Odds: Hitchins 5-1 favorite (average of multiple outlets)
Significance (up to five stars): ***
Also on the card: Diego Pacheco vs. Shawn McCalman, super middleweights; Skye Nicolson vs. Sarah Mahfoud, featherweights (for vacant WBC title); Galal Yafai vs. Agustin Mauro Gauto, flyweights; Marc Castro vs. Abraham Montoya, junior lightweights
Background: Hitchins is a 2016 U.S. Olympian and a rising young 140-pound contender from New York City. The 26-year-old, an excellent technician, is coming off the biggest victory of his career: a near-shutout decision over former three-time world title challenger Jose Zepeda on Sept. 23. Hitchins is ranked in the Top 3 in three of the four major sanctioning bodies, No. 2 by the WBC. Lemos is best known for his fifth-round knockout of one-time 126-pound titleholder Lee Selby at 135 pounds in March 2022, which sent the aging Welshman into retirement. The IBF’s No. 7-ranked 140-pounder also is on a run of 10 consecutive knockouts. However, he has faced no one else of note. And the 28-year-old resident of Buenos Aires has never fought outside of his native country, which makes it difficult to gauge the threat to Hitchins he will pose on Saturday.
Junior welterweight contender Richardson Hitchins believes he’s on his way to stardom going into his fight against Gustavo Lemos.
Richardson Hitchins is loaded with ability, he insists. He has just needed a platform to demonstrate it.
The 140-pound contender from Brooklyn has a big one on Saturday night at Fontainebleau Las Vegas, where he’ll take on Gustavo Lemos in an IBF title eliminator (DAZN).
Hitchins, 26, sees it as just another step toward stardom.
“I think I am a star already and superstar status comes with me promoting myself, making the best of my opportunities and getting to that superstar status,” he said on Matchroom’s “Flash Knockdown” podcast. “My name is buzzing already as if I am a world champion.
“People put me in these fantasy fights like, ‘I want to see Richardson Hitchins vs. Devin Haney, vs. Subriel Matias,’ and this is just in a year that I’ve been with Matchroom. Once I’ve had a little bit of exposure to the boxing fans, my name is on the scene.
“So I feel like slowly but surely, people are seeing my talent and that will turn me into the superstar that I want to be once I get my hands on the world championships and big fights.”
Hitchins (17-0, 7 KOs) is coming off a breakthrough victory, a near-shutout decision over three-time title challenger Jose Zepeda in September.
He’s now ranked by three of the four major sanctioning bodies, No. 3 by the IBF. That organization’s Nos. 1 and 2 positions are vacant, which means he’s the top contender for Subriel Matias’ title.
Lemos (29-0, 19 KOs) is a 28-year-old from Argentina who is best known for stopping former 126-pound titleholder Lee Selby in March 2022, although he has never fought outside his native country.
Hitchins is confident things will go well in what he sees as a significant opportunity: Fighting as a headliner on a major card.
“I feel good, I feel ready for the moment,” he said. “This is what I’ve been doing my whole life. This will just be another day in the ring for me and picking up another victory. That’s what we plan to do on Saturday.
“This is big, I’m not going to lie. It’s a huge opportunity. When I first fought on a Matchroom card in Ohio (in 2022) I said, ‘I’m supposed to be the main event right now.’ And I don’t even think it was a year later that I was headlining my first card.
“I felt Matchroom was giving opportunities to fighters that were on a lesser level than me, and I felt I belonged at the level where I was headlining my own cards and be on the verge of a world title.
“I proved myself slowly but surely that I belong with the elite guys in the division, and now is the time to stamp my name in the division and in the sport.”
Hitchins doesn’t have a style that appeals to fans who crave action. The 2016 Olympian, who competed for his parents’ native country of Haiti, is a polished technician.
He’s committed to the hit-and-not-be-hit approach to boxing. That has worked for him, as all but one of his victories have come by unanimous decision or stoppage. And most observers believe his split decision over veteran Argenis Mendez in 2020 should’ve been unanimous.
Hitchins believes he will win over fans with his dominance.
“I’m one of those fighters that people say, ‘Oh he’s boring,’” he said. “But I’m also one of those fighters that could box a perfect fight and not have a glove landed on me. So I feel like that’s my motto, and I’m sticking to hitting and not getting hit, and elevating my game, that’s what we focus on in camp.
“Everything else is just getting in shape and making sure my body is in physical condition to endure punishment if needed or to go any grueling rounds if that’s what it comes down to.”
Odds: Hitchins 5-1 favorite (average of multiple outlets)
Significance (up to five stars): ***
Also on the card: Diego Pacheco vs. Shawn McCalman, super middleweights; Skye Nicolson vs. Sarah Mahfoud, featherweights (for vacant WBC title); Galal Yafai vs. Agustin Mauro Gauto, flyweights; Marc Castro vs. Abraham Montoya, junior lightweights
Background: Hitchins is a 2016 U.S. Olympian and a rising young 140-pound contender from New York City. The 26-year-old, an excellent technician, is coming off the biggest victory of his career: a near-shutout decision over former three-time world title challenger Jose Zepeda on Sept. 23. Hitchins is ranked in the Top 3 in three of the four major sanctioning bodies, No. 2 by the WBC. Lemos is best known for his fifth-round knockout of one-time 126-pound titleholder Lee Selby at 135 pounds in March 2022, which sent the aging Welshman into retirement. The IBF’s No. 7-ranked 140-pounder also is on a run of 10 consecutive knockouts. However, he has faced no one else of note. And the 28-year-old resident of Buenos Aires has never fought outside of his native country, which makes it difficult to gauge the threat to Hitchins he will pose on Saturday.
ALSO FIGHTING THIS WEEK
THURSDAY
Tito Sanchez vs. Erik Ruiz, junior featherweights, Indio, California (DAZN)
Jordan Panthen vs. Ravshan Hudaynazarov, junior middleweights, Costa Mesa, California (TrillerTV+)
FRIDAY
Ernesto Mercado vs. Deiner Berrio, junior welterweights, Houston (DAZN)
SATURDAY
Bakhram Murtazaliev vs. Jack Culcay, junior middleweights (for vacant IBF title), Falkansee, Germany (no TV in U.S.)
Richie Rivera vs. Mathew Obinna, light heavyweights, Uncasville, Connecticut (StarBoxing.TV)
