Richardson Hitchins makes his first defence of the IBF super-lightweight title on 14 June, facing former lightweight king George Kambosos Jr in The Theater at Madison Square Garden. Hitchins lifted the belt last December in San Juan, edging Liam Paro by split decision after rallying late to overturn an early deficit. The Brooklyn stylist now chases a hometown showcase: “The 140-pound king returns home,” he said. “Kambosos had his big night in this building; on June 14 I end his career in the same place.”
Kambosos (22-3, 10 KOs) is 2-0 at MSG, including his 2021 upset of Teófimo López. The 31-year-old Australian rebounded from an 11th-round TKO to Vasiliy Lomachenko with a tune-up win over Jake Wyllie in March, his first outing at the new weight. “I thrive here,” Kambosos said. “I’ll rip Hitchins’ belt, break his will and become a two-division champion.”
Neither man brings concussive power. Seven knockouts in 19 for Hitchins, 10 in 25 for Kambosos, so the matchup figures to hinge on pace and ring IQ. Hitchins owns a six-inch reach edge and the sharper jab; Kambosos banks on angles, flurries and the big-fight experience of six previous world-title bouts. Odds opened with Hitchins a 2-1 favourite, but Australian money has narrowed that gap.
Watch Paro vs. Hitchins highlights: Watch
The show lands one night before Puerto Rican Day Parade weekend, aligning with Matchroom’s push to cement Hitchins as New York’s next 140-lb draw just as Top Rank positions Xander Zayas a borough away at Madison Square Garden’s big room. A Hitchins victory could set up unifications with WBC champ Alberto Puello or WBA ruler Gary Antuanne Russell; a Kambosos upset would rank among the Garden’s latest underdog tales and further complicate an already stacked division.
Fight card:
▪️Richardson Hitchins vs. George Kambosos Jr., 12 rounds, for the IBF World super lightweight title
▪️Andy Cruz vs. Hironori Mishiro, 12 rounds, lightweight
▪️Alexis Barriere vs. Roney Hines, 10 rounds, for the WBC Continental Americas heavyweight title
▪️Ernesto Mercado vs. Jonathan Montrel, 10 rounds, for the IBF North American and WBC Continental Americas super lightweight titles
▪️Pablo Valdez vs. Cesar Diaz, 8 rounds, welterweight
▪️Nishant Dev vs. Josue Silva, 6 rounds, super welterweight
▪️Zaquin Moses vs. Carl Rogers, 4 rounds, super featherweight
▪️Adam Maca vs. Rafael Castillo, 4 rounds, super bantamweight
