Subriel Matias congratulated Richardson Hitchins on Saturday night for his victory over IBF welterweight champion Liam Paro, letting it be known that he would see him soon. Hitchins (19-0, 7 KOs) dethroned Paro (25-1, 15 KOs), winning a 12-round split decision at the Roberto Clemente Coliseum, San Juan, Puerto Rico.
(Credit: Melina Pizano/Matchroom)
If the fight happens, it would be a difficult style for Hitchins because Matias would not be afraid of pressure the way Paro is. He would have walked Richardson like Gustavo Lemos, but he was landing harder shots.
Matias (22-2, 21 KOs) reckons Hitchins will choose to defend his newly won IBF belt against him, which could happen if he fails to take a bite out of any of the big names his promoter Eddie Hearn he said he wanted to try it. to match him against the next. Here are the four that Hearn said he wants for Hitchins:
- Teofimo Lopez
- Devin Haney
- Jose ‘Rayo’ Valenzuela
- Jack Catterall
If Hearn can’t get any of those four to agree to face Hitchins, Matias will likely be the guy he lines up next. He is ranked #5 IBF, below Jack Catterall and Arnold Barboza Jr. Matias (21-2, 21 KOs) was defeated by Paro by a 12-round unanimous decision last summer on June 15.
“See you later”
Richardson Hitchins would go up to 147 if this fight was ever ordered. #Boxing pic.twitter.com/8XMqyoorqh
— Zain (@ZainBoxing) December 8, 2024
Hearn didn’t mention former IBF welterweight champion Subriel Matias as a possible future opponent for Hitchins, but that doesn’t mean he won’t try to make that fight next. The four guys that Hearn mentioned won’t be excited to fight him because his style is bad for each of them.
“When I got into the ring afterwards, some of Liam’s team came up to me and said, ‘Do you think we can get a draw from the last one?’ Honestly, no. I got 8-4. 7- 5 if you want to be really generous, but don’t,” said Eddie Hearn iFL TVtalking about Richardson Hitchins’ win over Liam Paro on Saturday night.
“When he read 117-111, I thought: ‘Don’t tell me that someone gives it to Liam Paro.’ five and ten, probably eleven, were all clear of Richardson Hitchins.
“These rounds, basically he banked six rounds there guaranteed. You have to give maybe 12. Maybe that went to Liam, but for me, it was 8-4 or 7-5. The right man won. It was a hell of a show.
It’s a good thing Hitchins wasn’t robbed on Saturday night, because that would have ruined the evening. The judge scored it 117-111 for Paro, who had to focus on the little things he was doing and ignore all the clean right hands that Hitchins had been landing on him since the fifth round.
Next In Line?
“He’s fighting Teofimo Lopez for Brooklyn. It’s a unification fight. The build would be epic. This is a big fight,” Hearn said when asked who Hitchins would fight next. It’s what he does next because I think a fighter of Richardson’s quality should fight those guys. (Jose ‘Rayo’) Valenzuela. Obviously, we have (Jack) Catterall. He’s (Teofimo) talking about moving to 147. Unite before we go,” Hearn said.
Hearn can get one of those guys to agree to fight Hitchins, but it’s likely that His Excellency Turki Alalshikh will choose to stage the fight in Riyadh. Hitchins doesn’t have the popularity to attract the names he and Hearn want him to fight. It is necessary for these fighters to be paid well to agree to fight Hitchins because of the probability of losing.
