Boxing
Promoters won’t pay Hitchins – ‘no fans yet’
Published
4 months agoon
Teofimo Lopez says the money Richardson Hitchins asked for to fight him was the promoters and networks “I don’t want to give him” because there isn’t a large enough “fan base”. Hitchins (20-0, 8 KO) hasn’t built enough of a reputation to have the money he wants. Lopez did not say how much Hitchins is asking to face him.
Teofimo appeals to Hitchins’ demands
Lopez (22-1, 13 KO) claims that he would do everything in his power to “make noise” before the fight with Hitchins, but it is not up to him whether the match will happen.
Hitchins recently announced the winner of the Devin Haney vs. Brian Norman Jr. fight, saying he will move up to 147 pounds to face whoever comes out victorious. None of these players showed any interest in taking up his offer.
Names he avoided
The problem is that Richardson, 28, of Brooklyn, Fresh York, has only fought two notable opponents in his eight-year career, George Kambosos Jr. and Liam Paro. He has to take some risks and fight the top 140-pounders who were challenging him. These warriors:
- Gary Antuanne Russell
- Ernesto Mercado
- Subriel Mathias
- Keyshawn Davis
- Jamaine Ortiz
Some of these guys would have had an excellent chance of beating Hitchins. So it’s understandable why he didn’t pull the trigger on confronting either of them. But these are fighters who would raise Hitchins’ popularity if he were willing to take the risk. He won’t be able to get into the mega-millions through the back door by fighting the likes of Kambosos Jr.
IBF welterweight champion Hitchins has to fight 50-50 fights or fights in which he is weaker.
Promoters don’t bite on the price
“It’s a possibility. It’s just a fact that Hitchins wants X amount of money which the promoters in the networks are not yet willing to give him because he needs to build a fan base around himself. He has to build this noise,” Teofimo Lopez said 10-8 Podcast about what prevented him from fighting Richardson Hitchins.
Hitchins’ sheltered route revealed
- George Kambosos Jr.
- Liam Paro
- Gustavo Daniel Lemos
- Józef Zepeda
- Jan Bauza
- Yomar Alamo
These aren’t large enough names for Richardson Hitchins to build a immense fan base. Hitchins is trying to put the cart before the horse by looking for large fights while skipping the risky build-up matches he needs to play first to build his fan base. It didn’t take long for Richardson to get to the point where he was known enough to fight Teofimo, Haney and Norman Jr. if he were to fight top 140-pounders.
That is, if he was eliminated by them, which could happen. Mercado, Antuanne Russell, Keyshawn, Matias and Jamaine will be brutal fights for Hitchins.
“I can bring that star power to it based on my instincts. I’ll do everything I can in press conferences to get people involved. It’s come to this. It’s not a matter of, ‘I want to fight you.’ – Okay, let’s fight. Let’s blow it up. Let’s show the world. Now everyone’s interests are more vital,” Teofimo said.
Tom Galm has been vigorous on the global boxing scene since 2014, specializing in heavyweight analysis, business trends and fighter psychology.
Last update: 29/10/2025
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Boxing
Mike Tyson lists who was better between Mayweather and Pacquiao in their prime
Published
2 hours 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
4 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
6 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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