The fight was first reported by BoxingScene and spent months without a firm date before finally landing here. Russell hasn’t fought since his unanimous decision over Jose Valenzuela, a performance that lacked flash but showed control and discipline over twelve rounds.
On paper, the fit seems simple. Russell enters at 18 1 with 17 strikeouts. Hiraoka is unbeaten at 24 0 with 19 shutouts. Both are southpaws. Both are punchers. The WBA gets its mandatory defense, and the division keeps moving.
The difficulty is in finding out how real the challenger’s danger actually is.
Hiraoka has been a professional for over a decade, but his record offers very little clarity once you look beyond the knockout totals. His most recognizable win remains a stoppage of a faded Ismael Barroso, while another notable fight against Jin Sasaki four years ago is still the deepest he has taken. Those results show power, but not much else.
Hiraoka has had a smooth run so far, with early finishes and very few ever getting uncomfortable. Russell brings the opposite kind of fight, the kind that hangs around, keeps throwing and drags things to places you didn’t plan to visit. We haven’t seen Hiraoka pushed into that kind of work, where the power doesn’t clean things up and the night continues to stretch. If it gets past the early rounds, he’s going to quickly find out what kind of fight he’s actually signed up for.
This is where Russell becomes a difficult assignment. He does not rely on one moment or one shot. He stays close, keeps throwing, and is comfortable winning rounds even when nothing dramatic happens. His loss to Alberto Puello showed limits, but it also showed that he stays involved over twelve rounds. The title win over Valenzuela followed the same pattern. Russell built up a lead through steady pressure and finished without letting the fight drift.
This defense won’t answer every question about Russell’s ceiling. It should answer a basic answer. Can he impose his kind of fight on an undefeated challenger who has not yet been forced to live in deep water. If he can, the belt is starting to look like something he intends to keep.
