Gary Antuanne Russell vs. Andy Hiraoka finds another date for WBA title fight
Dec 29, 2025
0 min read
Gary Antuanne Russell was scheduled to defend his 140-pound belt on November 14.
The Gary Antuanne Russell-Andy Hiraoka junior welterweight title fight is being planned for the first quarter of 2026, sources tell The Ring.
Russell-Hiraoka was set to take place Nov. 14 on the Jake Paul-Gervonta Davis undercard. Russell, like Davis, is with PBC. So when Paul went on to fight Joshua, a Matchroom boxer, Russell-Hiraoka needed a new home.
Russell, the younger brother of former titleholder Gary Russell Jr., won the title in March with a wide points victory over Jose Valenzuela in New York. That followed his first defeat, which came against Alberto Puello in 2024.
Russell, 29, is The Ring’s No. 5 boxer at 140 pounds. He fights out of Capitol Heights, Maryland.
Japan’s Hiraoka (24-0, 19 KOs) is The Ring’s No. 10 junior welterweight. In his last fight, he stopped Ismael Barroso in Round 9 on September 2024.
Mike Coppinger is The Ring’s senior insider. He co-hosts “Inside the Ring” on DAZN every Monday with Max Kellerman. Follow him on X/Instagram: @MikeCoppinger.
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