Hitchins chases Teofimo, but Gary Antuanne still haunts him

IBF light welterweight champion Richardson Hitchins says he is open to fighting WBA champion Gary Antoine Russell. In an interview, Hitchins Russell said “can get it.”

The 0-4 Ghost That Won’t Go Away

However, it is unclear whether former Matchroom promoter Hitchins is serious about fighting Russell as his record is against him 0-4 from their amateur days. Antuanne has dominated Hitchins all four times they have met in the amateur and defeated him in the 2016 Olympics.

Recently, Russell (18-1, 17 KOs) expressed interest in fighting the undefeated Hitchins (20-0, 8 KOs). This would be the easiest fight to make if Richardson is willing to face Antuanne Russell because he clearly wants the fight.

“Nothing has come to us about Gary Russell and a unification. He’s trying to get a big fight. No one has come to us and said, ‘You can fight Gary,’ or Turki, or anyone has come to me that I know of,” Richardson Hitchins told the 10-8 podcast about a unification fight against WBA 140-lb champion Gary Antuanne Russell being offered to him.

“Coming out of the ring against George Kambosos, my eyes were on Teofimo. It makes sense. Two Brooklyn guys, a unification. It’s going to be next. Shakur kind of intercepted it,” Hitchins says.

There is no way Richardson can get a fight against WBO light welterweight champion Teofimo because he is not popular enough. Teo recently spelled it out, saying the networks weren’t interested in a fight between him and Hitchins because he wasn’t popular enough.

Hitchins tries to force a fight and calls out Teofimo Lopez and the winner of the Devin Haney vs. Brian Norman Jr. fight out. No one has shown any interest in fighting Hitchins except Antuanne Russell.

The problem is that Hitchins’ style, which is a cross between Shakue Stevenson and Devin Haney, makes him undesirable because he is too defensive. For Brooklyn, New York native Hitchins to get the big money fights he wants, he has to take risks against his four-time conqueror, Antuanne Russell, and against these talents at 140:

• Subriel Mathias
• Keyshawn Davis
• Ernesto Mercado

So far, Hitchins has treated those fighters as if they didn’t exist, never mentioning their names and showing no desire to face them. So, that leaves Richardson in a tough spot career-wise. He can’t secure the lucrative mega-million fights he wants because he doesn’t have the necessary resume, and he’s not willing to take the risks with his career to increase his popularity enough to attract them.

No Conviction About ‘He Can Get It’

“So Gary went on the internet and just blew his mouth. He’s trying to get a big fight, the same thing I’m doing with Teofimo that he’s doing with me. If Gary wants it, he can have it. If he wants to get in the ring, I can show him I’m a better fighter,” says Hitchins.

There seemed to be a lack of energy in Hitchins when he made this comment about Russell. He did not appear animated or credible in what he said. It was as if he was mouthing words, but with no conviction behind them. You can’t blame Hitchins if he’s not interested in fighting Antuanne Russell.

He lost to him four times and never came close to beating him in the amateurs. In the pros, Russell looks even more formidable than he did in the amateurs, and he hits hard with both hands. This will be a nightmare matchup for the finesse fighter Hitchins to deal with as he will have to box and move all night to avoid being taken out.

“We can make it happen. But as far as now, he has a task at hand. I have a fight coming up. That fight is going to happen in the near future. I’m looking for a unification. If not, I’m going to see what’s next,” Hitchins said.