Khariton Agrba has risen to the top spot in the WBA’s junior welterweight rankings following Andy Hiraoka’s recent defeat. The sanctioning body released its latest monthly ratings on March 1, reshuffling the contenders at 140 pounds.
Hiraoka, who entered his title challenge as the WBA’s No. 1 contender, lost a competitive unanimous decision to Gary Antuanne Russell last month on the undercard of Ryan Garcia’s win over Mario Barrios. The setback dropped Hiraoka, now 24-1 (19 KOs), to No. 4 in the updated rankings.
His demotion triggered movement above him. Former titleholder Alberto Puello advanced to No. 3, unbeaten prospect Kevin Brown moved into the No. 2 position, and Agrba claimed the No. 1 ranking.
The 30-year-old Russian, 17-1 (9 KOs), rebounded strongly after a surprising second-round TKO loss to Ruben Nestor Neri Munoz last July, when Agrba fell from No. 2 to No. 13 in the rankings. Agrba avenged that defeat with a unanimous decision victory in December, reclaiming the No. 2 spot before now ascending to No. 1.
Image Credit: IBA