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Current WBA junior welterweight titleholder Gary Russell will put his belt on the line as he welcomes the challenge of undefeated Japanese contender Andy Hiraoka on Feb. 21 inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
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As the defending champion, Russell heads into the title showdown as the betting favorite with -330 boxing odds; meanwhile, the Japanese challenger is going to be the betting underdog despite the perfect record with +275 odds. A draw result has odds of +1600.
Gary Russell vs. Andy Hiraoka Fight Odds
Gary Russell: -330
Andy Hiraoka: +275
Tie: +1600
Gary Russell vs. Andy Hiraoka: Tale of the Tape
Gary Russell Andy Hiraoka
Age 29 29
Height 5’10” 5’11½”
Record 18-1 24-0
Reach 69 inches 74 inches
Stance Southpaw Southpaw
TKO/KO Percentage 94% 79%
Gary Russell vs. Andy Hiraoka: Prediction
My prediction is a unanimous decision win for Russell over Hiraoka because he’s the more aggressive fighter, efficiently pressing his opponents and cutting off their angles before throwing his lethal combination.
Also, Russell breaks down his opponents with an immense volume of punches, and I’m not sure how Hiraoka will deal with that type of approach since he’s more of a calculated counterpuncher. The challenger’s best route to victory is to time a solid uppercut and capitalize on the wide guard of Russell.
Unless Hiraoka lands an early, solid clean punch that will rock the defending champion, I don’t see him having an answer to the production of Russell. Furthermore, Russell has more experience in world title fights.
Gary Russell’s Recent Fight Results
Russell is the reigning WBA junior welterweight champion. In his last five fights, he lost only once to Alberto Puello but beat Viktor Postol, Rances Barthelemy, Kent Cruz, and Jose Valenzuela.
Andy Hiraoka’s Recent Fight Results
Hiraoka is an undefeated regional and national boxing champion from Japan. His last five victories were against Shun Akaiwa, Alvin Lagumby, Min Ho Jung, Sebastian Diaz Maldonado, and Ismael Barroso.
Gary Russell vs. Andy Hiraoka: Start Time
Feb. 21, 7 p.m. E.T.
Feb. 21, 6 p.m. C.T.
Feb. 21, 5 p.m. M.T.
Feb. 21, 4 p.m. P.T.
Hiraoka carries some physical advantages. Standing 5 feet 11 inches (182 cm), he’s an inch taller than Russell, and his 74-inch (188 cm) wingspan exceeds the American’s 70-inch (178 cm) reach.
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Russell weighed 138.3 pounds in his last fight against Jose Valenzuela, while Hiraoka tipped the scales 1.5 pounds heavier against Ismael Barroso in September 2024. If the fight goes the distance, Hiraoka’s size and reach could become key factors.
Gary Antuanne Russell vs. Andy Hiraoka: Style breakdown and fight prediction
Fans were disappointed when the November fight fell through, but excitement returned when the bout was rescheduled. Both are southpaw power punchers who rarely back down once the action starts. fvf
.
.
➡️➡️START WATCHING HERE NOW ➡️➡️(PPV PASS ONLY $14.99)
.
.
➡️➡️START WATCHING HERE NOW ➡️➡️(PPV PASS ONLY $14.99)
.
.
As the defending champion, Russell heads into the title showdown as the betting favorite with -330 boxing odds; meanwhile, the Japanese challenger is going to be the betting underdog despite the perfect record with +275 odds. A draw result has odds of +1600.
Gary Russell vs. Andy Hiraoka Fight Odds
Gary Russell: -330
Andy Hiraoka: +275
Tie: +1600
Gary Russell vs. Andy Hiraoka: Tale of the Tape
Gary Russell Andy Hiraoka
Age 29 29
Height 5’10” 5’11½”
Record 18-1 24-0
Reach 69 inches 74 inches
Stance Southpaw Southpaw
TKO/KO Percentage 94% 79%
Gary Russell vs. Andy Hiraoka: Prediction
My prediction is a unanimous decision win for Russell over Hiraoka because he’s the more aggressive fighter, efficiently pressing his opponents and cutting off their angles before throwing his lethal combination.
Also, Russell breaks down his opponents with an immense volume of punches, and I’m not sure how Hiraoka will deal with that type of approach since he’s more of a calculated counterpuncher. The challenger’s best route to victory is to time a solid uppercut and capitalize on the wide guard of Russell.
Unless Hiraoka lands an early, solid clean punch that will rock the defending champion, I don’t see him having an answer to the production of Russell. Furthermore, Russell has more experience in world title fights.
Gary Russell’s Recent Fight Results
Russell is the reigning WBA junior welterweight champion. In his last five fights, he lost only once to Alberto Puello but beat Viktor Postol, Rances Barthelemy, Kent Cruz, and Jose Valenzuela.
Andy Hiraoka’s Recent Fight Results
Hiraoka is an undefeated regional and national boxing champion from Japan. His last five victories were against Shun Akaiwa, Alvin Lagumby, Min Ho Jung, Sebastian Diaz Maldonado, and Ismael Barroso.
Gary Russell vs. Andy Hiraoka: Start Time
Feb. 21, 7 p.m. E.T.
Feb. 21, 6 p.m. C.T.
Feb. 21, 5 p.m. M.T.
Feb. 21, 4 p.m. P.T.
Hiraoka carries some physical advantages. Standing 5 feet 11 inches (182 cm), he’s an inch taller than Russell, and his 74-inch (188 cm) wingspan exceeds the American’s 70-inch (178 cm) reach.
ADVERTISEMENT
Russell weighed 138.3 pounds in his last fight against Jose Valenzuela, while Hiraoka tipped the scales 1.5 pounds heavier against Ismael Barroso in September 2024. If the fight goes the distance, Hiraoka’s size and reach could become key factors.
Gary Antuanne Russell vs. Andy Hiraoka: Style breakdown and fight prediction
Fans were disappointed when the November fight fell through, but excitement returned when the bout was rescheduled. Both are southpaw power punchers who rarely back down once the action starts. fvf