What is the state of the junior welterweight division?
A good portion of promising talent in the division will be featured on this weekend’s DAZN pay-per-view card from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. While the show is headlined by the Mario Barrios-Ryan Garcia WBC welterweight title fight, a trio of pivotal 140lbs fights appear on the undercard.
WBA junior welterweight titleholder Gary Antuanne Russell will attempt his first defense versus unbeaten mandatory challenger Andy Hiraoka. Also on the card, undefeated IBF titlist Richardson Hitchins facing Oscar Duarte.
In non-title action, former 135lbs title challenger Frank Martin will take on Nahir Albright.
Saturday’s show is presented by RING Magazine, whose previous event saw Shakur Stevenson dethrone lineal and WBO champ Teofimo Lopez on January 31 in New York City. The feat took place three weeks prior to and mere miles away from Dalton Smith’s stunning knockout of Subriel Matias to claim the WBC title last January 10 in Brooklyn.
As stated above and revealed below, the 140lbs division is ripe with talent.
Current titleholders
Shakur Stevenson (Lineal, RING, WBO)
Record: 25-0 (11 KOs)
Stevenson is a generational talent, and more than likely already a Hall of Fame fighter with accumulating titles in four different weight classes. Stevenson has an ability to gauge distance and control the speed of a fight, unlike any other fighter in the division.
Dalton Smith (WBC)
Record: 19-0 (14 KOs)
Smith announced himself as “Capital G Guy” with his KO win over Subriel Matias to win the belt in January. Smith showed power, but also balls, beating Matias at his own game. Now, Smith is one of the more promising modern British titleholders.
Gary Antuanne Russell (WBA)
Record: 18-1 (17 KOs)
A big puncher southpaw who uses his physicality to his advantage and already has wins over Jose Valenzuela, Kent Cruz, Viktor Postol, and Rances Barthelemy.
Richardson Hitchins (IBF)
Record: 20-0 (8 KOs)
The best jab in the division. Hitchins is a master of timing and range with his jab, now it is a matter of seeing how his attribute stacks up against the other great fighters of his era.
Interim titleholder
Isaac Cruz
Record: 28-3-2 (18 KOs)
Cruz holds the interim WBC title. Cruz, known better as “Pitbull,” is a fan-favorite with a relentless style, while being undersized at 5ft 4ins at junior welterweight. He will always test the will of a fighter, as well as an elite level boxer’s ability to stay patient and disciplined, as Cruz is unrelenting in the ring.
Former titleholders
Keyshawn Davis
Record: 14-0 (10 KOs)
Davis held a belt at lightweight and now stopped Jamaine Ortiz in his debut. Davis has a ton of potential. It is now just seeing how he develops in the ring as well as outside of it. Davis should hold a title at some point in this division.
Alberto Puello
Record: 24-1 (10 KOs)
Puello is an awkward spoiler who might not ‘wow’ the casual fan, but knows how to use his length and distance and make fights hard. He is lingering around after his close loss to Matias, and could find himself fighting WBC titleholder Smith next.
Subriel Matias
Record: 23-3 (22 KOs)
After his knockout loss to Dalton Smith in January, the question will be his durability. Matias’ weaponized pace relied on the ability to absorb punishment to be effective. If that diminishes in any way, it could be tough at a world-class level.
Up-and-comers
Adam Azim
Record: 14-0 (11 KOs)
Azim is a ton of fun. He could be a superstar, or someone with major defensive flaws that don’t work at the highest level. Regardless, he has elite level hand speed and is constantly improving, with the concern being that his head is very upright when he throws punches.
Ernesto Mercado
Record: 18-0 (17 KOs)
Mercado is very close, if not already, a top-10 junior welterweight. Mercado has done what he has needed to do against veterans and now deserves a step-up bout to see where he fits in the sport.
Arthur Biyarslanov
Record: 20-0 (16 KOs)
Biyarslanov is a battle-tested Eye of the Tiger fighter who had a shaky closing few rounds against Sergey Lipinets. Was that a foreshadowing of events, like we see in some movies, or did Biyarslanov gain valuable experience, making him a better fighter? Time will tell.
Emiliano Vargas
Record: 16-0 (13 KOs)
Vargas is a blue-chip prospect in terms of pedigree, being the son of Fernando Vargas Snr, and marketable image. Vargas, who is nearing the point of a contender, needs to face a veteran at some point this year to establish himself in the division. His next fight against Agustin Ezequiel Quintana, who holds a win over Marc Castro, is good first step.
Kevin Brown
Record: 9-0 (3 KOs)
Brown is a fast-tracked Cuban boxer whSandor Mo became a 10-round fighter in his third fight and has had to learn on the job. Brown was dropped by Idalberto Umara and had a close fight with Julian Smith. Since defeating John Bauza in September 2024, Brown has looked like a quality contender.
Andy Hiraoka
Record: 24-0 (19 KOs)
A big puncher who knocked out Ismael Barroso in his last fight. He faces Russell for the WBA title on Saturday, which will be his first true world-class test.
Veterans
Frank Martin
Record: 19-1 (13 KOs)
Martin was a breakout fighter who defeated Michel Rivera and was competitive against Gervonta Davis before being stopped. Both bouts raised the profile of Martin. He returned and got a highlight reel knockout against 40-year-old Rances Barthelemy. Martin faces Albright in a trajectory fight. Martin looked good with his new coach, Buddy McGirt, but Albright represents a quality opponent in the division.
Sandor Martin
Record: 43-3 (15 KOs)
If anyone looks to prepare for Shakur Stevenson, and Stevenson stays at 140lbs, Martin might be in luck. The slick southpaw, Martin is an awkward fighter, who could argue his losses to Puello and Teofimo Lopez should have gone his way. He might get some chances with fighters looking to see how they do against a southpaw mover.
Michel Rivera
Record: 27-1 (14 KOs)
A quality veteran who still has a notable name, and is capable of upsetting a fighter who is ascending in their career. Rivera’s win over Sergey Lipinets was an underrated, credible win.
Sean McComb
Record: 21-2 (6 KOs)
The dark horse of the division, McComb has size being 6ft tall, and he is a southpaw. He has a case to be made that his loss to Barboza Jnr shouldn’t have been a loss either. McComb needs another world-class fight to be properly rated, but he is a compelling figure who might be avoided until fighters have to fight him. Albeit, Gavin Gwynne at lightweight did stop him in 2021.
Oscar Duarte
Record: 30-2-1 (23 KOs)
Duarte resurrected his career after a loss to Ryan Garcia. Duarte, now training with Robert Garcia, is a Mexican slugger with shades of Marcos Maidana’s style. He enters his first major title fight when he challenges Hitchins this weekend.
Nahir Albright
Record: 17-2 (7 KOs)
A tough Philly veteran, Albright has upset Kelvin Davis, Karlos Balderas, and Michael Dutchover. He gave Keyshawn Davis an honest fight. Albright is a craft boxer-puncher, who has not been given any a-side advantages throughout his career. He will test Martin on Saturday.
Lucas Ketelle is the author of “Inside the Ropes of Boxing,” a guide for young fighters, a writer for BoxingScene and a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. Find him on X at @BigDogLukie.
