IBF gentle welterweight champion Richardson Hitchins says he’s fascinated with preventing a unification in opposition to WBO champ Teofimo Lopez or face former WBC champ Devin Haney subsequent when he returns to the ring in Might. Richardson sounded bitter & offended in a video clip, like an individual with a chip on his shoulder.
It wouldn’t be so unhealthy for Hitchins if his current performances had been entertaining to look at and never ones by which he was booed attributable to him preventing defensively.
Hitchins (19-0, 7 KOs) lately dethroned IBF 140-lb champion Liam Paro, beating him by a 12-round cut up choice on December 7 in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The scores had been 116-112, 116-112 for Hitchins, and 117-111 for Paro. Hitchins’s efficiency was dominant, and he deserved a unanimous choice.
“Violence On Christmas”
Hitchins says he spoke with Teofimo (21-1, 13 KOs) on Facetime, and he advised him he would struggle him in 2025. Nonetheless, he could have been pulling his leg, telling him one thing he wished to listen to to get him to close up as a result of this isn’t a struggle that Teo would seemingly ever conform to.
“I don’t care about Devin Haney. I’m the champ. He’s [not] a champ no extra. If he needs an opportunity to get a title, inform him to return discuss to me. The tables are turned,” mentioned Richardson Hitchins on social media. “Teo, we obtained to see one another. Inform them to return see me. Violence on Christmas.
“I’m not even going to speak about Devin Haney as a result of I’m not going to kick him whereas he’s down. He’s going via so much. He’s going via quite a lot of psychological stuff proper now. Teo undoubtedly has to see me. I used to be on FaceTime the opposite day, and he mentioned he was going to struggle me in 2025. He mentioned he was preventing me.
“He mentioned, ‘That is the struggle that boxing wants.’ So, let’s see if he’s mendacity. If he’s mendacity, I’m going to be mad. He mentioned Boots ran from him. You higher not run. What’s Boots operating from him for? Boots ain’t operating from that boy. Teo is simply speaking. I’m uninterested in speaking about these bums,” mentioned Hitchins.
Realistically, Hitchins’ finest likelihood for an fascinating struggle in Might can be in opposition to the likes of former IBF 140-lb champion Subriel Matias or George Kambosos Jr. These are fights that his promoter, Eddie Hearn, can probably make for him. Haney remains to be taking a look at his psychological wounds from his loss to Ryan Garcia, and he’s not going to wish to take a dangerous struggle in opposition to the speedy, sharp-shooting Hitchins.
Might Return Focused
“I’m hoping I’m again in Might in New York Metropolis. It actually don’t matter. So long as the verify look proper, it actually don’t matter who’s subsequent and what’s subsequent. Put them in entrance of me, and I’m going to beat them,” mentioned Hitchins.
Richardson, 27, shouldn’t get his hopes up, considering he’s going to get a unification struggle in opposition to WBO champion Teofimo Lopez in Might or a conflict in opposition to former WBC champ Devin Haney. That’s not life like. Teofimo is searching for the massive fish, Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis and Terence Crawford. He’s not going to take a danger of preventing a man with a Mayweather-esque type like Hitchins.
