Richardson Hitchins called out Teofimo Lopez, Devin Haney, and Ryan Garcia today, saying he wants to fight one of them after he’s done defending his IBF 140-lb title against George Kambosos Jr. on June 14th.
Hitchins (19-0, 7 KOs) believes that his fight against the one-hit wonder Kambosos Jr. will open the doors to bigger fights against Teofimo, Haney, Manny Pacquiao, and Ryan. Fans believe Hitchins is deluded, and will never get any of those fighters to face him.
His problem is that he fights too much like Shakur Stevenson, and his outdated fighting style doesn’t work in this era of boxing. Hitchins, Shakur, and Haney have that Mayweather style before the Internet became popular in the mid-1990s.
Hitchins Calls Out Top Stars
“The s*** is f**** in the boxing world right now. I don’t understand. Ryan Garcia is losing to Rolly. Devin Haney just got f**** up by Ryan. Teofimo doesn’t want to fight Devin Haney, but he wants to fight Boots,” said Richardson Hitchins to DAZN Boxing.
The reason Lopez wants to challenge IBF and WBA welterweight champion Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis rather than some of the killers at 140 is because of this:
- Less backlash if he loses: Getting beaten by the King of the 147-lb division, Boots won’t hurt Teofimo’s career compared to him getting beaten by Devin Haney, Gary Antuanne Russell, Hitchins or Keyshawn Davis
- Teofimo will look brave
- Big payday
“They need me in the picture now. I’ll come to 147. If Pacquiao really wants to test himself against one of the best young fighters in the sport, he can call me,” said Hitchins. “Don’t call Devin because you don’t want Devin running around like he did at Times Square. We know he’s going to do that against Pacquiao.”
Why Lopez Won’t Fight Hitchins
Teofimo, Haney, Ryan Garcia, and Pacquiao are not going to show interest in fighting Hitchins because he’s not popular, and his fighting style isn’t fan-friendly. He’s like a bigger version of Shakur Stevenson. He doesn’t tweet like a madman like he does, and chooses to stay in safety in one division rather than moving up for other opportunities, the way Shakur has done.
“Like I said, call my line after June 14th. Let’s make the big fight happen. It would make more sense at 140,” said Richardson Hitchins to Fighthype about a fight between him and Teofimo Lopez if Teo doesn’t wind up fighting Devin Haney next. “We’re talking about boxing. At 140, he’s got a belt, and I got a belt. Legacy-wise, it’ll be huge for us to unify and make a big fight happen.”
I hate to say it, but Hitchins is trapped in his orbit and will likely remain there as an anonymous fighter for the remainder of his career. His decision not to take risks by moving up to 147, 154, and 160 has stalled his career. None of the top fighters are going to bother fighting Hitchins at 140, and it’s a dead division anyway.
Hitchins’ Unrealistic Dream Fights
“Status-wise, me beating him is going to take my career to the next level,” said Richardson about a fight between him and Teofimo. “Him beating me will take his legacy even more in the sport of boxing. Yeah, it’s a big fight regardless. Let’s see what else they come to the table with. With Turki and the business of boxing, big fights are definitely possible.”
It’s safe to say that Teofimo will never fight Hitchins. So, it’s forlorn to hear Hitchins continually talking about a fight between him and Teo because it’s never going to happen. If Hitchins had any kind of sense, he’d have realized that by now, and moved out of the dead, lifeless 140-lb division to seek greener pastures at 147 or 154. That would require risk-taking and courage. His decision to stay at 140 suggests that he’s not brave enough to move up to expand. The ambition isn’t there.
“It really doesn’t matter. If Devin made a fight with me it’ll be good for me. Obviously, I’ll be much comfortable at a catchweight, and he’s a big name also,” said Hitchins when asked who he prefers to fight between Haney and Teofimo.
While Haney has a similar fighting style as Hitchins, ht’s more popular because he’s taken risks by moving up from 135 to 140, and now 147. More importantly, Haney’s father, Bill Haney, has helped his career with his trash-talking and charisma. Hitchins doesn’t have someone who can create interest in his fights like Devin’s dad.
“Teofimo would also make sense because of legacy. That would take my career to the next level,” said Hitchins. “Bigger paydays and just bigger everything. I really don’t think when I beat any of these guys, I don’t think I would need a belt after that.”
Hitchins sounds deluded with the way he continually talks about how great his life will be if Teofimo decides to fight him one of these days. Someone needs to clue Hitchins in to let him know that he needs to forget about Lopez, and instead move up to 147 to go after unified champion Jaron Ennis and WBO champ Brian Norman Jr.
“I’ll start solidifying my name in the sport, and I don’t think I would need a belt to give me leverage,” said Hitchins, dreaming about a future where he’s above the belts.
Last Updated on 06/04/2025
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