IBF light welterweight champion Richardson Hitchins says he’s interested in fighting a unification against WBO champ Teofimo Lopez or face former WBC champ Devin Haney next when he returns to the ring in May. Richardson sounded bitter & angry in a video clip, like a person with a chip on his shoulder.
It wouldn’t be so bad for Hitchins if his recent performances had been entertaining to watch and not ones in which he was booed due to him fighting defensively.
Hitchins (19-0, 7 KOs) recently dethroned IBF 140-lb champion Liam Paro, beating him by a 12-round split decision on December 7 in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The scores were 116-112, 116-112 for Hitchins, and 117-111 for Paro. Hitchins’s performance was dominant, and he deserved a unanimous decision.
“Violence On Christmas”
Hitchins says he spoke with Teofimo (21-1, 13 KOs) on Facetime, and he told him he would fight him in 2025. However, he may have been pulling his leg, telling him something he wanted to hear to get him to shut up because this is not a fight that Teo would likely ever agree to.
“I don’t care about Devin Haney. I’m the champ. He’s [not] a champ no more. If he wants a chance to get a title, tell him to come talk to me. The tables are turned,” said Richardson Hitchins on social media. “Teo, we got to see each other. Tell them to come see me. Violence on Christmas.
“I’m not even going to talk about Devin Haney because I’m not going to kick him while he’s down. He’s going through a lot. He’s going through a lot of mental stuff right now. Teo definitely has to see me. I was on FaceTime the other day, and he said he was going to fight me in 2025. He said he was fighting me.
“He said, ‘This is the fight that boxing needs.’ So, let’s see if he’s lying. If he’s lying, I’m going to be mad. He said Boots ran from him. You better not run. What is Boots running from him for? Boots ain’t running from that boy. Teo is just talking. I’m tired of talking about these bums,” said Hitchins.
Realistically, Hitchins’ best chance for an interesting fight in May would be against the likes of former IBF 140-lb champion Subriel Matias or George Kambosos Jr. Those are fights that his promoter, Eddie Hearn, can potentially make for him. Haney is still looking at his mental wounds from his loss to Ryan Garcia, and he’s not going to want to take a risky fight against the speedy, sharp-shooting Hitchins.
May Return Targeted
“I’m hoping I’m back in May in New York City. It really don’t matter. As long as the check look right, it really don’t matter who is next and what is next. Put them in front of me, and I’m going to beat them,” said Hitchins.
Richardson, 27, shouldn’t get his hopes up, thinking he’s going to get a unification fight against WBO champion Teofimo Lopez in May or a clash against former WBC champ Devin Haney. That’s not realistic. Teofimo is looking for the big fish, Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis and Terence Crawford. He’s not going to take a risk of fighting a guy with a Mayweather-esque style like Hitchins.
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