Promoter Eddie Hearn wants Richardson Hitchins to knock out Gustavo Lemos on Saturday night in their IBF light welterweight title eliminator and then call out Devin Haney immediately after.
Eddie’s dream world of Hitchins scoring a knockout of Lemos has little chance of happening. The Brooklyn, New York native Hitchins could find himself counting stars if he tries to follow Hearn’s vision.
Hitchins: Safety First, Excitement Last
Hearn might be asking too much of the light-hitting finesse fighter Hitchins because he’s not shown any hint of punching power during his career. The boastful New Yorker Hitchins is a hit-and-run-pot-shot fighter who aims to win without getting hit and doing the minimum.
Richarson wins ugly and doesn’t attempt to put in the kind of performances that would make him a star or someone that top fighters like Haney would want to fight.
If Hitchins attempts to stop Lemos, he could live to regret it because the Argentinian can punch, and actually is very entertaining to watch. He’s the type of fighter that Hearn wants Hitchins to be, but that’s impossible. He’ll never be a puncher like Lemos, a fighter similar to Isaac ‘Pitbull’ Cruz with how he entertains fans.
Hitchins (17-0, 7 KOs) needs to up his game from the way he’s been fighting, which is safety-first Shakur-esque, if he’s going to follow Hearn’s vision of knocking out the big-punching Lemos (29-0, 19 KOs) in their 12-round headliner at the Fontainebleau Las Vegas, in Las Vegas.
Lemos: The Real Threat
“I went up to his manager and he told me, ‘On Saturday night, we will give you one of the best, violent performances of an away fighter on the show,'” said promoter Eddie Hearn to Fighthype about his conversation with Gustavo Lemos’ manager ahead of Saturday’s contest between Lemos and Richardson Hitchins on DAZN.
“I didn’t know who he was, and I said, ‘Who?’ And he went,’Gustavo Lemos.’ He said, ‘We will shut up Richardson Hitchins, and I’m telling you, you will have a superstar on your hands.’ I was like, ‘I don’t believe you, but I’d love to hear it.
“I love the confidence of Richardson Hitchins. He is a product of boxing of his environment. I think he is as good as Shakur, Devin, Teofimo, all of those guys. But you’ve got to be exciting at the same time because he doesn’t have the profile.
“So, you got to talk the talk, which he does really well, but you’ve got to show it in the ring. What I don’t want him to do is box every round and win. It’s nice. Beat him [Lemos] up and knock him out.
“Then stand on the turnbuckle and say, ‘I want Haney,'” said Hearn about what he wants Hitchins to do on Saturday night.
