On Saturday, Richardson Hitchins put on a career-defining performance against George Kambosos Jr. It was the 27-year-old’s first title defense ever since he won the IBF super lightweight title last year. It was a near-perfect outing with Hitchins breaking down the Aussie methodically.

However, rather than the victory, it was his post-match interview that took everyone’s attention. After calling out Devin Haney, the Brooklyn native announced that he will be cutting off ties with Matchroom Boxing and will fly solo now, leaving Eddie Hearn quite disappointed and everyone puzzled.

After all, Matchroom picked up the 27-year-old in 2022, back when he was just a rising star. 6 fights, 1 title, and becoming The Ring’s No. 1 boxer at 140 pounds, breaking the partnership suddenly seems like an odd decision. Hearn later told The Ring, “I was disappointed with Richardson Hitchins’ comments in the ring,” referring to all the investments he made on the 140 lbs IBF champion.“We’ve done an incredible job for Richardson Hitchins,” Hearn told The Ring. “We’ve kept him nice and busy; headlined him four times. And with his great performances made him a star attraction,” Hearn added, hurt by the deceiving nature of the announcement.

However, it seems like the Matchroom honcho still has hopes, as His Excellency Turki Alalshikh is leading the peace talks in his way. “I had a heartwarming call from Turki Alalshikh this morning, who confirmed he will only deal with Matchroom moving forward on Richardson Hitchins. So we will begin those discussions,” Hearn revealed, laying down the ultimatum for the 27-year-old.

Despite his ambitions, it seems like Richardson Hitchins has no other option but to rejoin Matchroom. Riyadh Season is putting on the biggest boxing events around the globe, and no one wants to miss that. Furthermore, with Devin Haney also responding to Hitchins’ challenge, the clock is ticking.

Richardson Hitchins has a choice to make

After the successful title defense, the 27-year-old took the mic and immediately called out Devin Haney. “Let’s fight. Devin Haney next. F*** Devin Haney and Bill Haney. P****,” he declared. It appears the bold challenge paid off, as Haney fired back just hours later.

‘The Dream’ took to his ‘X’ and wrote, “We could get it at 147..” setting the condition to fight the IBF super lightweight champion. The condition is definitely odd given Haney was ready to fight Teofimo Lopez at the catchweight of 145 just a few weeks ago. However, for Richardson Hitchins, he won’t come down in weight.

It seems that Keith Connolly is capable of managing both Teo and Hitchins. With Lopez pulling out of the fight, it’s likely that Haney is experiencing some trust concerns. Nonetheless, the Brooklyn native faces a couple of decisions ahead. First, he needs to decide if he wants to take on Haney at welterweight. Will he be making a comeback with Eddie Hearn? Considering Devin Haney’s recent involvement with Riyadh Season, there’s a chance that if Hitchins stays a free agent, this matchup may never happen.

What’s your take? Is it time for Richardson Hitchins to return to Matchroom Boxing? Share your opinions in the comments below.