Subriel Matias congratulated Richardson Hitchins on Saturday night on his victory over IBF light welterweight champion Liam Paro, letting him know he will see him soon. Hitchins (19-0, 7 KOs) dethroned Paros (25-1, 15 KOs), winning a 12-round split decision at Coliseo Roberto Clemente, San Juan, Puerto Rico.
(Credit: Melina Pizano/Matchroom)
If the fight takes place, it would be a difficult style for Hitchins because Matias would not be afraid to push like Paro was. He walked Richardson like Gustavo Lemos did, but hit harder shots.
Matias (22-2, 21 KO) is counting on Hitchins to choose to defend his newly won IBF belt against him, which could happen if he fails to land any of the big names Eddie Hearn’s promoter he said he wants to try. to match him with the next one. Here are the four 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 with next. He is ranked #5 in the 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 soon”
Richardson Hitchins would move up to 147 if this fight is ever ordered. #Boxing pic.twitter.com/8XMqyoorqh
— Zain (@ZainBoxing) December 8, 2024
Hearn didn’t mention former IBF light welterweight champion Subriel Matias as a possible next opponent for Hitchins, but that doesn’t mean he won’t try to make that fight next. The four guys that Hearn mentioned aren’t going to be excited to fight him because his style is bad for each of them.
“When I got in the ring afterwards, some of Liam’s team came up to me and said, ‘Do you think we might have had a draw from the last one?’ Honestly, no. I took it 8-4. 7-5 if you want to be really generous, but no,” Eddie Hearn said iFL TVtalking about Richardson Hitchins’ win over Liam Paro last Saturday night.
“When he read 117-111, I’m thinking, ‘Don’t tell me somebody’s giving it to Liam Paros.’ 117-111, you score 9-3 on Liam Paros. It’s unbelievable. I told Liam that the problem for him was between five and ten, possibly eleven, were all clear Richardson Hitchins rounds.
“Those laps, he basically did six laps there on bail. You have to give him maybe 12. Maybe that went to Liam, but for me it was 8-4 or 7-5. The right man won. It was one hell of a show.
It’s a good thing they didn’t rob Hitchins last Saturday night because that would have tainted the evening. The judge scored it 117-111 for Paros, who had to focus on the little things he was doing and ignore all the clean right hands Hitchins was hitting him with from the fifth round on.
Next in line?
“He’s fighting Teofimo Lopez for Brooklyn. It is a unification struggle. The build-up would be epic. This is a great fight,” Hearn said when asked who Hitchins will fight next. That’s what he does next because I think a fighter of Richardson’s quality should be fighting these guys. (Jose ‘Rayo’) Valenzuela. Obviously, we have (Jack) Catterall. He (Teofimo) is talking about going to 147. Consolidate before you go,” Hearn said.
Hearn can get one of those guys to agree to fight Hitchins, but he’s likely to demand that His Excellency Turki Alalsih choose to stage the fight in Riyadh. Hitchins doesn’t have the popularity to attract the names he and Hearn would like to fight. It would require these fighters to be paid well to agree to fight Hitchins because of the possibility of losing.
