Andy Hiraoka Steadily Ascending the Junior Welterweight Rankings
On December 13, Andy “The Blade” Hiraoka (21-0, 16 KOs) will battle South Korea’s Min Ho Jung (13-3-2, 3 KOs) in a twelve-round contest. The bout takes place at the Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan. The fight will occur on the undercard of the Naoya Inoue – Paul Butler showdown for undisputed bantamweight honors.
NOT TAKING THE TRADITIONAL ROUTE
In most cases, Japanese fighters pay their dues in their stringent amateur system before turning professional. That was not the case with Hiraoka. According to the boxing information source Boxrec, the product of Yokahama, Japan has no recognizable amateur record to speak on.
Hiraoka turned pro at age seventeen in December 2013. After winning his first six fights, the southpaw ventured west. From October 2015 to January 2016, the he spent time in Las Vegas working with former light heavyweight champion and highly-regarded trainer Eddie Mustafa Muhammad. Following the time spent in Vegas, Hiraoka headed back home and inked a deal with noted Japanese manager/promoter Hideyuki Ohashi. His career has been on the ascent.
The first sign that Hiraoka was a fighter of substance came in July 2019. Then, he scored a ten-round decision win over former 140-pound world title challenger Akihiro Honda. October 2021 saw Hiraoka stop the previously undefeated Jin Sasaki in eleven to win the WBO Asia Pacific junior welterweight crown. He’s defended that belt three times.
A LITTLE INTRODUCTION
For those who have not seen Hiraoka in action, he prefers to fight on the outside. Tall for the division, the 5’11” fighter from Japan is athletic with a flexible upper body, fast hands, and good power in both hands. Because of those physical attributes, he occasionally fights with his hands low, depending on reflexes to avoid shots, then strikes with hard counters. You definitely see some flash and cockiness in his game.
The sanctioning bodies have noticed, as the 26-year-old is currently ranked ninth by the IBF and thirteenth by the WBO at 140. His upcoming fight against Jung is significant on multiple levels. A win continue his upward trek and be another defense of the Asia Pacific title. There’s also the additional spotlight of fighting on a big card in Japan alongside Inoue, currently ranked third on the 3Kings Boxing Top Ten fighter rankings. Hiraoka has his sights on making a name for himself and becoming the next great fighter from the land of the Orient.
By: Michael Wilson Jr.
