Richardson Hitchins and George Kambosos Jr drew their battle lines as they faced off in Matchroom’s YouTube series ‘Cards on the Table’.
The pair went eye-to-eye ahead of their clash for Hitchins’ IBF World Junior-Lightweight title at The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York on Saturday June 14, live worldwide on DAZN.
Hitchins and Kambosos Jr sat in close quarters at Madison Square Garden and grilled each other on their forthcoming showdown and their respective resumes.
New Yorker Hitchins (19-0 7 KOs) defends his title for the first time after ripping the title from Kambosos Jr’s fellow Australian Liam Paro in Puerto Rico in December in a career-best performance, and the unbeaten champion now looks to show his fellow champions at 140lbs that he’s coming for their titles next by defeating Kambosos Jr.
Kambosos Jr. (22-3 10 KOs) returns to the scene of his greatest night as he looks to become a two-time and two-weight World ruler against Hitchins, stepping back through the ropes in the vaunted Manhattan venue where he became the king at 135lbs by stunning Teofimo Lopez in November 2021. ‘Ferocious’ returned Down Under where he twice met Devin Haney in Melbourne before welcoming Vasiliy Lomachenko to Perth, with a victory over Maxi Hughes in Oklahoma. The 31 year old claimed the 22nd win of his pro career in March against Jake Wyllie in Sydney and will look to become a two-time World ruler against Hitchins.
“You are my highest payday, and my easiest payday,” Hitchins told Kambosos Jr. “This shit comes fast and sharp, I’m going to beat the shit out of you. The fight isn’t going the distance, I promise I’ll stop you.
“He’s training to land the right hand. To make it a tough and rugged fight, because that’s what you need to do, that’s what you have to do. You can’t outbox me, your Dad knows, your team knows; I’m one of the smartest fighters in the sport. You bring the fighters mentality, you are a warrior and you are tough, and you have experience. But it’s just levels.”
“This is not about money, don’t get it twisted, I’ve made a shitload of money,” said Kambosos Jr. “This is about catching that feeling again and I’m coming back to the same place I caught that feeling before. This is about proving to the world who I am, the champion that I am, the champion I have been. I’ve been to this place, I proved myself as an underdog and I’m coming to do it again.
“If you fought Lopez, Haney twice and Lomachenko when I fought them, they would beat your ass, and I will beat your ass on June 14.”
Hitchins and Kambosos Jr clash on a huge night of action in New York, with the chief support on the night seeing Andy Cruz face Hironori Mishiro in an eliminator for the IBF World Lightweight title.
Cruz (5-0 2 KOs) is the highest rated contender with the IBF at 135lbs, sitting at #3 in the rankings with #1 and #2 vacant, and the Cuban Olympic gold medal man can take a massive step towards a World title tilt with victory in his first fight in New York City.
Mishiro (17-1-1 6 KOs) sits at #5 with the IBF, and the former Japanese Lightweight champion makes his American debut in the biggest fight to date in his eight-year career, looking to upset Philadelphia-based Cruz and land the title shot for himself.
A host of stars join Cruz and Mishiro on the undercard in important fights, led by Canadian Heavyweight Alexis Barriere taking on Roney Hines for the WBC Continental Americas title. Barriere (12-0 10 KOs) penned a co-promotional deal with Matchroom and Groupe Yvon Michel after claiming the 12th win of his career on home soil in Quebec in February, and the 29 year old will be looking to make an impact on the WBC rankings by claiming the title against Cleveland’s Hines (14-0-1 8 KOs) who fights for his first pro belt.
Ernesto Mercado is making plenty of noise in the 140lb division, and Tito will face Jonathan Montrel for the IBF North American and WBC Continental Americas titles. Mercado (17-0 16 KOs) dispatched of former World champion Jose Pedraza in spiteful fashion inside four rounds of their clash in Las Vegas in January, and the talented Californian fights for his first belts in his Big Apple debut, and will be looking to make another statement against Montrel (19-3 13 KOs) the New Orleans man stepping into the biggest night of his career, and also fighting for his first belts.
Zaquin Moses (3-0 2 KOs) opens the show on DAZN with his fourth fight in the paid ranks again over four rounds at Super-Featherweight against Carl Rogers (3-2), popular New Yorker ‘Pretty Boy’ Pablo Valdez (9-0 8 KOs) moves into double figures over eight rounds at Welterweight against Cesar Diaz (9-1 4 KOs), Indian Olympian star Nishant Dev (1-0 1 KO) showed his huge potential in the paid ranks with a first round KO win on debut in Las Vegas in January and takes on Josue Silva (3-2 1 KO) over six rounds at Super-Welterweight and the Before the Bell action is kicked off by the professional debut of British teenage talent Adam Maca, who makes his bow over four rounds at Bantamweight.
