It was a near-perfect performance that allowed IBF super lightweight world champion Richardson Hitchins to retain his belt by knocking out Australian challenger George Kambosos Jr in eight rounds. The American put on a truly outstanding show, dominating the main event of the Matchroom Boxing card promoted by Eddie Hearn at Madison Square Garden Theater in New York without any difficulty.
The hopes of Kambosos’ fans for a close fight lasted only two rounds. The Australian challenger looked lively and determined in the opening stages, landing his left jab to the body frequently and taking advantage of the champion’s very cautious start.
However, Hitchins began to show his technical superiority as early as the second round, when—without opening up too much—he landed the cleaner shots, skillfully firing his classy jab and closing the round with a sharp hook to the head right at the bell.
From the third round onward, the fight became essentially one-sided. Hitchins progressively abandoned his initial caution, let his hands go freely, and landed with increasing frequency thanks to his superb accuracy.
As expected, Kambosos found himself completely outmatched when trying to compete in terms of timing and jab usage. After being thoroughly dominated for several minutes, he was also rocked by a right hand to the temple in the fifth round. Hitchins wasn’t able to finish him off just yet, but he subjected his opponent to a relentless barrage, putting him under heavy pressure.
Realizing that his chances of winning were fading fast, the challenger reacted by throwing everything he had in the early part of round six, desperately looking for a knockout blow. His bold attempts, however, came to nothing, leaving him even more exhausted and vulnerable to the champion’s attacks.
Hitchins continued his demolition job with surgical precision, and once he realized he had nothing to fear—having softened up his opponent enough—he picked up the pace until he found the stoppage. It came from a brilliant combination: a right cross to the face followed by a left uppercut to the body, landed in the eighth round.
Referee Michael Griffin made the right call by not allowing Kambosos to continue after seeing the agonized expression on his face. The Australian had beaten the count but was clearly spent and completely unable to compete.
Though widely expected, Hitchins’ victory was even more dominant and brilliant than anticipated. The American came close to perfection, put on a show, took virtually no risks, and displayed an impressive level of confidence. The 27-year-old from Brooklyn can now legitimately aim for the top spot in a super lightweight division whose hierarchy is constantly shifting.
As for the 32-year-old Kambosos, it may be time to lick his wounds and reflect. He has now lost four of his last six bouts, and following his defeat to Vasyl Lomachenko, he suffered another brutal beating last night. If he wants to keep chasing the difficult dream of becoming a world champion for a second time, he would be well advised to take on some less grueling fights to rebuild confidence in his abilities.