That changes the argument. Turning down an alleged $2 million offer looks different if another opponent brings comparable money.
Bradley still wants Russell to fight Shakur, but his original verdict ran ahead of the information he had. A fighter choosing between two lucrative options deserves more consideration than a duck label.
“Yeah, did I call him a duck? Yeah, I called him a duck,” Bradley said on his channel. “But from the looks of it, Gary Antuanne Russell, nah, this is a very strategic move by him at this moment. No, we can go ahead and take him off the duck list. He didn’t duck. Especially if you going to get paid $2 million.”
Bradley said he had heard Russell expects upwards of $2 million to face the winner of Alberto Puello against Dalton Smith. He also referenced an alleged $2 million Zuffa offer for a Shakur fight. Neither figure is established by the video beyond Bradley’s account.
His remaining objection is about the opportunity Russell is passing up. Bradley believes a defeat against Shakur would do less damage to Russell’s standing than losing to Smith or suffering another loss against Puello. The bigger name provides a bigger platform and, in Bradley’s view, a more forgivable defeat.
That argument sells Russell short. Russell’s reason to fight Shakur should be the chance to beat him, rather than reassurance that fans will excuse a loss. Bradley speaks as though the result is already settled while demanding the fight happen.
The stronger criticism concerns waiting. Bradley argues that pursuing the Puello–Smith winner potentially leaves Russell inactive until next year, extending the delay before fans see him in another significant fight.
A comparable payday gives Russell a reasonable business explanation. It does not make the wait more attractive to viewers. Bradley was right to correct the accusation, even if he still dislikes the choice.
