IBF light welterweight champion Richardson Hitchins posted on Instagram, saying he’s “not coming to play” for his title defense against #3 George Kambosos Jr. on June 21st in New York City. He says it’s going to be “Like a movie” at the venue in NYC.
U.S. fans aren’t eager to see Hitchins defend against Kambosos, 31, because he’s not viewed as a credible contender by them. They view him as a one-hit wonder who was never more than a bottom fringe-level fighter who got lucky once.
Kambosos’ Cut
Hitchins (19-0, 7 KOs) looks forward to this fight because it’s one of the biggest of his career. However, it’s still too early to know if the former unified lightweight champion Kambosos Jr. (22-3, 10 KOs) will be able to make it to the fight due to a bad cut he suffered last Saturday night in his 12-round headliner against Jake Wyllie in Sydney, Australia.
There are only 13 weeks for the cut to the head, and if it opens up, he’ll be replaced. Promoter Eddie Hearn said that the June 21st date is set, and he’s not going to change it.Ā Hearn didn’t say who the plan B option challenger will be if Kambosos Jr. can’t make it through camp.
D-Day: June 21st
“JUNE 21st, first title defense and homecoming against Kambozo. Iām not coming to play. NYC will be a movie that night. Let’s go!!! š„š„š„š„š„” said Richardson Hitchins on Instagram, letting his followers know that he’ll be defending his IBF light welterweight title against #3 George Kambosos Jr. on June 1st in New York City.
Hitchins is excited because 1. it’s a winnable fight. 2. Kambosos Jr. is well known, and 3. He’s fighting at home in New York City.
“George has done it all. He’s proven his credentials. It’s difficult sometimes when you come in, and you’re fighting some young Australian,” said promoter Eddie Hearn at the post-fight press conference, explaining why George Kambosos Jr. struggled against his replacement opponent Jake Wyllie.
Hearn sounded like he was in damage-control mode at the post-fight press conference, trying to come up with excuses for why Kambosos Jr. performed so poorly against the young, unknown 24-year-old Wyllie. This was supposed to have been an easy fight, but Kambosos’ age, ring wear, and the fact that he was never that good, to begin with, made it a tough match for him.
“Six rounds in, it’s getting tough. You’ve had a clash of heads,” said Hearn. “You got a bad cut. You’re thinking, ‘I’m supposed to be Hitchins in 13 weeks.’ That is the date, and it’s not moveable. That’s now the challenge for George. It’s not, push it back for three or four weeks. That is the date.
“I thought he boxed well, but he just come up against a young kid. It wasn’t until the last three or four rounds that Wyllie came on strong,” said Hearn.
