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.
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.
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