Richardson Hitchins and George Kambosos Jr squared off on Saturday, June 14 at The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York. The contest featured the defending IBF super lightweight champion of Brooklyn up against the former unified lightweight champion from Australia.
The scheduled 12-round world championship bout ended inside the distance. Hitchins dominated Kambosos, securing the win by TKO. On his way to victory, the representative of the host country sent his opponent to the canvas with a left body shot followed by a right hand.
Referee Michael Griffin started the count, and despite Kambosos managing to get back on his feet, waved the fight off to save him from further punishment. The time was 2 minutes and 33 seconds into the eighth round.
Richardson Hitchins made the first successful defense of his title and improved to 20-0, 8 KOs. In his post-fight interview, the unbeaten 27-year-old champion called out Devin Haney (32-0, 15 KOs, 1 NC). The latter – the former undisputed lightweight from San Francisco – returned to action in May, defeating Jose Ramirez by unanimous decision in a fairly uneventful matchup.
“I’ve been telling the boxing world, I’m the trut,” Hitchins said. “Everybody that know Richardson Hitchins – if you don’t know, now you know. I’ve been telling the boxing world that I was coming and they should have listened. So, now I’m here.”
“I watched George. I’ve seen the fight with him and Devin Haney. I knew that Devin Haney didn’t really take it inside and he was head hunting a lot When he did have him hurt. So I said, ‘you know, I’m going to touch him with some short shots.’ 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. I told his dad, ‘If you love your son, you’ll stop the fight.’ He was tough, he was a true competitor, but I was just the better man tonight.”
“I want the big fights. After my last fight, I called Teofimo [Lopez] out right away. Obviously he got other plans, so I don’t know what’s next. But I’m looking here at the camera – Devin Haney, f*** you. Let’s fight. Devin Haney next. F*** Devin Haney and Bill Haney. New York stand up. We’re here, baby.”
George Kambosos Jr. didn’t succeed in his second attempt to once again become champion, after falling short by TKO in the 11th round against Vasiliy Lomachenko last May in his bid to regain the IBF 135-pound belt. The 31-year-old Sydney native dropped to 22-4, 10 KOs.