WBA May Order Valenzuela To Face Barroso vs Hiraoka Winner
Newly crowned WBA junior welterweight champion Jose “Rayo” Valenzuela (14-2, 9KO) could be forced to face the winner between interim titlist Ismael Barroso and #6-rated contender Andy “Da Blade” Hiraoka.
Rayo picked up a huge split-decision victory over Isaac Cruz on August 3rd. As it is typical in boxing, fans, and pundits immediately start asking what’s next. While unifications are always an option, there is an upcoming fight where the winner should be considered the next challenger.
NEXT POSSIBLE TITLE CHALLENGERS
On September 3, Barroso (25-4-2, 23KO) and Da Blade (23-0, 18KO) will battle, with the winner looking at a possible title shot. Hiraoka is a relatively unknown undefeated fighter who has fought mainly out of his home country of Japan. He caught the attention of 3kingsboxing as a serious contender after defeating Min Ho Jung in 2022.
In this author’s opinion, if Barroso is the victor, he deserves to get a crack at Valenzuela without question. The WBA has treated the 41-year-old Venezuelan like an unwanted stepchild. After a horrible stoppage by a referee against then-WBA champion Rolando Romero, he scored an upset knockout victory over Ohara Davies on January 6th.
His victory should have resulted in a rematch for the title. However, the organization allowed Romero to fight Cruz, leaving Barrosos out in the cold. The Venezuelan must hold off Father Time once again and pull off another incredible victory.
The junior welterweight division is open for the taking, and Valenzuela is at the center of all the action.
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