Gary Russell Jr. seemingly made peace with his career being truncated. So did his fans.

On Jan. 22, 2022, a horrific shoulder injury occurred at the worst time. Despite having to fight Mark Magsayo with one arm, he came close to winning.

That majority-decision loss, along with his shoulder issue, seemed to be the nail in his coffin. Russell was still spotted around. He’d make a few appearances here and there and was firmly in his brother’s corner for each of his fights, but when broached with questions on his own career his replies never appeared promising.

Out of nowhere, Russell was thrown on the Manny Pacquiao vs. Mario Barrios card this past weekend in Las Vegas, Nevada, against Hugo Castaneda.

Russell (32-2, 19 KOs) didn’t look like he hadn’t thrown a punch in nearly five years. He dominated, dropping Castaneda several times in the lightweight bout before stopping him in the 10th. Now that he’s shown that he still has plenty left in the tank, Russell wants to call the shots.

“At this point, I want Lamont Roach,” Russell told several reporters on Saturday night. “I want Lamont Roach.”

Roach is in no-man’s land.

After a majority-decision draw against Gervonta Davis on March 1, he’s been playing the waiting game. The 29-year-old thought an immediate rematch would take place Aug. 16. That won't happen.

Roach is still hoping for good news, but for now mum's the word.

Roach may need a new dance partner, but it’s unknown if he considers Russell worthy. As for the former 126-pound champ, he knows that he isn’t the youngest fighter out there anymore. What helps, however, is that Castaneda was a bit on the durable side.

“I’m happy that I was able to get some rounds in.”