NEW YORK – Gary Antonio Russell didn’t even have 10 seconds to start executing his game plan the first time he met Emmanuel Rodriguez in the center of a boxing ring.

An accidental clash of heads ended that scheduled 12-round bantamweight bout almost as soon as it began 14 months ago in Carson, California. Rodriguez came away from that collision with a cut that prevented him from continuing.

The 29-year-old Russell is just as confident now that their rematch is near as he was when they fought the first time at Dignity Health Sports Park.

“My feelings are still the same,” Russell said during an open workout Wednesday at Gleason’s Gym in Brooklyn. “If anything, I’m looking to go in there and hurt him. Of course, this is a hurt man business and that’s what I’m looking to do. Afterwards, I’m gonna definitely pray for him, wish him well, take my hats off to him as a fighter, a good competitor. But the objective doesn’t change. We’re going in there to seek and destroy.”

Puerto Rico’s Rodriguez predicted that their fight won’t go the distance on the FOX Sports Pay-Per-View portion of the Deontay Wilder-Robert Helenius undercard Saturday night at Barclays Center in Brooklyn (9 p.m. ET; $74.99). Russell agreed, but the 2-1 favorite obviously envisions a different winner of their 12-round IBF bantamweight elimination match.

“It might not go the distance – not on his side, though,” Russell said. “Like I said, we in shape. We had a great camp, a wonderful camp. I’m not the one to bash-talk or anything like that. But like I said, I’m looking to go in there and seek and destroy, be mentally smart, [show] defensive discipline and get it done.”

Russell (19-0, 12 KOs, 1 NC), a southpaw from Capitol Heights, Maryland, admitted that Rodriguez (20-2, 13 KOs, 1 NC) has faced better opposition than him. The former IBF 118-pound champion’s experiences against IBF/WBA/WBC champ Naoya Inoue (23-0, 20 KOs), WBO champ Paul Butler (34-2, 15 KOs) and Australian contender Jason Moloney (24-2, 19 KOs) won’t matter, according to Russell, once Russell starts implementing his game plan.

“I believe he has been in with higher-quality opponents than me,” said Russell, who noted that Inoue knocked out Rodriguez in the second round of their title fight three years ago. “Does it take away from what I possess? No. Honestly, I think Inoue is the best opposition that he came across. And I’m gonna be the next in line, whether he know it or believe it.”

Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.