After a slow start, undefeated Richardson Hitchins sees a world title in his near future
There wasn't a lot of hype surrounding Richardson Hitchins at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro and that's kind of been the story of his career.
Born in the New York City borough of Brooklyn that has spawned so many legendary boxers, most notably former undisputed heavyweight champion Mike Tyson, Hitchins not only flew under the radar for most of his amateur career, but the same could be said of his professional career.
A super lightweight, Hitchins is 16-0 with seven knockouts as he enters the biggest fight of his career Saturday (8 p.m. ET, DAZN) when he takes on veteran Jose Zepeda in the main event of a Matchroom card in Orlando, Florida. At BetMGM, Hitchins is -400 to get the win and Zepeda is +300.
Hitchins failed to make the U.S. Olympic team in 2016 because Gary Antuanne Russell earned the spot. Hitchins, though, did not miss the Olympics. He was eligible for and qualified to represent Haiti.
The draw did him no favors, as he met Russell in the first round and dropped a 3-0 decision. Russell would go on to lose 2-1 in the quarterfinals to eventual gold medalist Fazliddin Gaibnazarov.
Hitchins, though, was only 18 at the time of the Rio Games, and didn't have the kind of experience that many of those he would have to compete against in the medal rounds.
But his name always came up among the list of the most physically gifted Olympians that year. The best prospect among the men was probably bantamweight Shakur Stevenson of the U.S., who won a silver medal and is now fourth in the Yahoo Sports' pound-for-pound rankings.
The best prospects besides Stevenson were mostly Eastern Europeans, though another American, Teofimo Lopez, often came up. Lopez represented Honduras in those Games. But Hitchins showed enough that it seemed more than six years into his professional career he'd have multiple titles.
Hitchins hasn't fought a lot and hasn't gotten a lot of promotional push. Saturday's bout against Zepeda will be the first time he's headlined a card as a pro.
“I was born to do this; I’m made for it," Hitchins said. "I think that there’s always been pressure for me [since] Day 1, but I handle it because I am confident in my ability and in who I am. I am a special fighter; at the end of the day, it’s boxing and I truly believe I’m one of the best out there.”
He hasn't faced the greatest opposition as a pro, so that, too, remains to be seen. He has the potential, though, that suggests his time is coming. And at 25, he's just now coming into his prime.
Hitchins said he took up boxing after watching a fellow New Yorker, light heavyweight Marcus Browne, fight in the 2012 Olympic Games in London. That he made the 2016 Games is a bit of a miracle in and of itself given his late start.
He lived a roller coaster life growing up in an extremely poor family. It was no given from day-to-day that there would be food on the table or even that he'd have a roof over his head.
“My family was homeless," Hitchins said. "I have come from a tough beginning, but I always knew boxing would be a way out. I am making sure that me and my family never have to go back to days that I couldn’t help. Period. I think I have a gift and I am using that to make life better for them. I’m able to help and the more I master my craft, I will use it to achieve more and more inside and outside the ring.”
Hitchins isn't taking anything for granted at this point. Zepeda is a tough veteran who knows his way around the ring and has been in numerous gut-check battles. If Hitchins is to win, Zepeda is going to make him earn it. He's not going to get anything handed to him.
That's the way he likes it, though. And he insists his focus is solely on Zepeda and keeping the zero in the loss column.
“Every opportunity is important, so I am looking at this fight like I have all my previous fights: It’s must-win," he said. "If you can master boxing, you can conquer the world, and that’s what I am in the sport for, to be at the very top. From starting out to headlining on Saturday it’s been a crazy journey."
