Connect with us

Boxing

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

Published

on

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.

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Boxing

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

Published

on

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.

Click here to sign up for our FREE newsletter

Related boxing news:

Categories Devin Haney and Gervonta Davis

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

Continue Reading

Boxing

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

Published

on

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

Continue Reading

Boxing

Collazo makes Valdez’s job easier

Published

on

Author: Sean Crose

On Saturday night, Oscar Colazzo decided to move up to the flyweight division. His hard-won world title wasn’t on the line because he was moving to a up-to-date division, but the stakes were still high for the popular Puerto Rican fighter. Things started badly before Collazo slipped between the ropes. For Neider Valdez, Saturday’s opponent, Collazo replaced him at the last minute. Collazo’s scheduled opponent in the 10-round bout, Joey Canoy, had visa issues and, as a result, Collazo later had to jump to a different weight class. It wasn’t an ideal situation, but both Colazzo and Valdez realized the players were struggling.

Bantamweight champion Colazzo threw himself with a southpaw in the first. Valdez, however, was not overwhelmed by the world champion, his own dedication and landing. Palazzo’s impressive left shot knocked out Valdez early in the second. With that said, the man was able to quickly get back on his feet to hit the mat once again. Another series of shots knocked down Valdez for the third time. Once again he was able to get up, but his corner thought better of it and stopped the fight.

The cut low of the fight was simply a demonstration of the difference between the champion and his last-minute successor. Valdez deserved credit for showing up and giving his all, but he was wildly classless. One wondered if he would even be able to represent an airline division. The DAZN broadcast team seemed dissatisfied with Valdez’s behavior, feeling that Valdez pulled out of the fight early. That may or may not have been true, but either way it was solid to imagine Valdez having a good night to himself.

“I feel great,” Collazo said later. He had a good reason for this. He successfully won his flyweight debut in less than three rounds. “I’m ready to make history,” Collazo added. “He’s the biggest little man in the boxing world today,” said promoter Oscar De La Hoya.

There was no doubt that Colazzo looked excellent, but the quality of his opposition was so impoverished that you have to wonder how Colazzo would have fared against stronger competition in the league. Make no mistake, Valdez was a replacement opponent who wasn’t expected to have much of a chance at first. Of course, there was a chance for him to shock the world. But he just couldn’t defy expectations in such an obvious way.

There is no doubt that Colazzo is an excellent fighter. He is aggressive, hits solid and exudes confidence. It’s not effortless for anyone. Indeed, he may be one of the more hard fighters to beat in boxing right now. Oscar De La Hoya certainly had plans for him, and after Saturday’s performance, it’s effortless to see why. If he continues playing at this pace, he will have a brilliant future ahead of him.

Smaller fighters like Colazzo don’t always get a lot of love from boxing fans, but there’s a lot to like in the smaller divisions. Those who fight at featherweight have an incredible skill set and very keen and correct striking. The pace at lower weights is speedy, and the players themselves show a lot of fortitude. Fighters like Michael Carbajal and even Manny Pacquiao have helped erase the image of the little fighter that no one wants to see. Indeed, smaller weight divisions can be seen significantly on television. Perhaps that’s why De La Hoya has so much faith in Collazo.

Continue Reading
Advertisement

OUR NEWSLETTER

Subscribe Us To Receive Our Latest News Directly In Your Inbox!

We don’t spam! Read our privacy policy for more info.

Trending