During a head-to-head to promote their fight as part of the “5 vs 5” Queensberry-Matchroom card this weekend, light heavyweights Craig Richards and Willy Hutchinson bet their purses to make the contest winner-takes-all.
Of course, that is highly unlikely to actually happen once the bravado wears off, but it is arguably the fight most are sleeping on ahead of the showpiece event in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Saturday night.
Richards has fought at a higher level before, with hard-fought losses to Joshua Buatsi and Dmitry Bivol on his ledger. But his trainer Shane McGuigan warned that his fighter can’t afford to look beyond Hutchinson, and thinks the Scot might be improved having settled at light heavyweight.
“I think what he’s going to bring is underdog mentality,” admitted Richards, face to face with Hutchinson on TNT Sports. “Usually, I’m stepping up and proving myself. I think he’s at the point where he’s going to be doing it this time. So he’s gonna want it bad. That’s what I know he’s bringing to the table.”
Hutchinson countered: “As a professional, it’s another step forward to where I need to be.”
The Scot’s only defeat came against Lennox Clarke at 168 pounds, and he thinks he can stop Richards. Hutchinson is 17-1 (13 KOs), and the 25-year-old added: “I think all my fights have been at light heavyweight since I was 18 years old. The only one I lost was the only one I ever made super middleweight [for]. It suits me better, I’m more mature into the weight, and as strong as ever.
Hutchinson has not gone beyond seven rounds as a pro and insists he’s a harder hitter than Richards, who is 18-3-1 (11 KOs).
“I’m not saying you’re a bad boxer,” Hutchinson continued. “But you’re not good enough. You will not beat me. You’re not a bad lad. You can fight – just know that you won’t beat me.”
Both fighters said they were using one another to get into contention for titles at light heavyweight.
“It’s just a stepping stone for me, moving me back into the mix to go back for the world title,” Richards said. “It didn’t really matter who was on the other side of this, Queensberry vs. Matchroom. As soon as I got told it was this guy, it didn’t really bother me. I’m in the gym preparing. Levels are different now. Training’s different now. It’s a whole different me.
Hutchinson predicted he would be a world champion within 12 months.
“This is my stepping stone to get to that,” he said. “I think I will knock him out in a couple of rounds.”
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