He emphasized that Richardson Hitchins has a lot of ability. He just needs a platform to prove it.
The 140-pound contender from Brooklyn will have a big fight on Saturday night at Fontainebleau Las Vegas, where he will take on Gustavo Lemos in an IBF title eliminator (DAZN).
Hitchins, 26, sees this as just another step towards stardom.
“I think I’m already a star and superstar status comes with me promoting myself, making the most of my opportunities and achieving that superstar status,” he said on the “Flash Knockdown” podcast ” by Matchroom. “My name was resounding like I was a world champion.
“People put me in these imaginary battles like, ‘I want to meet Richardson Hitchins vs. Devin Haney, vs. Subriel Matias,’ and this was just my year in Matchroom. After I interacted a bit with boxing fans, my name came up.
“So I feel like slowly but surely, people are seeing my talent and that’s going to make me the superstar that I want to be once I win world championships and big fights. ”
Hitchins (17-0, 7 KOs) is coming off a breakout win, a near-decision over three-time title challenger Jose Zepeda in September.
He is currently ranked by three of the four major sanctioning bodies, ranked No. 3 by the IBF. That organization’s No. 1 and No. 2 spots are vacant, which means he’s a top contender for the Subriel Matias title.
Lemos (29-0, 19 KOs) is a 28-year-old from Argentina who is best known for stopping former 126-pound champion Lee Selby in March 2022, although he has never competed under outside his homeland.
Hitchins is confident that everything will go well in what he sees as an important opportunity: Fighting as the frontrunner in a big draw.
“I feel good, I feel ready for this moment,” he said. “This is what I have done all my life. This will just be another day in the ring for me and getting another win. That’s what we planned to do on Saturday.
“This is big, I won’t lie. It’s a big opportunity. When I first fought on the Matchroom card in Ohio (in 2022), I said, ‘Now I have to main event.’ And I didn’t even think it would be a year before I got my first card.
“I feel like Matchroom is giving opportunities to fighters at a lower level than me and I feel like I belong to a class where I’m pushing my own cards and getting close to winning a world title.
“I have proven myself slowly but surely that I belong among the elite in the league, and now it is time to make my name in the league and in this sport.”
Hitchins doesn’t have the style to appeal to action-hungry fans. The 2016 Olympian, who competes for his parents’ native Haiti, is a polished technician.
He is committed to a hit and don’t get hit approach to boxing. That worked for him, as all but one of his wins came by unanimous decision or stoppage. And most observers believe his split decision over veteran Argenis Mendez in 2020 should have been unanimous.
Hitchins believes he will win over the fans with his dominance.
“I’m one of those fighters that people say, ‘Oh, he’s boring,'” he said. “But I’m also one of those fighters that can put on a perfect fight without having to put the gloves on. So I feel like that’s my motto, and I stick to hitting and not getting hit, and raising my game, which is what we focus on in camp.
“Everything else is just getting in shape and making sure my body is in the best physical condition to endure punishment if needed or take on any grueling rounds if that happens.”
