Russell relied on his southpaw jab, quick feet and sharp counters to control distance early. He circled, picked spots and landed the cleaner combinations through the first five rounds. Hiraoka stalked and tried to set his feet for right hands and straight shots up the middle, but Russell’s movement kept him from getting long exchanges.
The middle rounds shifted the tone. Hiraoka began to close the distance more consistently, forcing Russell to fight in tighter pockets. He landed several solid one-twos and digs to the body, turning a tactical fight into a physical one. Russell continued to have success with quick bursts, but the challenger’s pressure made the rounds more difficult to score cleanly.
A low blow from Hiraoka in the 10th created a brief pause, after which Russell responded with one of his better stretches, breaking off combinations and restoring space. Hiraoka kept pushing through the championship rounds, but he couldn’t catch Russell long enough to end up taking damage.
There was no downturn. Russell’s accuracy and generality seemed to sway the judges, even as Hiraoka’s aggression and forward momentum won over much of the crowd. When the wide scorecards were announced, boos echoed around the arena.
Russell improves to 19-1 with 17 knockouts and remains a key figure in the crowded 140-pound picture. Hiraoka drops to 24-1 in his first professional loss, but his pressure and durability ensured this was no routine defense. The belt remains with Russell, although the reaction in the building suggests that not everyone was convinced.
