Hitchins Knocks Out Kambosos and Retains World Title on a Great Night

Richardson Hitchins Shows His Prowess with a KO Against Kambosos Jr.

In a demonstration of skill and determination, Richardson Hitchins defended his IBF super lightweight title by knocking out George Kambosos Jr. in the eighth round. The fight, held at the iconic The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City, was a clear display of Hitchins’ superiority. The pre-fight build-up was marked by tension and verbal exchanges between both boxers. However, Hitchins (20-0, 8 KOs) silenced his detractors by achieving a resounding knockout over Kambosos (22-4, 10 KOs) with a precise body shot. The outcome came a few seconds after Hitchins, with confidence, urged his opponent’s corner to stop the fight. Hitchins, 27, was dominant from start to finish, fulfilling his promise to end the fight before the agreed distance.

I’ve been telling the boxing world I was coming, and they should have listened. Now I’m here.

Richardson Hitchins

Kambosos Jr., 32, was looking to become a two-division champion after having been the unified lightweight champion. However, his recent record showed a 2-3 balance in his last five fights, including losses to Devin Haney (twice) and Vasiliy Lomachenko. Despite his bravery, Kambosos faced a younger and faster rival who widely outperformed him. According to CompuBox statistics, Hitchins connected 205 of 398 punches (52%), while Kambosos only managed to connect 57 of 384 punches (15%). Kambosos tried to impose his rhythm from the start, but Hitchins, taking advantage of his six-inch reach advantage, controlled the distance with his jab and punch combinations. After two rounds, Kambosos was already showing signs of damage, including swelling under his right eye. Despite this, the Australian boxer continued to press, but Hitchins capitalized on his opponent’s frustration with precise punches. In the fifth round, Hitchins hurt Kambosos with a body shot, and patiently continued to punish his opponent. The opportunity for the definitive knockout came in the eighth round.

I smelled blood in the water. I knew I had to go to dangerous places to connect good punches. I knew I had good defense and could take punches. He didn’t hurt me, so I went for the finish.

Richardson Hitchins

Hitchins began the eighth round with left hooks that found their target. He even went to Kambosos’ corner, asking them if they wanted to stop the fight, before a body shot sent the Australian to the canvas for good, marking the end of the fight at 2:33. When asked what he said to Kambosos’ corner, Hitchins replied:

I told his father that if he loved his son, he should stop the fight.

Richardson Hitchins

This was Hitchins’ first title defense after defeating Liam Paro by decision in December, and it represented his best performance to date. Following the victory, Hitchins announced that he would become a free agent and challenged former undisputed lightweight champion Devin Haney. However, WBO super lightweight champion Teofimo López entered the ring and requested a unification fight between the two. Hitchins is not short of options for his next title defense, but on this night, his performance in Brooklyn formally announced his arrival as one of the best boxers in the super lightweight division.