A badly emaciated-looking IBF light welterweight champion Richardson Hitchins and challenger George Kambosos Jr. both weighed in successfully on Friday for their 12-round contest this Saturday, June 14th, at The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
Thankfully, the face-off didn’t include any shoving between the unbeaten champion Hitchins 19-0, 7 KOs) and ‘The Emperor’ Kambosos (22-3, 10 KOs). Yesterday, George pushed Hitchins when he got in his face, flashing what he claimed was $ 50,000, urging him to bet on the outcome of their fight. Hitchins, 27, is the favorite.
Hitchins and Kambosos Jr. Weigh-In
However, the IBF’s fight date weight check on Saturday might pose issues for Hitchins, as he looked completely drained today. You could tell from looking at him that he should be fighting in the 147-lb division. If he’s not 100% on Saturday night, he could lose to Kambosos, who looked strong today.
Weights:
- Richardson Hitchins 140 vs. George Kambosos Jr. 139.4
- Andy Cruz 135 vs. Hironori Mishiro 134.6
Cruz vs. Mishiro IBF Title Eliminator
In the co-feature, lightweight contender Andy Cruz (5-0, 2 KOs) weighed in at 135 lbs for his 12-round IBF title eliminator against Hironori Mishiro (17-1-1, 6 KOs). The 2020 Olympic gold medalist is the favorite.
“Tomorrow night, I’m going to win. He makes a lot of mistakes, and I’m pretty sure he’s going to be aggressive. I’m going to pick him apart. Hopefully, I get him out of there,” said Hitchins to DAZN Boxing after weighing in.
Kambosos’ Aggressive Fight Strategy
Kambosos has to fight aggressively for him to have any chance of winning, because he’s not going to outbox Hitchins. He’s got to make this a dog fight, make it physical, and not let Hitchins use the ring to potshot. He’s a single-punch fighter in the Mayweather mold. It’s effective but boring to watch. Richardson has the Shakur-esque three-step pull back that he employs.
“You’ve got two world-class operators fired up for the fight tomorrow night. Richardson Hitchins has a chance to stake his claim as an American superstar in boxing, and to put himself on the levels of Devin, Tank, and Shakur,” said promoter Eddie Hearn.
A victory for Hitchins will not make him a superstar. Hearn is getting a little carried away. If Hitchins does win, it’s likely going to be in the same fashion he did in his last fight against Liam Paro, by boxing for 12 rounds. It won’t be thrilling stuff.
Kambosos’ Two-Division World Champion Ambitions
“You’ve got George Kambosos trying to make history as a two-division world champion. It’s at the same venue that he dethroned Teofimo Lopez,” continued Hearn. “Richardson has the opportunity tomorrow to really make a statement to the world back home, but he’s up against a rugged dog in Kambosos.”
If Kambosos can pull off the upset, it would he huge for Australian boxing, and put himself in position for bigger fights against the likes of Devin Haney, Teofimo Lopez, and Ryan Garcia.
“You’re going to get a beautiful crossroads fight between Kambosos and Hitchins. George wants Richardson to stand and fight,” said Eddie Hearn. “George is a very determined and smart guy. He wants Richardson to stand and fight. I know Richardson is the favorite.”
Last Updated on 06/13/2025
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