Promoters Won’t Pay Hitchins — ‘No Fanbase Yet’

Teofimo Lopez says the money that Richardson Hitchins has been asking to fight him, the promoters and networks are “not willing to give him” because he doesn’t have a big enough “fanbase.” Hitchins (20-0, 8 KOs) hasn’t built up enough of a name for him to command the money he wants. Lopez didn’t say how much Hitchins is asking for to face him.

Teofimo Calls Out Hitchins’ Demands

Lopez (22-1, 13 KOs) states that he would do his part to “build noise” for a fight against Hitchins, but it’s not up to him whether the match would happen.

Hitchins recently called out the winner of the Devin Haney vs. Brian Norman Jr. fight, saying he’ll move up to 147 to face whoever emerges victorious. Neither of those fighters has shown any interest in taking up his offer.

Names He’s Been Avoiding

The problem is that the Brooklyn, New York, native Richardson, 28, has only fought two notable opponents in his eight-year career, George Kambosos Jr. and Liam Paro. He needs to take some risks by fighting the top 140-pounders who have been calling him out. These fighters:

• Gary Antuanne Russell
• Ernesto Mercado
• Subriel Matias
• Keyshawn Davis
• Jamaine Ortiz

Some of these guys would have an excellent chance of defeating Hitchins. So, it’s understandable why he hasn’t pulled the trigger on facing any of them. But these are fighters that would increase Hitchins’ popularity if he were willing to take a risk. He’s not going to be able to take a backdoor route to mega-millions by fighting the likes of Kambosos Jr.

The IBF light welterweight champion, Hitchins, has got to be in 50-50 fights or ones in which he’s the underdog.

Promoters Not Biting on the Price Tag

“It’s a possibility. It’s just the fact that Hitchins wants an X amount of money that promoters at networks are not willing to give to him just yet, because he needs to build that fanbase around him. He needs to build that noise,” said Teofimo Lopez to the 10-8 Podcast about what has prevented him and Richardson Hitchins from fighting.

Hitchins’ Safe Route Exposed

• George Kambosos Jr.
• Liam Paro
• Gustavo Daniel Lemos
• Jose Zepeda
• John Bauza
• Yomar Álamo

Those are not big enough names for Richardson Hitchins to build a large fanbase.  Hitchins is trying to put the cart before the horse by seeking big fights while bypassing the risky building matches he needs to take first to build a fanbase. It wouldn’t take long for Richardson to work himself to the point where he was a big enough name to get matches against Teofimo, Haney, and Norman Jr. if he were facing the top 140-pounders.

That’s if he were getting weeded out by them, which could happen. Mercado, Antuanne Russell, Keyshawn, Matias, and Jamaine would be brutal fights for Hitchins.

“I can bring that star power to it from my sense. I’ll try my best in the press conferences to get people engaged on it. It’s come to a business. It’s not come to, ‘I want to fight you.’ ‘Alright, let’s fight. Let’s thump it out. Let’s show the world.’ It’s more to business now for everybody,” said Teofimo.