Andy Hiraoka stops Rickey Edwards in Las Vegas!
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Just moments ago in Las Vegas unbeaten Japanese fighter Andy Hiraoka (16-0, 11) [平岡アンディ] secured his latest win, stopping 30 year old American Rickey Edwards (12-5, 3) in the 4th round.
The powerful Hiraoka looked the boss from the off, and seemed to be too strong, too powerful and too good Edwards very early on. Edwards wasn't helped by suffering a cut over his left eye in round 2, from an accidental elbow. Edwards managed to land one or two counters, but little more than that, and sadly for Edwards even when he did land he didn't get Hiraoka's respect, lacking the power to trouble the Japanese youngster.
The cut, although a hindrance for Edwards, played no real factor in the bout. What did play a factor was Hiraoka's power, and in round 3 Hiraoka scored his first knockdown, from a right hook up close. Edwards wasn't hurt, but it was clear he was being broken down, and didn't have the fire power to change the flow of the action.
In round 4 Hiraoka came out looking to make a statement and dropped Edwards early in the round. Edwards, to his credit, got back to his feet but was dropped again soon afterwards. This time the referee made it clear that if he was in trouble again he was going to be stopped. At that point there was around a minute left, and Hiraoka just kept the pressure coming, forcing Celestino Ruiz to wave off the contest.
The win for Hiraoka, his second in Las Vegas, was solid though he is still, as we've said in the past, a young fighter who very much looks like a an athlete turn boxer. There is still a real rawness to his boxing, and a lot of polishing needs doing. He's still very young however, and with more bouts at this type of level we should see him making improvement over the coming years.
The powerful Hiraoka looked the boss from the off, and seemed to be too strong, too powerful and too good Edwards very early on. Edwards wasn't helped by suffering a cut over his left eye in round 2, from an accidental elbow. Edwards managed to land one or two counters, but little more than that, and sadly for Edwards even when he did land he didn't get Hiraoka's respect, lacking the power to trouble the Japanese youngster.
The cut, although a hindrance for Edwards, played no real factor in the bout. What did play a factor was Hiraoka's power, and in round 3 Hiraoka scored his first knockdown, from a right hook up close. Edwards wasn't hurt, but it was clear he was being broken down, and didn't have the fire power to change the flow of the action.
In round 4 Hiraoka came out looking to make a statement and dropped Edwards early in the round. Edwards, to his credit, got back to his feet but was dropped again soon afterwards. This time the referee made it clear that if he was in trouble again he was going to be stopped. At that point there was around a minute left, and Hiraoka just kept the pressure coming, forcing Celestino Ruiz to wave off the contest.
The win for Hiraoka, his second in Las Vegas, was solid though he is still, as we've said in the past, a young fighter who very much looks like a an athlete turn boxer. There is still a real rawness to his boxing, and a lot of polishing needs doing. He's still very young however, and with more bouts at this type of level we should see him making improvement over the coming years.