Mild welterweight contender Richardson Hitchins will return to the ring in October in New York Metropolis.
The opponent for #1 IBF, #3 WBO, and #5 WBC-ranked Hitchins (18-0, 7 KOs) stays to be seen. He should combat somebody standard to headline as a result of he’s not thought of main-event materials.
One apparent possibility for Hitchins to combat could be former IBF 140-lb champion Subriel Matias, who’s with the identical promotional firm at Matchroom.
The benefit of that combat being made is Matias is Puerto Rican and would herald a large crowd in New York Metropolis. Hitchins might trip Matias’s coattails to reap the benefits of the gang he brings in as a result of he can’t do it as the principle attraction with out a standard fighter like him. He doesn’t have the type to draw followers.
Hearn must convey Matias again in opposition to a notable fighter after he was dethroned by Liam Paro final June in a twelve-round resolution defeat. Hitchins could be a troublesome one for Matias style-wise as a result of he’s received an identical type as Paro, involving plenty of holding, potshots, and stepping again.
Hitchins is much more defensive than Paro, so it could be a troublesome one for Matias if he have been to conform to take this combat.
Whoever Hitchins fights, he must be extra entertained and take probabilities as a result of his Shakur Stevenson type may be very boring. In his final combat in opposition to Gustavo Lemos in Las Vegas final April, he was booed in an IBF 140-lb title eliminator. It’s unclear if the New York Metropolis followers could be forgiving of Hitchins if he fights in that location as a result of they hated him in Las Vegas.
Though Hitchins received the combat, it was shut, and he performed it secure, transferring round on the surface, dashing away at any time when attacked. It was pure Shakur-esque. Followers in Las Vegas count on to be entertained, they usually don’t go for the uninteresting safety-first type that Hitchins and Shakur use.
Hitchins’ latest fights in opposition to Gustavo Lemos and Jose Zepeda have been uninteresting, leaving some followers to marvel if he’s received the type to turn into a well-liked fighter.
Eddie Hearn promotes him, however he doesn’t speak about him a lot anymore, leaving this author to marvel if he’s a lame duck and received’t be re-signed when his contract with Matchroom expires.
If Hearn indicators Shakur Stevenson, he could be a superb opponent for Hitchins as a result of they’ve an identical preventing kinds. Nevertheless, it is likely to be a waste of time for Hearn to signal Shakur if he’s not planning to maintain Hitchins when his contract is up as a result of he would have the identical man style-wise.
