Gary Russell Jr. vs. Patrick Hyland: Winner, Recap and Reaction

Clearly, Gary Russell Jr. was tired of waiting.

After a nearly 13-monthlong layoff from the ring, Russell (27-1, 16 KOs) scored an easy second-round technical-knockout win over Patrick Hyland at the Foxwoods Resort in Mashantucket, Connecticut, on Saturday night. It was Russell's first defense of his WBC world featherweight title after he won the belt with a fourth-round technical knockout over Jhonny Gonzalez in March 2015. 

Russell, who has dealt with hand injuries in the past, knocked Hyland (31-2, 15 KOs) down three times in the second round, with the decisive one coming via a powerful right hook that landed flush on Hyland's jaw. 

Showtime Sports shared a look at how the fight ended:

It was a brilliant first step for the ambitious Russell on his quest for world domination.

“I’m planning on taking every world title that someone has in my division,” he told Bleacher Report's Kevin McRae prior to the bout.

A cut that he suffered during training prevented Russell from mounting a title defense in November, per ESPN.com's Dan Rafael. The fight against Hyland was originally set to take place in March on a Keith Thurman undercard, but a minor car accident involving Thurman postponed the bout. 

Russell's highly regarded hand speed was apparent from the start. His jab slipped through Hyland's defense with incredible ease, and he had little trouble doubling and tripling up from there.

It must have been a bit mesmerizing, as Hyland hardly got a shot off in the first round, per SHO Stats: 

The second round was all Russell. He fired off rapid combinations that Hyland had little chance of blocking. The Irish challenger was out of his depth, and Russell scored his first knockdown with a right hook roughly 45 seconds into the round.

Hyland stepped back into the fray, but he was already overmatched in just about every department and now had to deal with a rattled skull. He stood no chance.

Russell's lightning-quick right hand dropped the 32-year-old twice more, and the referee rightfully called it a night on Hyland's third trip to the canvas.

Bad Left Hook noted Hyland shouldn't have been challenging for the title: 

UCN Live's Steve Kim praised Russell after the bout:

The only loss of Russell's career came against Vasyl Lomachenko in June 2014. Despite the fact that Lomachenko has moved up to the super featherweight division to take on Roman Martinez, Russell stated his willingness to chase him down, per Showtime Sports: 

Russell might be wise to put another couple of wins on his ledger before going after Lomachenko. The general quality of his competition has been underwhelming, including Hyland.

If he prioritizes unification over revenge, bouts against WBA world featherweight champion Leo Santa Cruz and IBF champion Lee Selby could be made.

Health permitting, Russell's hand speed and technical prowess, which he honed during a stellar amateur career, could make him the premier fighter at 126 pounds.