Interview by Pattee Mak | March 14, 2014
Professional middleweight Russell “The Haitian Sensation” Lamour, Jr. (6-0-0, 3 KO’s) from Portland, Maine started his pro debut on November 10, 2012 at the age of 29 with a 1st round TKO victory against John Downey. Yes you may say he started his pro debut late in the boxing game but his amateur background isn’t too shabby. In 2013 Lamour fought 6 pro bouts and he was scheduled on the Big Six Entertainment card on Saturday, March 15, 2014 against Maceo Crowder (2-2-0, 1 KO) but that bout was canceled due to an injury on the part of Crowder.
Pattee Mak: Before I get into your entire active boxing career. I am sorry to hear about your bout being canceled. You were suppose to fight tomorrow, your weigh in’s would have been today. Are you a bit disappointed?
Lamour: Yes I am. I wanted to fight. I haven’t fought since November but things happen. I’m looking forward to the next scheduled fight.
Pattee Mak: Did you feel that fight would have been a walk in the park for you?
Lamour: No, not at all. Any fight that I have I don’t go in there with that mindset. It’s boxing and anything could happen.
Pattee Mak: Let me take you back to even before your first amateur fight. What brought you into the sport of boxing?
Lamour: My cousin, Lee Lamour introduced me to the sport. I never knew there was a boxing gym in Portland at all. I went to a couple of his matches. I always watched boxing and I liked the sport. I started training. I fell in love with it. My couch said I had natural abilities. I stuck with it ever since. I was 19 years old when I started.
Pattee Mak: In 2010, you made the semi-professional World Series of Boxing (WSB*) Los Angeles Matadors Team. Before you were a member of the Los Angeles Matadors, what was your amateur record?
Lamour: I had 76 wins and 14 losses.
Pattee Mak: During your amateur days what titles did you hold?
Lamour: In 2005 I was a silver medallist in the Ringside world championships. In 2009 I ranked #3 while I was a bronze medallist in the USA Boxing championships. I was an 8-time Regional Golden Gloves champ, 5-time New England Regional champion. I won the Region 1 USA tournament 2009 and 2010.
Pattee Mak: While you were in the WSB, you were ranked no. 1 as the American middleweight and no 4 in the world. Once you turned pro, were the expectations high from your friends and fans for you to live up to the same rankings?
Lamour: A lot of people think I’m going to go far and succeed. People that don’t really know boxing always ask me when I’m going to fight Mayweather. Of course I’m not in the same weight class but it’s funny. I’ve spent so much time and sacrificed so much. I am training hard everyday with my coach and still learning and trying to be the best that I can be and stay ready for any fight that may come up. After my days with the WSB, I was hopeful that someone was going to sign me and honestly, I don’t know why that didn’t happen. I have beatin some tough guys.
Pattee Mak: Are you looking to get signed by a promoter?
Lamour: Yes most definitely. My fights are action packed. I receive positive feedback from the crowd. As a matter of fact Pattee, you had seen me fight up in Lowell and you were impressed by my talents and I know I bring electricity to the crowd.
Pattee Mak: Tell me about your days in the WSB.
Lamour: It was a lot of hard work. We wake up 5:30 in the morning as a team. The coach picks us up in a big van, drive us to the beach or Griffith Park. We would run 5 miles and then once a week 10 miles at Griffith beach. We’d work at the boxing club 12:30 till around 4-5 just training. We lived in condos. They were all furnished and beautiful. It was like we were living like kings. We didn’t have to pay for anything. We were about 2 minutes from the beach.
Pattee Mak: If someone wanted to fight in the WSB, how does that happen?
Lamour: Someone contacted me who used to work for USA Boxing who was then working for the WSB and wanted some US fighters and he got the top guys, which I was one of them. They contacted my coach and they asked if I wanted to participate. I was informed that I would be getting paid while fighting with no headgear. At that time of the offer, I turned pro but I never fought and the few fights that I had all fell apart. He called my coach and mentioned the WSB and we agreed that I would do it. They hunted me out by contacting my coach. So unfortunately I can’t give you a direct answer but I’m sure someone could google the WSB or contact USA Boxing.
Pattee Mak: Out of all your amateur days, what experience captured you and will stay with you forever?
Lamour: Just me fighting in the USA Nationals. My goal was to try and make it to the Olympics.
Pattee Mak: You never went to the Olympics… Why not that route?
Lamour: For the 2008 Olympics I had expectations on going to the Olympics but unfortunately I lost by a point in the quarterfinals so my dreams of representing USA came to a screeching halt. When I tried out for the 2012 Olympics what had happened I had duel citizenship. So I was going to fight for Haiti. Before I could enter into the Olympics I had to go to Brazil for the qualifiers and they lost all my paperwork. I sent money to them to get all that stuff situated and I didn’t have the additional money to send them to do all my stuff all over again. It was so frustrating and that killed me right there. So I couldn’t represent Haiti. Things happen and I’m just trying to make the best of it.
Pattee Mak: What was your final amateur record?
Lamour: 101 wins and 18-19 losses I think, but don’t quote me.
Pattee Mak: Now your pro days, what was your toughest fight to date?
Lamour: I would say my third fight against Eddie Caminero up in Lowell last year.
Pattee Mak: Was it an easy transition for you from your amateur days to your pro debut?
Lamour: Yes. I think so. Yea it was kinda different. I think the WSB helped out a lot cause we were fighting with no headgear so I already knew what it felt like. I’m still learning every time I fight.
Pattee Mak: Is there anyone that you are looking for to fight or called out in the past?
Lamour: Nope. Every fight I get I just go in there to win and climb up the ranks.
Pattee Mak: You started your professional boxing career at the age of 29. Do you think you started too late?
Lamour: Ummm. I know a few people would say yes it is. I know my body. I don’t feel like I’m 31. Antonio Tarver [30-6-0] turned pro when he turned 29 and he became a champ.
Pattee Mak: Tell me about who’s training you, where you are training and if you currently have a manager.
Lamour: I’m training with Bobby Russo and we are training at the Portland Boxing Club in Maine and my manager is Brett Hollenbeck from Connecticut.
Pattee Mak: The Haitian Sensation. Who gave you that name?
Lamour: It was while I was in the WSB. One of the general managers said I needed a nickname so I can market myself. So he was like you need to come up with a nickname. At the time I didn’t have a nickname. He was asking me all sort of questions to come up with a nickname. He questioned family names. I was telling him how my family is from Haiti. He mentioned, “What about the Haitian Sensation?”. I was like “Hell No!”. Because at the time there was already a Haitian Sensation [Daniel Edouard]. He didn’t understand why I couldn’t just use it. He was like, “No, that is you right there” and it just stuck with me. I can remember chatting with Edouard on facebook and I basically asked him if it is it ok with him to use the same ring name. He said, “That’s you, own it. I’m done with boxing, go with it”. He basically gave me the ok to use it. He was the only Haitian Sensation I knew at that time and I didn’t want to take his name.
Pattee Mak: Thanks so much for taking the time to chat with me. I’m disappointed that you aren’t fighting on the 15th, but I’m sure I’ll see you in the square circle soon enough.
Lamour: Thank you also. For anyone who’s interested in knowing more about me, my fans can look me up on my website www.russellLamourjr.com or they can like my facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/Russell-The-Haitian-Sensation-Lamour-jr/114660975302129 . I also wanted to say thanks to everyone who supported me throughout my career. I’m looking to represent the United States and Haiti and make my fans proud. I never made it to the Olympics but I will show the world what I am all about.
* WSB – World Series of Boxing allows the top amateur boxers to compete in a pro-style format (no protective headgear and must be bare-chested) against international boxing teams while retaining their amateur status.
Follow Pattee Mak on Facebook or Twitter @Pattee Mak. Photo by Eagle Sports Photography.
As in September, I once again ran out of gas in the 10th & 11th championship rounds of October & November with this column, but I recovered to complete them and will unleash a few more flurries to close out the 12th and final round.
In the first week of October, Hassan N’Dam won a UD over Curtis Stevens in an eliminator for the right to challenge Jermaine Taylor who defeated aging Sam Soliman to regain the IBF Middleweight title. How Taylor even earned this title shot is another story altogether, but it is all irrelevant as he is now the champion. However he will not have too much time to savor his victory as he has assault and battery charges pending against him and an upcoming court fight that may turn out to be the toughest fight of his life, just when things started to look up for him in boxing, we wish him luck.
