Richardson Hitchins wants you to know he never demanded a $2.5 million purse to face Teofimo Lopez Jr. on May 2. Hitchins calls Lopez’s claim "fabricated," insisting he never even received a formal offer. According to Hitchins, the whole "two-and-a-half-million demand" is just an excuse for Teo to dodge a unification fight at 140 pounds.
The IBF junior welterweight champ believes Lopez never actually wanted to meet him and has instead taken an arguably safer route with undefeated Arnold Barboza Jr. for May 2 at Times Square. Hitchins says if Teo truly wanted the fight, Turki Alalshikh could have settled the right deal, but clearly it didn’t happen. The 25-year-old Hitchins thinks his name is bigger than Barboza’s, especially with the storyline that both he and Teo are champions and hail from New York.
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Looking ahead, Hitchins says he may turn his sights on George Kambosos or even Jaron "Boots" Ennis if a bigger fight doesn't materialize soon. Right now, he's aiming for a June date in New York to stay active and keep proving he's among boxing’s elite. Despite any frustration, Hitchins remains hopeful that a unification showdown with Teo can be revisited down the road - if Lopez ever stops ducking, that is.
Get to know more about Richardson here.
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