Is Richardson Hitchins Ready to Take on Subriel Matias?

On Saturday night, undefeated super-lightweight contender Richardson Hitchins faced off against Gustavo Lemos in a highly anticipated IBF world title eliminator bout. While Hitchins ultimately came out on top with a controversial unanimous decision victory, his performance has raised questions about his readiness to take on the current IBF world champion, Subriel Matias.

Before the fight, Hitchins confidently stated that Lemos was not on his level and that he would dominate the match. However, instead of making a statement, Hitchins struggled against Lemos and was unable to deliver the dominant performance he had promised.

Throughout the 12-round bout, Lemos constantly pressed forward and landed heavy shots, while Hitchins struggled to maintain control. While Hitchins was able to land some clean punches, Lemos’ consistent aggression made it a close fight.

In the end, all three judges scored the contest in favor of Hitchins, securing him a shot at the IBF world title. But the question remains, is Richardson Hitchins truly ready to face Subriel Matias?

Matias, who currently holds a record of 20-1 with 20 knockouts, is set to defend his title on June 15th against undefeated Liam Paro. If Matias is successful in his defense, Hitchins will be next in line for a shot at the title.

However, after his performance against Lemos, Hitchins may not be ready to take on the intense aggression and power of Matias. While Lemos is not on the same level as Matias, his style is similar and gave Hitchins a taste of what he could expect in a fight against the current IBF champion.

In fact, during his post-fight interview, Hitchins admitted that he may need to go back to the drawing board and possibly have another fight before challenging for a world title. He also expressed interest in targeting the WBC or WBO champions, Devin Haney and Teofimo Lopez, instead of cashing in his chance at the IBF title.

Ultimately, styles make fights, and at this point, it seems that Hitchins may not be ready for the intense aggression of Subriel Matias. While he is certainly a talented boxer and deserving of a world title shot, it may be wise for Hitchins to take some time to further develop his skills before facing off against Matias.

Kosport Magazine’s Take

While Richardson Hitchins may have secured a shot at the IBF world title with his victory over Gustavo Lemos, his performance has raised doubts about his readiness to take on the current champion, Subriel Matias. While Hitchins is a talented boxer, it may be wise for him to take some time to further develop his skills before challenging for a world title. Only time will tell if Hitchins is truly ready to face the intense aggression of Matias, but for now, it seems that he may be more interested in targeting other world champions instead.