Hitchins, the undefeated IBF junior welterweight titleholder, was left in an awkward position after being removed from the January 31 card at Madison Square Garden. He has been linked to a fight with Jamaine Ortiz on the undercard of the Teofimo Lopez-Shakur Stevenson event. Once the show was finalized, Hitchins was no longer a part of it. Ortiz moved on. Hitchins did not.
The rest of the section is sealed:
• Teofimo Lopez Jr. is already committed to Shakur Stevenson.
• Subriel Matias has been linked with Dalton Smith and then Alberto Puello.
• Gary Antuanne Russell has a must of his own.
That leaves Hitchins alone, with a belt with nowhere clear to go.
The name that popped up is Frank Martinwith a strong win over Rances Barthelemy. It is a meaningful struggle. It is also a frivolous one for now. Martin is not in the IBF’s top fifteen, meaning the bout cannot be sanctioned unless the rules bend or the situation changes quickly.
Furthermore, the options are quickly thinning out. The IBF’s mandatory challenger, Lindolfo Delgado, awaits. The decision that elevated him was widely contested. It doesn’t matter to the IBF. What matters is compliance.
Once formal notice is issued, Hitchins will either fight Delgado or risk losing the title that created this window in the first place. There is no third lane.
This moment says more about Hitchins’ standing than his last defense. Champions with draw dictate terms. Champions without it wait for letters.
