Dazn Boxing: Gary Antuanne Russell Stands Firm as WBA 140lbs Defense Nears After Opponent’s Visa Delay Is Resolved
Gary Antuanne Russell will defend his WBA 140lbs title on Saturday’s dazn boxing pay-per-view card at T-Mobile Arena after travel setbacks for challenger Andy Hiraoka were resolved, keeping intact a matchup Russell says will prove his standing in the division. The development matters because it preserves a headline title defense that pits Russell’s power and confidence against an undefeated mandatory contender.
Gary Antuanne Russell’s Record and Stakes
Russell enters the bout holding an 18-1 record with 17 knockouts and carries the WBA 140lbs belt into the event. The 29-year-old has publicly declared himself the best in the division, saying he still has more to show and will use whatever is necessary to secure victory. He framed his approach around adaptability, invoking a diamond metaphor to describe being prepared for any game plan his opponent brings.
Andy Hiraoka’s Visa Delay and Knockout Streak
Hiraoka, 28, arrives as Japan’s top-ranked contender at 24-0 with 19 knockouts and a run of 10 straight knockout wins. His mandatory status with the WBA was earned after a September 2024 knockout of Ismael Barroso in Tokyo. Hiraoka’s departure from Japan was delayed by visa issues that have now been solved, and Russell acknowledged the role of diplomatic clearance in preserving the matchup, thanking the embassy for green-lighting Hiraoka’s travel.
Dazn Boxing Pay-Per-View at T-Mobile Arena
The fight is scheduled for T-Mobile Arena on a DAZN pay-per-view card, which also features fellow junior welterweight titleholder Richardson Hitchins defending his belt against Mexico’s Oscar Duarte. Russell said the profile boost he might receive from the event depends on how his opponent performs, emphasizing that the spotlight will respond to the nature of the fight he and Hiraoka deliver.
Olympic Ties and the Shakur Stevenson Connection
Russell’s background includes time on the U. S. Olympic team; he lost to Fazliddin Gaibnazarov at the 2016 Summer Games and later served as a sparring partner and teammate with Shakur Stevenson, a silver-medalist. Russell watched Stevenson, an unbeaten four-division champion, move up and win a unanimous decision over Teofimo Lopez Jr. on January 31 and suggested that a future bout with Stevenson—who Russell says is ranked third pound-for-pound and has moved to 140—would vault him to a new level.
Preparation, Promises and Prior Postponements
Russell cautioned against underestimating Hiraoka, saying it would be “foolish” to expect a diminished opponent after travel troubles. He noted that plans to stage his fight with Hiraoka in 2025 were shuttered earlier by legal problems involving Gervonta Davis, making the restored matchup on this card the current path forward. Russell declined to outline specific tactics, saying he doesn’t “kiss and tell, ” but affirmed confidence that whoever he faces must be ready for a different kind of challenge.
What makes this notable is the alignment of several concrete forces: an undefeated, hard-hitting challenger with a mandatory WBA claim; a champion insisting he has untapped potential; and a pay-per-view platform that keeps the fight intact after diplomatic and legal complications. The combination preserves both a title defense and a potential reshuffling of the junior welterweight landscape depending on the outcome.
Russell reiterated that despite broader ambitions and a list of future targets, his immediate focus is the undefeated, young opponent in front of him, whom he warned has not yet faced anyone with his blend of power and style. The fight’s result will determine whether Russell’s claim to be the division’s best gets reinforced or challenged.
