Last night, Richardson Hitchins registered a statement win over George Kambosos Jr.—ignore him at your own peril. After years of struggle, the Brooklyn-born son of Haitian immigrants finally made a breakthrough last year when he defeated Liam Paro for the IBF junior welterweight title. His first title defense against Kambosos Jr. now cements his place in one of boxing’s most stacked divisions.

Now, the buzz over his next outing is going full throttle. His promoter, Eddie Hearn, received a smart suggestion. Shakur Stevenson‘s repeated attempts to secure a matchup against Gervonta Davis have become quite daunting. So why not line up Hitchins against Davis? Both Stevenson and Davis have fights lined up next month and the one after. While Stevenson will face William Zepeda, Tank will rematch Lamont Roach Jr. So talks for a momentous clash between the two lightweight champions have been going on for some time. However, Hearn foresees a challenge with the Hitchins lineup.

Gervonta Davis vs. Richardson Hitchins: Not bad, but it’s not all smooth sailing

Speaking about Richardson Hitchins, Hearn highlighted how the champion went from being unknown to headlining shows. As far as the next fight is concerned, options like Gary Antuanne Russell and Alberto Puello exist. However, considering that Hitchins and Teofimo Lopez come from the same place, Brooklyn, a matchup between the two remains another alternative. So one of the reporters raised the Tank Davis question.

The Baltimorean has the rematch with Roach Jr. lined up on August 16. It’s too early to predict whether he will clinch a victory against a tough opponent like Roach. But considering that Shakur Stevenson had been calling out Tank for so long and now that Hitchins has shown that he is ready for the big game, the reporter asked, “Is that a fight (with Tank)? I mean, obviously I know you’d love to get Tank in with either of those guys, but do you think there’s any more potential with Richardson Hitchens than there was with Shakur?”

First, the Matchroom boss stressed, “The fight really is Shakur v. Tank.” Stevenson has long wanted to fight Tank. He has been very respectful about it, willing to take less money and be the ‘B-side.‘ The reporter persisted, “But Richardson Hitchens versus Tank, how do you see that fight?”

“Richardson’s going to be tough for anybody to beat, you know. I mean, you see that tonight,” stated Hearn. However, there’s a pertinent problem. Hitchins lacks a mainstream profile, thus making it easy for fighters to avoid him by claiming ‘he’s not a big enough name.’ For Hearn, the predicament was comparable to what he faced building Boots Ennis.

Notwithstanding Eddie Hearn’s reservations, a Gervonta Davis-Richardson Hitchins matchup appears a tough call.

A minefield of challenges

It was four years ago, in 2021, that Tank moved up to 140 pounds. He fought Mario Barrios for the WBA (regular) title. So the question of whether he would be willing to climb up again for a face-off against a formidable opponent like Hitchins remains.

Then there’s the size difference. Standing 5 feet and ten inches tall and with a 74-inch reach, the Brooklyn-born light welterweight champion towers over Davis.

More significantly, it’s been just two years since Hitchins started participating in pay-per-view fights. For the first time, in George Kambosos Jr., Hitchins faced a well-known name, a former unified champion. So in terms of sheer draw power, Tank towers over Hitchins. It could take some more time before Hitchins becomes the one setting the terms.

Perhaps it’s the matchup with Shakur Stevenson that still makes the best sense. Fans shouldn’t lose hope so early.

What’s your take? Do you want to see a fight between Tank Davis and Richardson Hitchins?