The only other time Richardson Hitchins fought outside of his native Brooklyn came in Las Vegas, Nevada in his toughest test to date. The 2016 Haitian Olympian turned away a stiff challenge from Tre’Sean Williams in taking an eight round decision this past January in just his seventh pro fight.
In theory, Hitchins’ return to Sin City carries a similar formula, as he faces once-beaten Kevin Johnson (7-1, 4KOs) in a scheduled 10-round bout this Friday.
Their junior welterweight clash will air live on Showtime’s ShoBox series from Sam’s Town Live in Las Vegas, with many pegging the pairing as among the most competitive bouts of the evening.
It’s meant as a compliment to the 22-year old continuing to step up in class, but not quite the same way he sees his night playing out.
“I don’t know why people think that will be the case,” Hitchins (9-0, 5KOs) told BoxingScene.com. “The way I see it, if this bout is competitive, then I’m doing something wrong as a fighter.”
Hitchins’ desire to accelerate to contention is what motivated him to sign with Mayweather Promotions, whose brass has already earned a reputation for its aggressive matchmaking.
“Everyone who signs us knows, they know they’re not gonna get babied by us,” Leonard Ellerbe, the brains and hustle behind (and specifically, the CEO of) Mayweather Promotions notes to BoxingScene.com. “We believe in putting in all our guys tough.”
Hitchins’ self-confidence aside, Friday’s matchup with Las Vegas’ Johnson figures to be tightly contested on paper. The bout will mark Johnson’s fifth straight against an unbeaten foe, having gone 3-1 over that stretch. The lone loss came against another former amateur standout, two-time Olympian and 2016 Olympic Gold medalist Fazliddin Gaibnazarov in a competitive but clear decision last July.
Two wins have followed for Johnson, including a six-round split nod over previously unbeaten Larry Gomez in April.
Hitchins hasn’t fought since a 3rd round stoppage of Alejandro Munera this past May. All that means is more than five months worth of pent up frustration which he plans to unleash on Friday.
“I’d like to be more active, but Friday’s fight will put me in high demand,” Hitchins believes. “I can box with anybody. If I had to box with (unbeaten three-division and reigning welterweight titlist) Terence Crawford tomorrow, I'd get in there. I've been boxing top pros since 16 and 17 years old. I got a big pedigree. They overlook when a young kid comes in the pro game.
“The kid I'm fighting, when we were in the amateurs, he wasn't making it to quarterfinals. I was wining nationals. It's not much improvement in competition. Even if this fight went to a close decision, I would be devastated.”
Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox
