Richardson Hitchins says he wants the winner of the November 22nd fight between Devin Haney and WBO welterweight champion Brian Norman Jr.
Calling Out the Haney–Norman Jr. Winner
IBF 140-lb champion Hitchins (20-0, 8 KOs) states that he’ll move up to 147 and immediately challenge the winner of the Haney vs. Norman Jr. fight for the WBO welterweight belt. He says he’s been “bickering” with Norman Sr., and he already sparred with Brian Jr. previously.
It’s questionable whether Haney or Norman Jr. will want to face the defensive artist Hitchins, since he’s not popular. There are bigger potential fights for the winner against these fighters:
- Ryan Garcia
- Teofimo Lopez
- Shakur Stevenson
- Conor Benn
- Rolando ‘Rolly’ Romero
- Mario Barrios
Fans Cry “Desperation Move”
Fans on social media view today’s signal of intent by Hichins as a sign of desperation. There haven’t been any big fights that have fallen into Hitchins’ lap like he may have thought after he became a free agent.
He recently parted ways with his promoter, Eddie Hearn of Matchroom, after he’d successfully guided him to the IBF light welterweight title with a fight against Liam Paro, then set him up for an easy first defense against former unified lightweight champion George Kambosos Jr.
The “Betrayal” Heard Round Matchroom
The thanks Hearn got were Richardson announcing his free agency inside the ring after the Kambosos Jr., signaling that he wasn’t going to re-sign with Hearn. To some fans, it was the ultimate act of betrayal, showing disloyalty to Hearn for all that he’d done for him. It was seen as a stable in the back for the Matchroom boss.
“Brian Norman to fight me after Devin Haney. I’m willing to go up to 147. In my first fight [at welterweight], I’ll go up and challenge the winner of Devin Haney and Brian Norman for the WBO world championship,” said Richardson Hitchins to The Ring on X, jumping the line at 147 ahead of the contenders at welterweight.
Who Hitchins Should Really Fight Next
There are plenty of compelling fights for Hitchins in his own weight class at 140, without him needing to resort to begging Norman Jr. and Hitchins. These are notable options for Hitchins at light welterweight if he’s willing to take a risk:
- Ernesto Mercado
- Gary Antuanne Russell
- Keyshawn Davis
- Subriel Matias
- Alberto Puello
- Kevin Brown
- Jamaine Ortiz
- Dalton Smith
- Oscar Duarte
- Kenneth Sims
“Brian Norman’s dad has been bickering, saying he wants to fight me next. In a few months, if I’m available and Brian Norman is available, let’s make the fight happen. I don’t see why. Me and Brian Norman already boxed before in the gym. So we’re familiar with each other. So, I think it would be good to do it for a real championship,” said Hitchins.
Last Updated on 10/27/2025
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