Boxing
Skip Matias and Russell in favor of Haney-Norman
Published
4 months agoon
Richardson Hitchins reiterated today that he is willing to move up to 147 pounds to fight the winner of the November 22 fight between WBO welterweight champion Brian Norman Jr. and Devin Haney.
The simplest possible route
Brooklyn-based Hitchins (20-0, 8 KO) wants a title shot in his first fight at 147, rather than winning it by fighting top contenders waiting for the WBO rankings. It’s the other way around attempts to win the title, but it may not work out given that Hitchins is not popular with casual fans. It’s a formula. Defeat a supple opponent, then call upon warriors who are above your pay grade and have earned their way.
No Matias and no Russell
Richardson shows no desire to fight top contenders or champions at 140 to gain popularity. Instead of Richardson fighting top 140-pounders like Gary Antuanne Russell and Subriel Matias, he’s content to fight George Kambosos Jr.
I can promise it will be a solid opponent, but me I can’t promise you I won’t make it look like a cupcake. Richardson Hitchins said Ring Magazine about his next fight. “After the win over Kambosos, I called up players like Devin Haney. I called up Teofimo Lopez.”
The only two notable contenders in the top 15 of the IBF rankings are Jamaine Ortiz and Ernesto Mercado. It is highly unlikely that Hitchins will fight either of these two as they would have an excellent chance of making him a cupcake.
Hitchins’ manager Keith Connolly is unlikely to choose Jamaine or Tito Mercado as his next opponent, as they could take away his bargaining chip by dethroning him as the IBF 140-pound champion. We saw how much trouble Hitchins had against Gustavo Lemos on April 6, 2024, winning a questionable 12-round unanimous decision.
Many boxing fans believed that Lemos deserved to win this fight. To say Hitchins has been exposed is an understatement. The judges gave him the decision on scores of 117-111, 115-113 and 115-113. He didn’t look like a winner. The fight showed that Hitchins was susceptible to pressure. He’s so ugly Haney and Shakur style. The kryptonite of this style is pure pressure.
Title Ambition
“I’m willing to move up to 147 pounds and challenge some of the champions there,” Hitchins said. “At 140, do some unifications. It’s about getting the biggest fights for me. Now I’m the champion. I’m in great shape. It’s time for me to prove to the world who Richardson Hitchins is.”
If Hitchins wants to fight top fighters at 140 pounds, he should start doing so because top belt holders have repeatedly called him out, refusing to agree to fight any of them. These warriors called upon Hitchins:
- Gary Antuanne Russell
- Subriel Matias
- Albert Puello
- Keyshawn Davis
- Ernesto Mercado
“For my first fight, I’m willing to go down to 147 pounds and challenge the winner Devin Haney and Brian Norman for the WBO world championship. After the great win over Kambosos, I felt it was only fair to say I was a free agent and see what the best offers were for me,” Hitchins said.
What Hitchins should do if he wants to fight for the world welterweight title is to first relinquish his IBF 140-pound title. Then level up and fight your way through these challengers for a chance at the title:
- Shakhram Giasov
- Karen Chukhadjian
- Eimantas Stanionis
- Raul Curiel
A fan base that doesn’t exist
Earlier this week, Teofimo Lopez rejected the idea of fighting Hitchins, claiming that television networks and promoters were not willing to pay him the money he was asking for due to a lack of fans. Lopez says to 10-8 Podcast that Hitchins wants “X amount of money that the promoters at the networks are not willing to give him yet because he needs to build a fan base around himself.”
https://boxrec.com/en/box-pro/787807
Tom Galm has been busy on the global boxing scene since 2014, specializing in heavyweight analysis, business trends and fighter psychology.
Last update: 10/30/2025
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Boxing
Mike Tyson lists who was better between Mayweather and Pacquiao in their prime
Published
1 hour agoon
March 10, 2026
Mike Tyson has shared his verdict on who he ranks higher between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao.
Mayweather and Pacquiao are considered two of the greatest boxing legends in recent history, and their success led to a battle between them at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas in May 2015.
It was Mayweather who won by unanimous decision, but now, more than a decade later, they will meet again for a second time while fighting at The Sphere in Las Vegas on September 19.
Mayweather is now 49 and Pacquiao is 47, both men are well past their prime, and there is often debate among boxing fans as to which man was better than the other during the best years of their careers.
Mayweather retired with a perfect 50-0 record, defeating the likes of Oscar De La Hoya and Canelo Alvarez, while Pacquiao is the only eight-division boxing world champion in history to boast victories over the likes of Juan Manuel Marquez and Miguel Cotto.
Heavyweight icon Tyson once expressed his own opinion on who was the better of the two, ace revealed that he thinks Pacquiao has achieved more.
“Pacquiao is better than Floyd. He overcame adversity. He got knocked out, came back and had some sensational fights against opponents that outperformed any opponent Floyd had fought.”
Before Mayweather faces Pacquiao in a rematch, he is actually scheduled to face Tyson himself, and an event between the pair will take place soon, although it appears it will not take place on the originally announced April 25 date.
Boxing
Dmitry Bivol is targeting a fight with Canelo Alvarez or David Benavidez
Published
3 hours agoon
March 10, 2026
Undisputed lithe heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol could pursue a rematch with Canelo Alvarez or a fight with David Benavidez once he finishes his current duties in the division.
Bivol’s manager, Vadim Kornilov, outlined the champion’s preferred path in comments provided by Dan Rafael, explaining that Bivol intends to first pursue a mandatory IBF defense and then return to competing with Artur Beterbiev.
He is expected to have a mandatory defense against Michael Eifert this spring. The fight was scheduled for May 23 at a gala headlined by unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk.
After fulfilling this obligation, Bivol’s team wants to immediately start the third fight with Beterbiev. Their rivalry produced two closely watched fights, leaving unfinished business between two fighters who have dominated the lithe heavyweight division for the past several years and built one of the most respected rivalries in the sport.
More intriguing possibilities emerge after this trilogy. Rafael reported that Bivola’s camp sees a second fight with Canelo as one of the main options still available to the champion. Bivol defeated Alvarez by unanimous decision in 2022, handing the Mexican star one of the clearest defeats of his career.
Another potential opponent in question is Benavidez, who has moved up to lithe heavyweight and has been seeking a chance to fight the top fighters in the division. The fight between Bivol and Benavidez will pit the undefeated Mexican-American challenger against a champion who currently holds four major division titles.
Kornilov also suggested that Bivol could eventually prove himself at cruiserweight, although such an idea appears to be more of a long-term possibility than an immediate plan for the undefeated champion.
For now, the plan of action remains straightforward: fulfill the IBF mandate against Eifert, complete the trilogy with Beterbiev, and then fight one of the most crucial fights that could decide the final stage of Bivol’s career.
Robert Segal is a boxing reporter at Boxing News 24 with over a decade of experience covering fight news, previews and analysis. Known for his first-hand reporting and in-ring perspective, he delivers authoritative coverage of champions, challengers and emerging talent from around the world.
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Last update: 2026/03/10 at 16:34
Boxing
Jai Opetai’s undisputed dream lives on as the IBF releases a fresh statement regarding the status of the title
Published
5 hours agoon
March 10, 2026
A fresh twist has been revealed in the story of Jai Opetai and the IBF cruiserweight title.
Last week it was reported that Opetaia was to be stripped of his IBF belt after the opening bell of his planned fight with Brandon Glanton on Sunday at the Meta Apex in Las Vegas, due to the fact that the fight was also for Zuffa’s inaugural belt.
Nevertheless, Opetaia continued his fight and declared a unanimous decision victory over Glanton extend their undefeated record to 30-0.
After the fight, Opetaia once again shared his desire to become undisputed in the cruiserweight division, and it appears he has been given the opportunity to do just that as – announced the IBF in a statement that they have not yet made a final decision to strip him of the title.
“Jai Opetaia made comments during the post-fight press conference that led the organization’s leadership to question whether his advisors fully and fully made him aware of the decisions he had to make in deciding to fight Brandon Glanton. The organization intends to take a closer look at this matter.”
The statement also included a mighty response to claims that they had decided not to sanction the fight due to feelings of “disrespect” in the run-up to the fight.
“The IBF categorically denies any suggestion or claim that it deliberately withdrew sanctions to cause harm. The IBF sanctioned the Opetaia vs. Glanton fight in good faith, expecting what was assured to happen.”
“The press conference held on March 8 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada, made it clear that the inaugural Zuffa World Cruiserweight Championship would be held on March 8.
“The IBF, as previously stated on March 6, reserves the right to sanction title fights along with other sanctioning bodies that adhere to the same regulations that the IBF follows, and reserves the right to sanction title fights along with other fights that prepare the IBF cruiserweight title remains a subject of discussion.”
The final outcome as to whether Opetaia will indeed retain her title will be revealed in due course.
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