Promoter Eddie Hearn says George Kambosos has a chance of pulling off an upset tonight if he starts fast, uses lots of aggression, and doesn’t allow IBF light welterweight champion Richardson Hitchins to build up a big early lead.
Hitchins (19-0, 7 KOs) is the favorite against Kambosos (22-3, 10 KOs) for their headliner at The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City. This is an opponent that Hitchins hand-picked after he failed to get a fight against Teofimo Lopez. It’s not ideal, but Richardson wasn’t going to choose his #1 contender, Subriel Matias, due to the risk involved.
Hitchins’ Weaknesses
- Constant holding
- Vulnerable to pressure
- Low power
- A runner
- No inside game
- Lacks aggression
Kambosos Upset Plan Revealed
“A lot of this fight depends on how much George has left, and how Richardson can compose himself in that cauldron of madness,” said Eddie Hearn to Fighthype, dissecting Richardson Hitchins vs. George Kambosos Jr. fight for tonight. “If you’re going for experience, you’re going for George because of what he did last time and all those massive nights he’s been a part of.”
Power-wise, Kambosos is as good as always, but he seems to have lost a little bit of hand speed since 2021. He still has enough pop in his punches to worry Hitchins if he can get to him early, before he builds up a lead. If Hitchins can get a big lead in the first half of the contest, he’ll coast in the later rounds by moving constantly. That’s what he does. He builds up a lead and then goes into his prevent defense, running for the second half of the fight. It’s effective but not entertaining to watch.
“Is he good enough. You’ve got to be good enough to deal with the skills of Hitchins, who is very good. The brain would say, ‘Hitchins on points.’ For me, the first three rounds of this fight are really important,” said Hearn. “If George can get into the fight, if he’s not 3-nil, 4-nil down, chasing, then he’s got a great chance in the fight. But he’s got to be effective early, try to unravel Hitchins, who is a very talented fighter.”
Hitchins Stressed by Pressure
Kambosos has got to get past the hard, speedy shots that Hitchins throws to get near enough to him to connect. He’s vulnerable when his opponents are landing shots. We saw that in Hitchins’ fights against Gustavo Lemos and Jose Zepeda. Those guys weren’t the fastest fighters, but they had enough power to stress out Richardson, causing him to lose his cool.
“When we did the show in March, it was a very different George. He’s a big stage fighter. What I’m seeing from him now is what I saw against Teo. That’s why he’s here. He doesn’t need it for the money. He’s got loads of money. George is here for legacy. If he wins this fight, he’s the greatest Australian fighter of all time, I think,” said Hearn.
Kambosos has definitely been motivated this week, showing the same kind of war-like personality that he displayed in his clash against Teofimo Lopez in 2021. However, he’s facing a different fighter than Teo. Hitchins is a pure boxer in the Shakur mold, possessing excellent hand speed.
Last Updated on 06/14/2025
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