On the 21st (22nd Japan Time) at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, the WBA Super Lightweight World Title Match saw champion Gary Antuanne Russell (USA) defeat mandatory challenger Andy Hiraoka (Ohashi) via a 3-0 unanimous decision.
Challenging for a world title in his 25th professional bout, Hiraoka suffered his first career defeat and was unable to capture the belt. Russell successfully completed his first title defense.
平岡アンディ
The bout between the two southpaws began as a high-level chess match, dominated by a battle of right jabs, feints, and careful probing. Russell took the early lead, initiating an attack with body flurries in the 3rd and knocking Hiraoka off balance with a sharp right hand in the 5th.
Hiraoka found his rhythm in the 6th and mounted a serious comeback in the 7th, ignited by a piercing right to the body. He relentlessly targeted the champion’s midsection, drawing loud cheers from the Las Vegas crowd. He continued this momentum into the 9th, landing a crisp left to the body and a right uppercut.
However, the tide turned in the 10th round. Hiraoka was first warned for a low blow, and later in the same round, a right uppercut landed squarely on Russell‘s groin. The referee assessed a one-point deduction against Hiraoka. Combined with Russell‘s slight edge in activity during the round, it resulted in a 10-8 frame for the champion.
In the final two rounds, Hiraoka continued to trouble Russell with persistent body work, but the champion fired back enough to stay competitive until the final bell. While many expected a razor-thin decision, the official scorecards showed a surprisingly wide margin: 117-110 (twice) and 116-111, securing the first defense for Russell.
