Richardson Hitchins is ready to dismantle the game plan that IBF 140-lb champion Liam Paro and his trainer have come up with for their fight this Saturday. Hitchins (19-0, 7 KOs) already knows what Paro (25-0, 15 KOs) will try to do against him, and he will adjust to that by using his boxing skills to show that he is on his level.
Paro will defend against Hitchins on Saturday, December 7 at the Coliseo Roberto Clemente, San Juan, Puerto Rico. The event will be shown live on DAZN.
Decoding Paro’s strategy
Hitchins (27) says that Paro’s recent win over IBF champion Surbriel Matias was made easier because he was fighting guys with an identical style. So it was not a big problem for him to solve the pressure that Matias put on him.
“How excited are you to realize that you have a chance to become world champion on Saturday night?” Eddie Hearn told Richardson Hitchins during today’s final press conference for his title fight against IBF 140lb champion Liam Paro this Saturday night.
“It’s definitely a surreal moment. It’s not as surprising as it was when I first signed with you. When I first signed with you I always thought I couldn’t wait for my first title fight and what would that be like,” said Richardson Hitchins.
“Now that I’m more seasoned in the sport, I’ve shown that I’m at a world title level since I first signed with you. I always fought in shape. I have always shown that I am an all-around fighter.
“I was on the world stage. Now, it’s time to show the world that this is the only place I belong. I feel my type of boxing would be accepted anywhere other than the world stage. I’m not the kind of guy where you’ll see my fights in club shows. I should be fighting the best fighters at this stage, besides Eddie Hearn, because that’s the talent I bring to the sport.
“Saturday night I will show it again,” Hitchins said.
“You always talk about your levels above your opponents. Do you believe your levels above Liam Paro too?” Hearn told Hitchins. “He’s also coming off an incredible win. I know you give him the respect, but do you believe you are too good for him?”
“I respect Liam Paro because he treats the sport like a professional. He comes ready. He does everything he needs to do as a professional, but when it comes to a world stage, I don’t think he has the tools that I have,” Hitchins said.
“The fight with Matias, I told him before during the face-off, he was fighting guys like that before it came up. A lot of guys actually that he fought were the ones that came up and put the pressure on. He fought a Japanese guy who put the same pressure as Matias. He and his trainer said: ‘We’re going to box circles.’ So they had their game plan for Matias.
“To me, their approach is totally different. You here say Liam, he’s going to rip me off,” says Hitchins.
