Richardson Hitchins Explains Why He Might TURN DOWN IBF Title Fight With Subriel Matias
- Richardson Hitchins fights an IBF final eliminator on April 6 live on DAZN
- Champion Subriel Matias is expected to sign with Matchroom Boxing/DAZN
- Hitchins would be the mandatory for Matias but may turn down the title shot
Richardson Hitchins is one win away from a shot at Subriel Matias’ world title but he might not be taking it.
With a victory over the dangerous, undefeated Argentine Gustavo Lemos (29-0, 19 KOs) in their IBF final eliminator, Hitchins would be Matias’s mandatory challenger.
Puerto Rico’s 140-pound champion is in advanced talks with Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing to align with them and fight Liam Paro in June/July in Puerto Rico on DAZN.
Matias vs Hitchins is a fight that would likely be ordered and with them being with the same promoter/network, it would make a lot of sense for the clash to happen but Hitchins might not go down the IBF route.
Richardson Hitchins Explains Why He Might Not Take Matias Fight
“This is an IBF eliminator, depending on how I feel come April 6, that would line me up for a belt (Matias/IBF)”, Hitchins told YSM Sports Media, “That’s the fight we’ll take if it gets presented to us but like I said, I’ve got to see how I feel with the rehydration clause.”
“Last time I fought for the IBF, I didn’t like the way I felt, that was vs Yomar Alamo. And after that, I told my team to never put me in a fight for the IBF belt because I don’t want to do the 10-pound rehydration clause.”
“But this is a big opportunity for us and we can’t miss it. So I told my team ‘Give me a shot to fight for the IBF to see how my body feels, how I rehydrate’. If I feel good, we’re gonna go for the world championship in the IBF, if not I’m still ranked in the WBC/WBO.”