Richardson Hitchins (18-0, 7 KOs) defeated Gustavo Lemos (29-1, 19 KOs) in an IBF light welterweight title eliminator, but fans ain’t agreeing with the decision.
Hitchins got away with murder in terms of his holding in the fight, and the fans feel that he should have been disqualified at some point in the fight.
After this performance, Richardson should send the referee a gift basket because he owes his victory to his passivity in enforcing the rules of the sport.
On social media, the boxing public criticized Hitchin’s win and questioned his tactics to get his controversial victory. The judges scored it for the Matchroom Boxing-promoted Hitchins the decision by the scores 117-111, 115-113, and 115-113.
A Spotlight on Boxing’s Failings
The Hitchins vs. Lemos fight spotlighted what needs fixing in the sport. A passive referee, ignoring the excessive holding and questionable judging, which combined gave boxing a black eye.
In the fight’s aftermath, Hitchins should praise the referee for allowing him to avoid being repeatedly penalized and disqualified for breaking the rules.
With the referee giving zero warnings or point deductions, Hitchins could clinch to his heart’s content, happily preventing Lemos from throwing punches by grabbing him when he would get near enough to let his hands go.
What the ref Should have done:
1. Warn Hitchins for holding
2. Penalize x 3
3. Disqualify
Hitchins’s excessive holding was way overboard for what is normally allowed in a fight, and it was obvious that he didn’t know how to deal with Lemos’s pressure.
It’s fair to say that the outcome would have been entirely different if the referee had actually done his job and taken points away for Hitchin’s nonstop holding in the fight.
Hitchins’ Bizarre Post-Fight Logic
- “I felt I won the fight.” If clinching were the way fights were scored in the sport, Hitchins won the fight. He won by a landslide in an upside-down world.
- “Maybe one more fight before going to a world title.” In other words, Hitch isn’t nearly ready to challenge IBF champ Subriel Matias for his title
- Comparing Lemos to Matias: Richardson fails to realize that Matias won’t let him hold the way Lemos did. He’s going to pound him with shots while he hugs. That’s where Lemos dropped the ball, but in fairness to him, he wasn’t prepared for Hitchins’ spoiling style.
Hitchins: Out of His Depth?
“I felt I won the fight. Maybe one more fight before going to a world title. Get some more experience,” said Richardson Hitchins to the media following his controversial win over Gustavo Lemos last night in Las Vegas in an IBF light welterweight title eliminator to earn the mandatory position to challenge champion Subriel Matias.
Hitchins is lucky he’s got a ref in the ring that’s letting him dip and and grab over and over w/any warnings
— ShowtimeShawn Porter (@ShowtimeShawnP) April 7, 2024
Fans on social media were howling with anger over Hitchins being given a controversial win over Lemos, who was the aggressor, landed the better shots, and looked like the clear winner. The fans were irate on social media, roasting Hitchins over his questionable victory, viewing it as a gift decision.
“I’ll go for a world title in my next fight. I just feel like I’m still settling in as a professional. I only had 18 fights. Yeah, for sure,” said Hitchins when asked if the fight with Lemos prepared him to face the hard-hitting Matias.
“Matias is more relentless than that guy. The guy was relentless, but he’s probably more explosive than Matias. Matias is more busy. Both of those fights test me mentally. That’s a fight [Lemos] that will help me get ready mentally.
“I don’t feel like a lot of other guys at 140 fought a style like that. Not Teo, not Devin. I never seen them fight a guy that was so relentless, so strong, and so explosive like that. I feel like I showed grit tonight,” said Hitchins.
