Tim Bradley Warns Gary Antuanne Russell Against Becoming Predictable

Bradley says pressure alone will not be enough in WBA title defense

Gary Antuanne Russell has rolled through most opponents by throwing in combinations with confidence, but Tim Bradley believes that approach can be read if Andy Hiraoka settles into range.

Russell presses behind the jab, resets his feet and lets his hands go. That pressure breaks many fighters. Hiraoka is taller, disciplined, and sharp with counters between combinations. At this level, pressure needs variation. Feints. Jab to the body. Changes in pace. If Russell becomes predictable, Hiraoka will time him and fire back with authority.

Bradley pointed out that aggressive fighters often succeed because opponents are forced into survival mode early. Fighters who stay calm and don’t panic can start seeing the openings. They begin catching the timing. They see when punches are coming and when to fire back. Pressure stops feeling overwhelming once a fighter understands when it’s coming and how to deal with it.

Fighters with reach can slow a fight down and force Russell to come to them on their terms instead of his.. Bradley said Russell must stay disciplined and avoid repeating the same attacks. Predictable entries get picked off by patient, technically sound fighters who hold their ground and punch between shots.

Hiraoka enters unbeaten and without the expectations placed on Russell, which makes him a dangerous opponent. Fighters in that position often fight with nothing to lose, and Bradley said Russell must treat the threat seriously.

Russell has spoken about proving himself as the best fighter in the division, but Bradley’s warning reflects a different reality. Pressure can carry a fighter to a title, but keeping it requires adjustment and discipline. Opponents at this level are watching closely, and repeated mistakes do not go unnoticed.

Antuanne Russell is a beast when he can bowl guys over, but that Alberto Puello fight showed the blueprint on how to beat him in their fight in 2024. If Russell doesn’t get the knockout early, he starts eating shots he shouldn’t, and those hits add up over twelve rounds. He relies so much on pressure that he forgets to move his head, and against a guy with Hiraoka’s frame and Ghanaian-Japanese power, that is a massive risk.

Russell wants to turn this into a brawl, but he has to be careful not to walk into shots while trying to close the distance. If he can’t hurt Hiraoka or force him to back up in the first four rounds, we might see a repeat of that Puello disaster, where Russell just runs out of ideas and starts headhunting.