Richardson Hitchins to Fight Jose Pedraza on December 7

Richardson Hitchins will fight against ex-two division world champion Jose Pedraza on the undercard of Surbriel Matias’ fight night that will take place on December 7. For him, this fight may be a step back in his career. He is just 26 years old and would be expected to fight against world-class opposition at 140 pounds but instead faces a shot Pedraza. This fight was produced after a rather dubious win against Gustavo Lemos, which makes people wonder about his skills and further trials as a competitor in the sport.

Is This a Step Backward For Richardson Hitchins?

From his standpoint, a fight with Jose Pedraza has the potential of seeming to be a retirement for Richardson Hitchins. He should be competing with other top-ranked contenders in the 140-pound division not facing washed-up fighters.

Richardson Hitchins enters this fight after a 12-round unanimous decision victory over Gustavo Lemos on April 6 in Las Vegas. Most fans watching the fight believed he lost, even though the judges scored it in his favor with 117-111, 115-113, and 115-113. Lemos was the busier of the two and landed more significant strikes than Richardson.

Richardson Hitchins can be compared to Shakur Stevenson but Richardson delivers his punches with slightly more force. Nevertheless, Stevenson is a part of Matchroom Boxing promoted by Eddie Hearn who has barely spoken his name. It appears now he is more or less the “appendage” in Hearn’s stable of fighters. Hearn’s decision to match Hitchins against Pedraza suggests he may have been dissatisfied with his performance, particularly in the fight against Lemos.

Richardson Hitchins’ previous fight against Jose Zepeda on September 23 last year was also under the same shade. Many of the fans in Orlando, Florida began booing him for his tedious approach and desire to avoid confrontation, even though he won a unanimous decision. This style, quite similar to the one Stevenson used, was not to the liking of the audience and impacted Hitchins.

Pedraza’s Decline and Future Implications

José Pedraza has not emerged victorious in a fight since 2021 and was knocked out in the sixth round by Keyshawn Davis on February 8 in Las Vegas. He had a KO loss to Vasily Lomachenko in 2018 and a decision loss to Jose in 2019. Since 2020, he has only managed 3 wins, 3 losses, and 1 draw, which shows that he has slowed down.

Final Perspective

If Richardson Hitchins continues in this manner, there may well come a time when Eddie Hearn decides to part ways with the fighter. Hearn might not require two fighters in the same mold as Stevenson, particularly if he does not show potential to fight at another level. It remains for a fight against Pedraza to be arranged where Hitchins would establish himself as a contender worthy of recognition within the Matchroom Boxing fraternity.