Eddie Hearn now has a clear path to make a unification fight between IBF 140-lb champion Richardson Hitchins and WBO champion Teofimo Lopez next. Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis has decided he does not want to face Teofimo in a title defense of his IBF welterweight belt. He says he prefers to focus on unification at 147.
Hitchins vs Teofimo: A Realistic Matchup
Matchroom promoter Hearn should contact Bob Arum, Teofimo’s boss at Top Rank, and try to negotiate a fight. It’s the best available contest for Teofimo (21-1, 13 KOs) because he’s not going to get the Terence Crawford match he asked for.
Hitchins (19-0, 7 KOs) captured the IBF 140-lb title with a 12-round split decision victory over Liam Paro on Saturday night at the Roberto Clemente Coliseum in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The Eddie Hearn-promoted Hitchins looked excellent, beating Paro by scores of 116-112, 116-112 for Paro, and 117-111 for Paro.
Teofimo would want the fight with Hitchins because he may choose not to take the match if he feels it will be a difficult fight or a fight he could lose.
“He said he wants Teofimo Lopez. It’s a pretty big fight in New York City. Teofimo and Hitchins are both New Yorkers, both champions at 140 lbs,” said Chris Mannix in YouTube. “I think Teofimo-Hitchins is a much more realistic fight (as Jaron Ennis vs. Teofimo).
“I think it’s a fight that Top Rank could put on financially. Teofimo is obviously the A-side in a fight like that. He would get most of the money, and get the A-side bill. Even though Hitchins is a holder of the title, it’s not that expensive.
“You can do a fight with Teofimo and Hitchins. Put it on ESPN. If they don’t want to put it on ESPN, Eddie Hearn could put it on DAZN. This fight makes a lot more sense. It’s an interesting clash of styles, like Paro and Hitchins .Teofimo is more of a forward guy than a classic boxer.
It’s obviously not the massive fight that Teofimo wants against Jaron Boots Ennis, Devin Haney, Ryan Garcia, or Crawford, but it’s so good for him.
“Who wins? Teofimo has a lot more pop than Liam Paro. It’s a very interesting fight at 140. It’s a fight I want to see Teofimo win. Not something like Boots Ennis,” Mannix said.
“Hitchins, no one gives him credit for his power, but I have. I could hear, and I could see. He does not engage in combinations,” said Sergio Mora. “The hustle. You could hear it, and you could see the respect he was getting from his opponents. I could see it in Paro’s face after the second half of the fight. He was an undefeated fighter.”
