Andy Hiraoka achieved a significant victory on the Top Rank card by defeating Ismael Barroso with a ninth-round TKO to secure the Interim WBA super-lightweight title. Despite a significant age gap between them, Hiraoka asserted his dominance during the match while Barroso struggled to find his momentum.
Barroso had encountered controversy in his previous bout with Rolando “Rolly” Romero, where a push was mistaken for a knockdown, resulting in a disputed stoppage. Nonetheless, Barroso rebounded with a swift first-round knockout victory over Ohara Davies before confronting Hiraoka for the title defense.
In their face-off, Hiraoka’s precise jab and tactical footwork enabled him to control the early rounds effectively. While Barroso landed a notable strike in the fifth round, he succumbed to a counter right hook in the sixth and was knocked down again in the ninth, prompting his corner to end the fight.
Following this triumph, Andy Hiraoka clinched the Interim WBA super-lightweight title and issued a challenge to the current WBA 140-pound world champion, Jose “Rayo” Venezuela.
