Brian Norman Sr. says he doesn’t believe Richardson Hitchins is serious about his wanting to fight the winner of his son’s fight with Devin Haney on November 22nd. He believes Hitchins is just talking to keep himself relevant because he doesn’t have any fights after his eighth-round TKO victory over George Kambosos Jr. on June 14, 2025.
Matias, Russell & Keyshawn Waiting
Norman Sr. points out that the champions at 140 have called Hitchins out, but he’s not trying to fight any of them. It’s not just the champions. The contenders have also called him out, and he’s not shown any interest in fighting.
Fighters who have called out Hitchins
- Subriel Matias
- Ernesto Mercado
- Keyshawn Davis
- Gary Antuanne Russell
- Lamont Roach
- Devin Haney
- Teofimo Lopez
Hitchins (20-0, 8 KOs) commented this week on social media that he wants the Haney vs. Norman Jr. winner. He sounded serious, as he doesn’t have any options for well-paying fights now that he’s chosen not to re-sign with Matchroom.
“You got to think about Gary Antuanne Russell calling him out, and Matias calling him out. Richardson Hitchins isn’t going to respond to no fight he can actually make,” said Brian Norman Sr. to MillCity Boxing, reacting to being told that Richardson Hitchins called out the winner of the Brian Norman Jr. vs. Devin Haney fight.
Free Agency With No Fights Lined Up
You can’t rule out the possibility of Hitchins being serious about wanting to fight the winner of the Haney vs. Norman Jr. fight. With Turki Alalshikh not showing interest in placing Richardson on his Riyadh Season events following the public announcement of his free agency after his win over Kambosos Jr. on June 14th, fighting the winner of the Haney-Norman Jr. battle could be his only chance of fighting on one of Turki’s events.
Saudi Stage Slipping Away
If that’s Hitchins’ only way of getting a taste of some of the Saudi money, it makes sense for him to put his neck on the line against whoever emerges victorious in the Devin vs. Brian Norman Jr. Even if Hitchins gets blown apart, financially, it’ll be worth it. He’d still have the safety net of his IBF 140-lb title to return to.
Since Hitchins would be moving up to 147 to challenge for the WBO welterweight title against the winner of the November 22nd clash, it’s a risk-free situation for him. He gets paid millions for the opportunity, and can cry his way to the bank if he’s beaten. The best thing of all, Hitchinns would still have his IBF light welterweight strap.
“Richardson Hitchins isn’t going to fight nobody. You’re going to talk about fighting Devin Haney and the winner of this. The whole division that you’re in, you’ve got people calling you out. You’ve not responded to not one of them,” said Norman Sr.
It is troubling that Hitchins has never agreed to fight any of the sharks that have been calling him out. Would it be asking too much of Richardson to get in the ring with Antuanne Russell, Matias, or Keyshawn? How about the 23-year-old Mercado? Why not fight him?
At 28, Hitchins isn’t getting any younger, and he still hasn’t beaten anyone notable. His best career victory was against faded one-hit wonder Kambosos, who came into their fight last June with a lowly 1-3 record in his previous four contests. Hitchins should have said yes to Russell, Matias, or Mercado by now.
“He’s got a whole division of champions. You will not unify. They’re willing to fight you and wanting to fight you. Teo and Richardson Hitchins are the worst people because they’re worried about what the fans say,” said Brian Sr.
