On Saturday, June 14, 2025, IBF Super Lightweight Champion Richardson Hitchins successfully defended his world title for the first time. The Brooklynite dominated former lineal lightweight champion George Kambosos Jr. en route to a stoppage win in the eighth round. After securing the win in front of his hometown crowd at The Theater, Hitchins spoke to Chris Mannix.
“I’d seen the fight with him and Devin Haney. I knew that Devin Haney didn’t really take it inside, and he was headhunting a lot when he did have him hurt. So, I said I’m gonna touch him with some short shots,” Hitchins said.
“When I did touch him with a short shot, I seen how he squinted, and I smelled blood, but I just wanted to keep punishing him. And I told his dad: ‘If you love your son, you’ll stop the fight.’ So, he was tough. He was a true competitor, but I was just the better man tonight.”
Moving forward, Hitchins would like to go from fighting Devin Haney’s former opponent to battling the former undisputed lightweight champion himself. When asked about who he’d like to fight next, Hitchins wasted no time calling out Haney.
“Devin Haney! F—k you, n—a,” he said. “Let’s fight. Devin Haney, next. F—k Devin Haney and Bill Haney. P—y!”
The crowd at The Theater at Madison Square Garden erupted as one of their own took another step forward in his career. Next month, fellow Brooklyn-raised champion Amanda Serrano will make her way to the world’s most famous arena as she challenges Katie Taylor for the undisputed super lightweight champion. One day later, Brooklyn-born super middleweight Edgar Berlanga will go to war with Hamzah Sheeraz in Queens at Louis Armstrong Stadium.
