Hitchins Proclaims “True Champion” Status After Stopping George Kambosos

IBF light welterweight champion Richardson Hitchins boasted on social media today, saying he’d proven himself as a “true champion” after stopping his hand-picked opponent George Kambosos in the eighth round last Saturday night.

Hitchins’ “True Champion” Claim

Hitchins (20-0, 8 KOs) believes that his win over the former three-belt lightweight champion Kambosos (22-4, 10 KOs) means that he’s proven himself as one of the elite fighters in the sport. This fight was an abomination that should have never occurred.

“In boxing, they said you’re not a true champion until you defend your title #TrueChampion,” said Richardson Hitchins on X.

If beating Kambosos is what is used to gauge whether a fighter has reached elite-level status, it doesn’t say much about the sport. He was a down-and-out fighter coming into the fight, with a 1-4 record, still living off his victory from four years ago against Teofimo Lopez.

For Kambosos to have been selected for a title shot against Hitchins, it doesn’t say much about the champion or his promoter for choosing him over more deserving fighters, like Gary Antuanne Russell and Subriel Matias. Russell beat Hitchins four times in the amateurs and has been calling him out, but has been ignored by the New Yorker.

Hitchins needs to be forced to walk the plank by fighting Russell, Matias, and Ernesto Mercado in that order. If he comes out victorious in one piece, then he can brag that he’s a “true champion” and reached elite status.

The 140-lb Gauntlet Ignored

Bragging would be okay for Hitchins if he beat the killers below:

1. Gary Antuanne Russell
2. Subriel Matias
3. Jamaine Ortiz
4. Keyshawn Davis
5. Ernesto Mercado
6. Oscar Duarte
7. Isaac Cruz

Most of these fighters would beat Hitchins quite easily if he would actually agree to fight them. I don’t think he’ll ever fight any of them for obvious reasons. That’s the problem with fighters like Hitchins. Their promoters maneuver them into capturing world titles without fighting anyone of quality, and then once they pick up a belt, they crow about the win, and call out popular fighters that they have business fighting.

After Hitchins’ win over Kambosos, he called out Devin Haney and Teofimo Lopez. Haney no longer fights at 140. So, if that matchup were to happen, Richardson would freeze his IBF light welterweight title while he goes up to 147 for a payday fight. If he does do that, the IBF should strip him of his light welterweight title because it’s not fair to the contenders waiting in line for their title shot in the rankings.

All sanctioning bodies should have a rule that champions cannot move up in weight without giving up their titles. How can you have a sport if belt-holders like Hitchins move around as they please, leaving their titles frozen and waiting for them when they return?