Eddie Hearn now has a transparent path to make a unification struggle between IBF 140-lb champion Richardson Hitchins and WBO champ Teofimo Lopez subsequent. Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis has determined he doesn’t want to face Teofimo in a title protection of his IBF welterweight belt. He says he’d reasonably give attention to unifying at 147.
Hitchins vs. Teofimo: A Lifelike Matchup
Matchroom promoter Hearn ought to contact Bob Arum, Teofimo’s boss at High Rank, and attempt to negotiate a struggle. It’s the very best obtainable contest for Teofimo (21-1, 13 KOs) as a result of he’s not going to get the Terence Crawford match he’s been asking for.
Hitchins (19-0, 7 KOs) captured the IBF 140-lb title with a 12-round break up determination win over Liam Paro final Saturday evening at Coliseo Roberto Clemente in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The Eddie Hearn-promoted Hitchins regarded glorious, beating Paro by the scores 116-112, 116-112 for Paro, and 117-111 for Paro.
Teofimo must need the struggle with Hitchins as a result of he could select to not take the match if he feels it’ll be a troublesome one or a struggle he may lose.
“He mentioned he needs Teofimo Lopez. That’s a fairly large struggle in New York Metropolis. Teofimo and Hitchins are each New Yorkers, each champions at 140 lbs,” mentioned Chris Mannix on YouTube. “I believe Teofimo-Hitchins is a way more reasonable struggle [than Jaron Ennis vs. Teofimo].
“I believe that’s a struggle that High Rank may financially placed on. Teofimo is clearly the A-side in a struggle like that. He would get the majority of the cash, and would get the A-side billing. Regardless that Hitchins is a title holder, he’s not that costly.
“You are able to do a struggle with Teofimo and Hitchins. Put it on ESPN. In the event that they don’t need to put it on ESPN, Eddie Hearn may put it on DAZN. That struggle makes much more sense. That’s an attention-grabbing conflict of types, similar to Paro and Hitchins. Teofimo is extra of a come-forward man. Hitchins is extra of a traditional boxer.
It’s clearly not the huge struggle that Teofimo needs in opposition to Jaron Boots Ennis, Devin Haney, Ryan Garcia, or Crawford, however it’s nearly as good because it will get for him.
“Who wins out? Teofimo has much more pop than Liam Paro. That’s a really attention-grabbing struggle at 140. That’s a struggle I need to see Teofimo win. Not one thing like Boots Ennis,” mentioned Mannix.
“Hitchins, nobody provides him credit score for his energy, however I do. I may hear it, and I may see it. He doesn’t decide to combos,” mentioned Sergio Mora. “The pot-shotting. You could possibly hear it, and you possibly can see the respect he’s getting from his opponents. I may see it within the face of Paro after the second half of the struggle. He was a defeated fighter.”
