Notebook: Hitchins on defense vs. Kambosos: 'I believe he’s a bum'
Juan Francisco Estrada ending year layoff; Lewkowicz, De Los Santos split; WBO orders Noakes-Mason; Hrgovic-Adeleye added to Itauma-Whyte show; Zayas-Garcia undercard set; Quick hits; Show and tell
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IBF junior welterweight titlist Richardson Hitchins has disdain for George Kambosos Jr., the former unified lightweight world champion and Hitchins’ mandatory challenger.
They have had plenty to say to each other in the lead up to their fight — most of it anything but complimentary — which will headline a Matchroom Boxing card on Saturday (DAZN, 8:30 p.m. ET) at The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York, a homecoming fight for Brooklyn native Hitchins.
“I feel like he thinks that I’m just a regular guy,” Hitchins told Fight Freaks Unite about why he dislikes Kambosos. “I don’t like when fighters try to downplay me, downplay my skills. I take that very personal. I think he don’t know what’s in front of him.
“If he don’t come in there and prove he’s on an elite level of boxing I am going to show him that he’s a fucking bum and I believe he’s a bum. If he’s the guy I’m watching on TV, the guy I’m seeing (get dominated by) Devin Haney, if he comes in as that same guy, it’s gonna be a messy night for him and I can guarantee you that.”
The friction between Hitchins and Kambosos, who embraces his role as the heavy underdog, has been evident throughout the promotion.
There was the obligatory pushing, shoving and cursing at this week’s pre-fight news conference that even featured chair-throwing threats by Hitchins trainer Lenny Wilson and arguments over a $50,000 bet on the fight Kambosos declined to take, all of which prompted Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn to dispense with the traditional face-off, concerned that emotions might boil over worse than they already had.
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They were permitted to face off for the cameras after the ceremonial weigh-in on Friday and both managed to keep their cool and not lay hands on each other. There will be plenty of time for that come fight night.
“As you know, I love that underdog role, but there are no maybes, I’m doing this,” Kambosos said. “There’s no fake stuff. I'm going to this home in a familiar place where I’m 2-0 already. This is the trifecta. Like Lenny said, the talk is finished and we don’t need to sit and talk. I’m coming here as the underdog and I’m coming here to win this fight. You have seen it before and I’m here to win this fight; whatever it takes. There is no plan B.”
Indeed, while Kambosos is fighting on Hitchins’ turf, he is 2-0 at Madison Square Garden. He outpointed former lightweight titlist Mickey Bey in the main arena in 2019 and won a split decision and the unified lightweight titles in a gargantuan upset of Teofimo Lopez in The Theater in 2021.
Since that massive victory, however, Kambosos (22-3, 10 KOs), 31, of Australia, has done little, going just 2-3.
Haney traveled to Australia and routed Kambosos to unify the division and become the undisputed lightweight champion in 2022 and then traveled there again and whipped him in the rematch later that year. In 2023, Kambosos won a controversial decision over Maxi Hughes — many believed Hughes clearly won — and in 2024, Kambosos welcomed Vasiliy Lomachenko, who retired last week, to Australia and got destroyed in a one-sided 11th-round knockout in a fight for the vacant IBF title.
Kambosos moved up to junior welterweight for his next fight in March and outpointed lightly regarded countryman Jake Wyllie yet somehow has been handed the IBF’s mandatory position.
When asked if Kambosos deserved the title shot against him given his poor recent results and having no wins of note at 140 pounds, he reiterated his stance on his opponent.
“George Kambosos has been a bum. He’s been a bum,” Hitchins said. “He beat Teofimo Lopez, who is a talented fighter but IQ-wise he don’t have that. He showed that since the amateur days. Teofimo and me are not the same fighter. I am a way better boxer than Teofimo.”
Hitchins (19-0, 7 KOs), 27, has fought plenty of times in New York but is especially pumped to have his first hometown main event. In December, he outpointed Australia’s then-undefeated Liam Paro in Puerto Rico to win the title.
“It feels great defending my title at home. Long road. Long, long road,” Hitchins said. “I remember going to the Barclays Center (in Brooklyn), seeing Danny Jacobs, Adrien Broner, Tank Davis headlining big cards and in the current time you got guys like Edgar Berlanga bringing headlines to New York City and every time there’s be a big fight in New York, I’d be like, ‘Damn, I can’t wait to be the headliner.’
“But I never thought my first time as a headliner would be as a world champion bringing the title back home. That’s like even bigger for me. A lot of people doubted me, overlooked me, didn’t really think I would get to where I was getting to.”
But Kambosos aims to make it a short title reign for Hitchins. Kambosos believes he will spring another New York upset.
“I can box and fight and dictate the fight to do whatever it takes,” Kambosos said. “I can get knocked down and get back up again to win a championship fight. I’ve seen it all at the highest level and have been at the pinnacle and he hasn’t. When you fight the best and beat the best and lose to the best you’re still here.
“This warrior is still here back at his favorite home grounds to do the trifecta on a Matchroom show and I never lost in America or on a Matchroom show.”
In the co-feature, Miami-based lightweight Andy Cruz (5-0, 2 KOs), 29, the 2020 Cuban Olympic gold medalist with a laundry list of additional amateur accolades, will face Hironori Mishiro (17-1-1, 6 KOs), 30, of Japan, in an IBF title eliminator for the right to become the mandatory challenger for titleholder Raymond Muratalla (23-0, 17 KOs).
Estrada back in action
Juan Francisco Estrada, who held unified titles at flyweight and junior bantamweight and is a probable Hall of Famer, will end a one-year layoff on Saturday in his hometown of Hermosillo, Mexico.
Estrada (44-4, 28 KOs), 35, will move up to bantamweight, where he hopes to get the chance to fight for a title in a third weight class, will take on Karim Arce (21-2-2, 8 KOs, 27, of Mexico, in the 10-round main event of a Zanfer Promotions card.
Estrada has been out of the ring since last June 29 when lost the lineal/WBC junior bantamweight title. He got knocked down twice and stopped in the seventh-round by Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez, who he dropped in the sixth round of a competitive fight, in Phoenix.
Estrada had the contractual right to invoke an immediate rematch but declined.
Arce, who is the nephew Mexican action star and former world titlist Jorge Arce, will end an 11-month layoff since an eight-round decision over Kevin Villanueva last July. That was Arce’s first fight since a knockout loss in August 2022.
Lewkowicz, De Los Santos split
Promoter Sampson Lewkowicz announced Friday that he has given Dominican lightweight contender Edwin De Los Santos a release from his promotional contract in what he termed an amicable split.
The move happened one week after Keyshawn Davis dramatically missed weight by 4.3 pounds for a WBO title defense against De Los Santos last Saturday in the Top Rank Boxing on ESPN main event in Davis’ hometown of Norfolk, Virginia.
Davis was stripped of the title and Lewkowicz made the final decision to not have De Los Santos go forward with the bout at such a disadvantage. Lewkowicz, like many — including Davis promoter Bob Arum of Top Rank — believed that Davis did not truly make an effort to make the 135-pound division limit.
In his previous fight 19 months earlier, De Los Santos (16-2, 14 KOs), a 25-year-old southpaw, lost a unanimous decision challenging Shakur Stevenson for the vacant WBC lightweight title.
Lewkowicz said he wished De Los Santos well but while he did not say it outright intimated that the reason for the release was because of how upset De Los Santos was about the fight being canceled.
“Edwin is a warrior, and I support him and still consider him a personal friend,” Lewkowicz said. “There is no animosity between us. What happened last week was very unfortunate. I did what I thought was best, but Edwin won’t let his fighting spirit agree, so I gave him his release. I know he will go on to do great things in the ring and become a world champion. I will still be cheering for him to do so and he can always come to me for advice.”
While Top Rank was not obligated to pay De Los Santos anything once the fight was canceled, Lewkowicz made a deal with Top Rank to pay De Los Santos $165,000 — half of the $330,000 purse he would have made had the fight taken place.
Noakes-Mason ordered
As expected, the WBO on Thursday formally ordered Sam Noakes and Abdullah Mason to meet for the organization’s vacant lightweight world title.
It sent Noakes promoter Frank Warren of Queensberry and Mason promoter Bob Arum of Top Rank a letter giving them 20 days to negotiate an agreement. If they don’t reach one by the deadline the WBO will order a purse bid. Either camp may ask for an immediate purse bid if they do not want to negotiate.
The order came days after Keyshawn Davis was stripped of the title for missing weight by 4.3 pounds for his first defense against Edwin De Los Santos on Saturday night in a Norfolk, Virginia, homecoming fight that was canceled.
Coincidently, Mason (19-0, 17 KOs), 21, a southpaw from Cleveland, maintained his No. 2 position in the WBO ratings with a one-sided fifth-round knockout of Jeremia Nakathila in the co-feature, which was elevated to main event status on the ESPN-televised card when Davis-De Los Santos was canceled.
Noakes (17-0, 15 KOs), 27, of England, who is ranked No. 1 by the WBO, is coming off a third-round knockout of Patrik Belaz on May 10 on the Anthony Cacace-Leigh Wood undercard in Nottingham, England.
Hrgovic-Adeleye clash
Turki Alalshikh announced two additional bouts for the his card on Aug. 16 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, that is headlined by red-hot heavyweight Moses Itauma, the 2024 Fight Freaks Unite prospect of the year, taking a big step up in class against former title challenger and longtime contender Dillian Whyte.
In one fight, heavyweight contender Filip Hrgovic (18-1, 14 KOs), 33, of Croatia, is due to face David Adeleye (14-1, 13 KOs), 28, of England, in a 10-rounder.
Hrgovic and Adeleye had their previous fights on the same April 5 card in Manchester, England, where Hrgovic won a unanimous 10-round decision over Joe Joyce in the main event and Adeleye stopped Jeamie “TKV” Tshikeva in the sixth round to win the vacant British title.
The British Boxing Board of Control ordered an immediate rematch between Adaleye and Tshikeva due to the controversial nature of the stoppage but Adaleye has opted for the higher-profile assignment against Hrgovic.
Adaleye has won two fights in a row since Fabio Wardley knocked him out in the seventh round of a British and Commonwealth title fight in October 2023 on the Tyson Fury-Francis Ngannou undercard in Riyadh.
Hrgovic scored his win over Joyce in a return from his only loss, which was by eighth-round stoppage due to severe cuts against Daniel Dubois for the vacant interim IBF title last June in Riyadh.
Alalshikh also announced a fight between junior lightweight Hayato Tsutsumi (7-0, 4 KOs), 25, of Japan, and southpaw Qais Ashfaq (13-3-1, 5 KOs), 32, of England.
In other previously announced bouts, WBA featherweight titlist Nick Ball will defend against Sam Goodman and former IBF junior lightweight titlist Anthony Cacace will face former WBA featherweight titlist Raymond Ford.
Zayas-Garcia undercard
Fast-rising welterweight Rohan Polanco will face Quinton Randall in a 10-rounder that was one of the preliminary bouts Top Rank announced it has added to the ESPN+ portion of the card headlined by the vacant WBO junior middleweight title fight between Xander Zayas and Jorge Garcia on July 26 (ESPN, ESPN Deportes, ESPN+, 9 p.m. ET) at The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York.
Polanco (16-0, 10 KOs), 26, who represented his home country of the Dominican Republic at the 2020 Olympics, is coming off his most notable win, a 10-round shutout of Fabian Maidana, who he dropped in the final round to win 100-89 on all three scorecards.
Randall (15-2-1, 3 KOs), 34, of Houston, Texas, is 2-1 since a 2023 decision loss to Brian Norman Jr., who went on to win the WBO title.
In other bouts added:
Dominican featherweight Yan Santana (14-0, 12 KOs), 25, will face former world title challenger Aaron Alameda (30-2, 17 KOs), 31, a Mexican southpaw, in a 10-rounder. Alameda dropped a decision challenging Luis Nery for the WBC junior featherweight title in 2020 followed by a 2021 decision loss to Angelo Leo, who now holds a world title. Since those back-to-back losses Alameda has won five fights in arrow.
Heavyweight Bakhodir Jalolov (15-0, 14 KOs), 30, a southpaw, who was the 2020 and 2024 Olympic super heavyweight gold medalist from Uzbekistan, will have his second fight since the 2024 Games when he takes on Gianmarco Cardillo (12-1-2, 2 KOs), 36, of Italy, in a 10-rounder. Jalolov returned to the pro ranks in April with a decision over Ihor Shevadzutskyi.
Blue-chip junior bantamweight prospect Steven Navarro (6-0, 5 KOs), 21, of Inglewood, California, will face Cristopher Rios (11-2, 7 KOs), 22, of Los Angeles, in an eight-rounder.
BetUS Boxing Show
If you missed the BetUS Boxing Show live at 1 p.m. ET on Friday please check out the replay (and also subscribe to the YouTube channel). We previewed and picked three fights: IBF junior welterweight titlist Richardson Hitchins’ defense against George Kambosos Jr. in the main event of the Matchroom Boxing card on Saturday in New York; lightweight Andy Cruz against Hironori Mishiro in an IBF title eliminator in the co-feature; and WBO welterweight titlist Brian Norman’s defense against Jin Sasaki in the Teiken Promotions main event on Thursday in Tokyo. We also took viewer questions and comments and discussed the latest boxing news! Please check out the show here:
Quick hits
Weights from New York for the Matchroom Boxing card on Saturday (DAZN, 8:30 p.m. ET): Richardson Hitchins 140 pounds, George Kambosos Jr. 139.4 (for Hitchins’ IBF junior welterweight title); Andy Cruz 135, Hironori Mishiro 134.6 (IBF lightweight title eliminator); Teremoana Teremoana 265.6, Aleem Whitfield 246.2; Zaquin Moses 129.2, Carl Rogers 129.6; Pablo Valdez 152.4, Cesar Diaz 152.2; Nishant Dev 154.4, Josue Silva 155.2; Adam Maca 119.2, Rafael Castillo 120.
Most Valuable Promotions rounded out the preliminary card for the Jake Paul-Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. event on June 28 (DAZN PPV) at Honda Center in Anaheim, California. Among the bouts added to the free preliminaries: junior bantamweight contender John “Scrappy“ Ramirez (14-1, 9 KOs), 29, of Los Angeles, versus an opponent to be named in 10-rounder; junior lightweight Victor Morales (20-0-1, 10 KOs), 27, of Vancouver, Washington, against former titlist Renee Alvarado (34-16, 22 KOs), 36, of Nicaragua, in a 10-rounder; bantamweight Alexander Gueche (7-0, 5 KOs), 19, of Long Beach, California, against Vincent Avina (8-1-1, 7 KOs), 24, of Las Vegas, in an eight-rounder; and welterweight Joel Iriarte (7-0, 7 KOs), 22, of Bakersfield, California, against Yusuph Metu (11-2, 8 KOs), 32, of Tanzania, in an eight.
WBC junior flyweight titlist Panya Pradabsri (44-2, 27 KOs), 34, of Thailand, and mandatory challenger Carlos Canizales (27-3-1, 19 KOs), 32, a former WBA “regular” junior flyweight titlist, are scheduled to meet in a rematch on Aug. 1 in Caracas, Venezuela, Canizales’ hometown, according to the WBC. On Dec. 26, Pradabsri won a controversial majority decision over Canizales to claim the vacant WBC belt in Bangkok, Thailand, where even Pradabsri’s hometown fans booed the highly questionable result. Pradabsri, a former WBC strawweight titlist, won 116-112 and 115-113 while one judge had it 114-114 as he claimed the 108-pound title vacated by Kenshiro Teraji, who moved up to flyweight. The WBC ordered an immediate rematch and after various issues finalizing the deal the contracts are now signed, the WBC said.
Show and tell
In June 1934, Max Baer dominated and knocked out Primo Carnera to win the heavyweight championship. A year later, he made his first defense against James Braddock, a journeyman opponent with a 40-7 record, who was a massive underdog. But the bout took place at the Madison Square Garden Bowl in Long Island City in Queens, New York, which had been nicknamed “The Graveyard of Champions” because no reigning champion had successfully defended the title there. It turned out to be an apt venue for the fight as Braddock pulled out the 15-round decision to win the title in one of boxing’s most famous upsets.
Because of the magnitude of Braddock’s shocking victory he was dubbed “The Cinderella Man” by famed writer Damon Runyon. It was a nickname that stuck and became the title of the terrific 2005 Ron Howard-directed movie about Braddock’s life. Braddock’s monumental upset of Baer took place on June 13, 1935 — 90 years ago on Friday. Here are two beautiful cards in my collection, which are tough to find in such high grade, from the 1936 Mitchell & Son and 1937 Ogden’s, both of which are multi-sport British cigarette sets:
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Photos: Hitchins-Kambosos and Cruz-Mishiro: Geoffrey Knott/Matchroom Boxing; Estrada: Ed Mulholland/Matchroom Boxing; De Los Santos and Mason: Mikey Williams/Top Rank
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Kambosos will get badly beaten and would you believe in Australia it is ppv and I won’t be buying it it’s a joke how he got the fight in the first place he is not in the same class as hitchins
I like Kambosos. I just don't want to see his fights anymore. And once again another Top Rank prospect graduates with a gifted WBO Title. It's a trope.