Ismael Barroso always carried himself to the boxing ring with pride and honor in his game. But he felt that injustice bruised his honor when he found himself on the receiving end of a horrendous referee’s call in the fight against Rolando Romero. Not only did it take away the ever-coveted gold from him, which he rightly deserved that night, but it also pushed him to square one. But as they say, second chances do come.

The Venezuelan boxer has grabbed it with both his hands and now finds himself a fight away from another shot at the title. He fights Andy Hiraoka on September 3 at the Ariake Arena and makes the first defense of his interim WBA super lightweight strap. A win now means a shot at the newly crowned champion, Jose Valenzuela, next. The fight offers fans an action-packed affair, and it’s a showdown with deep implications at 140. Before the two boxers fight it out, let’s have a look at how they stack up.

Ismael Barroso vs. Andy Hiraoka: Tale of Tape

Barroso has earned the respect of every boxing fan because of his fighting style and how he fights with a heart. At 41, he still prefers to put forward pressure and looks for openings to finish the fights. It seems the interim champion’s age hasn’t slowed him down. The El Tigre native has put his body on the line for almost two decades to sweet science and has racked up an impressive record of 25-4-2 with 23 KOs.

What’s more impressive is his KO ratio of 92%, which speaks volume about his power and his knacks for knockout. In addition, Barroso utilizes his dimensions to the full, as he is not the tallest fighter at 5’8″ (174 cm) along with a reach of 69.0″ (175 cm). But it has allowed him to dictate the pace of the fights and impose his will on his opponents. However, he is not the only one with the same attitude and skill set.

Hiraoka has turned heads and continues to surge in the ranks. At 28, he is in his prime years as a boxer and looks set to mount a challenge for the title. The Japanese fighter boasts of an unblemished record at 23-0 with 18 KOs. But if you look closely, he is only adding more weapons to his arsenal as he grows older, as evidenced by his 9-fight KO win streak and an overall KO ratio of 78.26%. That’s not all. The Yokohama native also carries the size advantage, as he is the taller of the two at 5’11” (180 cm). He also carries a reach advantage with his longer lever, which gives him a reach of 74.0″ (188 cm). Will it be enough for him to snatch the interim title from Barroso and propel himself to the title shot?

Prediction: X factor, and where will the fight be won?

What has made Barroso an evergreen fighter? Along with his fan-friendly and coming-forward, aggressive style, he also has all sorts of punches in his inventory. The southpaw boxer mixes well those punches and combinations and tries to follow his effective lethal body shots. He broke down the likes of Kevin Mitchell with his body shots and then dealt a finishing blow.

However, his mental fortitude, his X factor, has allowed him to put his age in the backdrop and not let his reflexes deceive him. He is coming off a round-one knockout of Ohara Davies, a fight where not many gave him the chance. So, Barroso has everything working for him, and he knows that it’s his last shot at the championship, and if anything goes haywire, it could also turn out to be his last fight.

‘Da Blade,’ on the other hand, has the size and age advantage. He is the logical pick for many to win this fight too and continue his juggernaut at 140. But has he enough experience to put aside the more experienced and more powerful Barroso, who, despite being 14 years older, could turn out to be a formidable competitor? The fans will find out who will step up and rise to the occasion and whether Barroso will finally inch closer to his dream of being a champion.

What do you make of this coming fight between Ismael Barroso and Andy Hiraoka? Who do you believe will leave the arena with a victory? Let us know in the comments below.