Richardson Hitchins will reportedly struggle former two-division world champion Jose Pedraza on December seventh on former IBF 140-lb champion Surbriel Matias’ undercard.
A Step Backwards for Hitchins?
It’s a giant step backward for the Matchroom Boxing-promoted Hitchins, 26, to struggle Pedraza as a result of he ought to be combating contenders at 140 quite than pale fighters.
Hitchins is coming off a controversial 12-round unanimous choice win over Gustavo Lemos on April sixth in Las Vegas, which many followers noticed as a loss for the Brooklyn, New York native Richardson.
The scores had been 117-111, 115-113 and 115-113 in favor of Hitchins. I watched the struggle reside and had Lemos successful 9-3 [117-111]. It wasn’t an in depth struggle. Lemos outworked and outslugged Hitchins in that struggle and had him on the run for the whole 12-round contest.
The Forgotten Man?
Hitchins has an similar fashion to Shakur Stevenson however with just a little extra pop in his punches. Unusually, Hearn selected to signal Shakur to his Matchroom firm, on condition that he’s not spoken a lot about Hitchins throughout interviews. It’s virtually like he’s the forgotten man in Hearn’s secure.
In a means, it is sensible for Hitchins to be matched in opposition to Pedraza quite than a contender. If Hearn views Hitchins’ efficiency in opposition to Lemos as not measuring as much as the place he must be, placing him in in opposition to Pedraza is logical.
In Hitchins’s earlier struggle in opposition to Jose Zepeda, on September twenty third final yr, followers booed him for combating cautiously in Orlando, Florida.
Hitchins received the competition by a 12-round unanimous choice however used his Shakur-esque combating fashion of retreating when attacked. The followers at ringside didn’t like what they had been watching, and so they let Hitchins and his coach learn about it.
Hitchins Must Impress
If Hitchins doesn’t begin combating with extra inspiration, Hearn would possibly want to contemplate not renewing his contract when it’s up. Hearn doesn’t want two Shakur-like fighters as a result of it’s dangerous sufficient to have one he must prop up.
Pedraza hasn’t received a struggle in three years since 2021 and is coming off a sixth-round knockout loss to Keyshawn Davis on February eighth in Las Vegas.
In line with @cesarseda, #3 WBO and #5 WBC ranked Hitchins (18-0, 7 KOs) will face the 35-year-old Pedraza (29-6-1, 14 KOs) subsequent.
Pedraza hasn’t regarded like the identical fighter he as soon as was since shedding to Vasily Lomachenko and Jose Pedraza in 2018 and 2019. These fights appear to have taken one thing out of Pedraza becaue his document since 2020 is 3-3-1.
