Seven months after he stopped George Kambosos Jr. in a Madison Square Garden headliner, Richardson Hitchins may finally step into the ring. Talks are currently in place for a matchup against Oscar Duarte. For Hitchins, a fight on the Ryan Garcia-Mario Barrios card could be a big move. Despite being linked to a string of top fighters, the prolonged wait has turned him into a butt of jokes. It didn’t take long for Haney to crack a $2 million jab at him.

A latest development saw Hitchins calling out Haney. It surfaces amid talks of a potential matchup against newly crowned champion Dalton Smith, who dropped Subriel Matias to claim the division’s WBC title yesterday. But Hitchins yearns for big fights, and Devin Haney has always been in his crosshairs. The welterweight champion, who came off an outstanding victory this past November, however, was in no mood to oblige.

Richardson Hitchins and Devin Haney trade barbs

A war of words erupted when Hitchins tagged Haney and messaged that he would rather face him than Dalton Smith. The WBO 147-pound champion immediately fired back, reminding him how Hitchins’ previous call-outs included him, Keyshawn Davis, Teofimo Lopez, Gary Antuanne Russell, Subriel Matias, and many others, but to no avail. “U just b clout chasing, bro!” Haney exclaimed.

Hitchins replied – while he called out only Haney and Lopez, the rest still came after him. He’s willing to face anyone. Haney went on to provide more details to counter Hitchins. He stated, “U turned down 1.5 million to fight Keyshawn then 2.. but then turned around & accepted 700k to fight Jamaine Ortiz! You’re a 🦆… If I’m lying, I’m dying!”

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Hitchins responded that he didn’t turn down the fight with Keyshawn Davis. He was offered $2 million in negotiations, compared to the $2.5–$3 million he had expected. Haney’s willingness to accept a fight bothered him though. “You send me an offer. And see if I decline, big dog; I would beat the f**king dog sh*t out of you,” Hitchins challenged. It makes little sense for him to accept a matchup with a lower purse when he received a 7-figure payout for the Kambosos fight.

The reply, however, failed to deter Haney from hurling a fresh jibe: “Why didn’t you take the fight with Keyshawn? For 2M.”

A path forward for ambitious Hitchins

The situation appears a bit murky. But discussions were underway for a fight between Richardson Hitchins and Keyshawn Davis. Viral footage from last month showed the two trading heated words in front of Eddie Hearn and the media. The talks, however, caved in as both parties failed to reach an agreement over payouts, with some reports suggesting Davis’s reservations over the IBF title.

David became a lightweight champion 12 months ago. However, his career thereafter took a nosedive as he got embroiled in controversies, including failure to make weight for his first title defense. Stripped of his belt, he decided to move up in weight and is now scheduled to face Jamaine Ortiz on the Teofimo Lopez-Shakur Stevenson undercard.

With Haney potentially planning a title unification at 147 pounds, the chances of a fight with Hitchins currently appear slim. At the moment, the best move for Hitchins could be taking on Dalton Smith. Given Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing promotes both, a matchup should be easy to make.

Once he beats Duarte, Hitchins can call out the winner of the Teofimo-Shakur fight for the title unification. Gary Antuanne, in the meantime, is still waiting.