Richardson Hitchins Is In the Mix With Haney, Shakur and Teofimo

Eddie Hearn says Richardson Hitchins is now in “the mix” for fights against the big names at 140 and 147.

Hitchins is back among the fold with Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing company after the two patched things up between them.

Back With Matchroom, But Still Unproven

Hearn wants to put the IBF light welterweight champion Hitchins in some big fights in 2026. He mentioned these fighters: Devin Haney, Teofimo Lopez, Shakur Stevenson, Rolando ‘Rolly’ Romero, and Lewis Crocker.

For the Brooklyn, New York native Hitchins to be taken seriously as an opponent for most of those fighters, he needs to get some wins over credible top-rated fighters.

When Paydays Start Driving The Route

Thus far, he’s beaten no one who fits that description. He has turned up his nose toward quality guys, like Gary Antuanne Russell, Subriel Matias, and Ernesto Mercado, to name a few. He’s more focused on getting the bigger paydays.

Hitchins was in negotiations for a fight against Keyshawn Davis for the undercard of Teofimo Lopez vs. Shakur Stevenson on January 31, 2026. The fight failed to happen due to financial reasons. Hitchins had reportedly asked for $2.5 million, and Keyshawn wanted $2 million.

“Now we just started talking again with Keith [Connolly] and Hitchins. I think we can work together. I think he’s a tremendous young fighter,” said promoter Eddie Hearn to KGTV about Richardson Hitchins.

“Although we’ve done a lot for him, he’s been faultless. He obviously was great against Kambosos last time, and I think he’s a guy that can be in the mix when you talk about Teofimo, Shakur, and Haney. You’ve got [Lewis] Crocker,” said Hearn. “You’ve got [Rolando Rolly] Romero.

The Kambosos Win In Proper Context

Hitchins is coming off an eighth-round knockout victory over George Kambosos Jr. on June 14, 2025. He’s been basking in the praise that he’s been getting from fans for that win.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t a good enough W to convince the big names to agree to fight him. He needs to beat some top talents, and Kambosos is widely seen as a fighter on the decline.

“You’ve got all of these guys at 140 and 147, because I think he will move to 147 at some point. But he’s a tremendous fighter,” said Hearn about Hitchins.

The Fights That Would Change The Conversation

We’ll see if Hearn can produce the big names for Hitchins to fight in 2026. It would help if he took on some strong contenders, like Frank Martin and Mercado, to build his name. Fans want to see Richardson prove himself against the best, and he’s not done that.