NEW YORK CITY – Immediately after Richardson Hitchins scored the coup de grace in Round 8 – a left hook to the ribs that George Kambosos Jnr never saw coming – the ground underneath The Theater at Madison Square Garden shook. Initially, it felt like a stampede, as though fans had begun to storm the ring, but it was the excitement of seeing the only world champion based in New York City score a conclusive knockout that had sent the crowd into a frenzy, causing supporters to jump up and down and shake the building.

Hitchins, 20-0 (8 KOs), ended a four-fight decision streak Saturday, stopping Kambosos, the former unified lightweight champion, with a left hook to the body that he never saw coming and from which he was unable to recover.

The 27-year-old Hitchins, of the Crown Heights section of Brooklyn, New York, says he saw this day coming for years.

“A few years ago [in 2021], I was watching Teofimo [Lopez Jnr] and George Kambosos go to battle. … I was sitting somewhere in the stands and said if I get this opportunity, I would make the best of it,” said Hitchins. “With the help of [promoter] Eddie Hearn and [manager] Keith Connolly, they changed my life in a matter of two years.”

Hitchins said he had studied Kambosos’ two fights with Devin Haney, both of which Haney won by unanimous decision, and made a few adjustments to that blueprint to maximize the damage to Kambosos, the Sydney, Australia, native who has now been stopped in two of his past three fights.

“I told his dad, ‘If you love your son, you’ll stop the fight,’” Hitchins said. “He was tough, he was a true competitor. I was just the better man tonight.”

Hearn said that this was exactly the type of dominant performance Hitchins needed in order to boost his chances of earning a big fight opportunity.

“George is a warrior, but that’s what you need if you’re Richardson: come out, step on the gas and dominate,” Hearn said. “Sometimes he would let that just coast for 12 rounds, but he came out and dominated with a great performance. That is the statement he needed to mix with these guys. Great atmosphere, great performance from a great young American champion. Time for him to get the big fights.”

As for his next move, Hitchins, after two years with Matchroom Boxing, said he’s headed into free agency. Still, he didn’t have to look far for his next target. Seated at ringside, Bill Haney, the father-trainer of Devin Haney, had been heckling and trolling Hitchins and his team since the final press conference on Thursday.

“I’m looking here into the camera – Devin Haney, fuck you, n—a, let’s fight!” said Hitchins. “Devin Haney next. Fuck Devin Haney and Bill Haney, pussies!”

Haney responded on Twitter, posting, “We could get it at 147,” while insinuating that Hitchins’ beef with him is because of their past involvement with the same woman.

Another potential option is Lopez, the WBO junior welterweight titleholder, whom Hitchins had derided as a “bozo” and “goofy” for what he interpreted as Lopez’s fumbling of a mega-money fight with Haney.

“After my last fight, I called Teofimo out right away,” said Hitchins. “Obviously, he got other plans, so I don’t know what’s next.”

Lopez, when asked at center ring by DAZN following Hitchins-Kambosos what he thought of making the fight between New York-born 140lbs titleholders, seemed open to the matchup.

“I don’t know. Let me hear it, New York: Y'all want to see that fight?” Lopez asked, to moderate response. “Alright, man, I’m all about the people. Let’s go, baby.”

Ryan Songalia is a reporter and editor for BoxingScene.com and has written for ESPN, the New York Daily News, Rappler, The Guardian, Vice and The Ring magazine. He holds a Master’s degree in Journalism from the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism and is a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. He can be reached at ryansongalia@gmail.com or on Twitter at @ryansongalia.