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IBF champion Hitchins relinquished his title and moved up to 147 pounds

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2 months ago

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IBF junior welterweight champion Richardson Hitchins has decided to vacate his title after signing with Zuffa Boxing and will move up to the 147-pound weight class.

“On the evening of April 20, 2026, the IBF received notification from Richardson Hitchins that he was relinquishing his IBF Jr. World Welterweight Title,” the IBF confirmed in a statement. “Hitchins expressed pride in fighting for, winning and retaining the title. Likewise, the IBF was proud that Hitchins is a world champion. We recognized his talent, placed him in the rankings and he took this path to championship. The IBF extends its best wishes to Richardson Hitchins for continued success.”

Hitchins (20-0, 8 KO) signed with Zuffa Boxing earlier this month and questions were raised as he was the second IBF champion to sign with the fledgling organization. Jai Opetaia was stripped of his IBF cruiserweight title after winning the inaugural Zuffa world cruiserweight championship last month. Rather than wait for another upcoming crossroads, Hitchins decided to leave the organization and move up to a higher weight class.

Hitchins was scheduled to defend his IBF title in February against Oscar Duarte, but he became ill on the day of the fight and withdrew after struggling with a weight cut and the same-day weigh-in clause that prevents fighters from adding more than 10 pounds over the division’s weight limit.

“It was a tough decision for Hitchins, but he has outgrown that weight class; he has been fighting at 140 pounds since he was 16 years senior as an amateur,” Hitchins’ manager Keith Connolly told Ring Magazine. “Hitchins is an elite fighter and I truly believe he will get even better and stronger at welterweight and that he will challenge for the 147-pound world title in the next 12 months.”

Before signing with Zuffa Boxing, Hitchins was in talks to defend his title against Lindolfo Delgado of Mexico. However, since Hitchins has decided to leave the organization, the IBF plans to have Delgado fight for the vacant title in his next fight.

“The No. 1 challenger in this division is Lindolfo Delgado, who has been instructed to negotiate the title with the next top available challenger,” the IBF said.

Duarte is currently ranked third in the IBF rankings, with the second spot currently vacant.

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Boxing

Gervonta Davis is currently fighting to return to one of the biggest fights in American boxing: “His team reached out”

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47 minutes ago

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June 22, 2026

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Gervonta Davis now pursuing one of the biggest fights in US boxing for comeback: “His team reached out”

The future of Gervonta Davis remains one of the most talked about topics in boxing.

The Baltimore star hasn’t fought since a controversial draw with Lamont Roach Jr., which many observers felt should have gone against him after Roach was denied a knockout. Since then, a combination of legal issues and uncertainty surrounding his return plans have left fans confused about what will happen next.

Recently, however, there have been signs that “Tank” Davis is getting closer to a return. The WBA has ordered him to defend his lightweight world title against mandatory challenger Floyd Schofield, with Schofield’s camp previously suggesting progress was being made behind the scenes.

While Schofield was considered the favorite, another familiar option could now emerge.

On Sunday evening on social media, three-division world champion Devin Haney revealed that he was contacted directly by the “Tanka” team.

“I think Gervonta has gained some balls…his team has reached! We can just fight!”

The timing is especially engaging given Haney’s current position. The WBO welterweight champion has recently been linked to both Shakur Stevenson and mandatory challenger Keyshawn Davis, while “Tank’s” immediate future appeared to be tied to Schofield.

A fight between any two fighters: Davis, Haney and Stevenson would be one of the biggest fights in boxing today. However, there are two main obstacles standing in the way of a Davis-Haney fight.

The first is Haney’s mandatory duty. WBO president Gustavo Olivieri recently confirmed that the champion has been ordered to face Keyshawn Davis next and will not receive an exception to fight another fight.

The second, and perhaps bigger, issue for Davis is weight. “Tank” is the most comfortable lightweight campaign, while Haney now looks like a legitimate welterweight, even though he has only had one fight in the division so far. He seemed open to offering a catchweight of 144 pounds to fight Stevenson, but even that would be a significant disadvantage to Davis.

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Devin Haney says Gervonta Davis’ team has made contact and declines to discuss the hydration clause

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3 hours ago

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June 22, 2026

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Image: Devin Haney Says Gervonta Davis' Team Reached Out, Rejects Rehydration Clause Talk

Devin Haney says that after years of calls for a fight, a fight with Gervonta Davis may finally be closer to reality.

Haney revealed on social media that Tank Davis’ team recently reached out about a potential fight. When the fan responded by warning him not to agree to any hydration restrictions, Haney quickly dismissed the idea.


“Never,” Haney repeated X about not wanting to agree to the rehydration clause.

The response came shortly after Haney suggested that discussions had begun between the two sides.

“I think Gervonta has gained some balls. His team has reached! We can just fight! 😅– Haney wrote.

The fight between Haney and Gervonta is one of the longest unanswered questions in boxing. Haney continued to fight multiple times during his lightweight title fight, but the fight never materialized despite years of public calls and fan demands.

San Francisco-born Haney became the undisputed lightweight champion in 2022, and Davis continued to build his profile as one of boxing’s biggest pay-per-view attractions.

Haney’s rejection of rehydration clauses will likely become a talking point if negotiations move forward. Hydration restrictions became a major topic of debate ahead of Tank’s 2023 fight with Ryan Garcia, with many fans criticizing the terms of the deal.

Devin has recently been linked to potential fights against Ryan Garcia, Shakur Stevenson and Keyshawn Davis. His latest comments put Gervonta Davis back into the conversation after years of failed attempts to make the fight happen.

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Last updated: 22/06/2026 at 17:07

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Boxing

Promoter Naoyi Inoue Confirms Target Opponent and Schedule: ‘I’m Sure You Can Guess’

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5 hours ago

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June 22, 2026

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Naoya Inoue’s next mandatory challenger set to be determined in interim title fight

Last month Inoue defeated fellow Japanese star Nakatani, in the biggest fight in the history of Japanese boxing and one of the most anticipated fights on the 2026 boxing calendar.

Od tego czasu uwaga skupiła się na Jesse’m Rodriguezie, który w momencie niedawnego zwycięstwa Inoue był posiadaczem trzech tytułów mistrza świata w wadze super muszej. “Bam” vacated the belts and secured the WBA bantamweight world title after a knockout victory over Antonio Vargas. Trener Amerykanina, Robert Garcia, zasugerował, że stoczą jeszcze jedną walkę w tej wadze, zanim ponownie przejdą do walki i rzucą wyzwanie Inoue.

I’m talking to Yahoo Japan

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