Latest news with #RichardsonHitchins
The Independent
39 minutes ago
- Sport
- The Independent
George Kambosos Jr and Richardson Hitchins face-off features slap and thwarted attempt to throw chair
The final press conference for George Kambosos Jr's fight with Richardson Hitchins ended in chaos on Thursday, as promoter Eddie Hearn decided to scrap a face-off between the boxers. Kambosos Jr's father, Jim, appeared to use a microphone to strike Hitchins's trainer, Lenny Wilson, who then grabbed a chair in an apparent attempt to throw it across the stage. Hitchins, 27, prevented his coach from doing so, but Hearn called an end to the press conference to prevent further altercations. The protagonists were quickly escorted off the stage as a result. Still, American Hitchins and Australia's Kambosos Jr, 31, are set to face off at Friday's weigh-in, before their grudge match in New York City on Saturday night (14 June). Thursday's drama began with Hitchins getting in Kambosos Jr's face over a $50,000 bet that they had discussed earlier in the week. Hitchins, after flashing $50,000 in cash in Kambosos Jr's face on Thursday, said: 'The money is here, can we shake on it? 'Bet the f*****g money, you p****,' he added, after Kambosos Jr shoved the champion and shouted: 'You better get the f*** out of my face.' Later, after the mic slap and chair incident, Hitchins shouted: 'F*** around, and you won't make it out of this city. You boys better calm the f*** down.' Kambosos Jr hit back: 'I got boys, too [...] I'm in your city, I don't give a f***.' In Saturday's bout at Madison Square Garden Theater, Hitchins will defend the IBF super-lightweight title, along with his unbeaten record of 19-0 (7 knockouts). Meanwhile, Kambosos Jr (22-3, 10 KOs) is aiming to become a two-weight world champion. The Australian was previously a unified champion at lightweight, but with two points losses to Devin Haney in 2022, he lost the IBF and WBO belts and failed to regain them. Haney also retained the WBC title in those fights, both of which took place in Australia. Kambosos Jr bounced back with a controversial decision victory over Maxi Hughes in 2023, picking up the IBO lightweight strap, but he lost it in May 2024 to Vasyl Lomachenko, who also won the vacant IBF gold that night. While Lomachenko retired last week, Kambosos Jr responded to his defeat with a points win against Jake Wyllie in March. Meanwhile, Hitchins took the IBF super-lightweight title from Liam Paro last time out, winning a split decision against the Australian southpaw in December.
The Independent
a day ago
- Sport
- The Independent
Insults and gestures exchanged between Richardson Hitchins and George Kambosos Jr in face-off ahead of bout
Richardson Hitchins and George Kambosos Jr proved they are hardly the best of friends ahead of their IBF super lightweight clash, exchanging insults at the Empire State Building. The pair met at the iconic New York Venue to face-off for the first time during fight week, with Hitchins defending his title against challenger Kambosos Jr on Saturday, June 14, live on DAZN. It will be Hitchins' first defence after winning the belt off Liam Paro in December 2024, taking a split decision win away from home in Puerto Rico. Kambosos Jr said that he aims to spoil Hitchins' Big Apple homecoming, pointing out his two previous wins at the Garden. The Australian defeated American Mickey Bey in 2019 before shocking Teofimo Lopez to claim the WBA, IBF, and WBO lightweight titles in 2021. Highlights of the pair's lowbrow conversation included Hitchins trying to set a wager with Kambosos, initially betting $50,000 that he was going to win at Madison Square Garden before raising the stakes to $100,000. Kambosos' mind games centred on claiming that Hitchins lacked oral hygiene, telling his opponent on multiple occasions that 'your breath stinks'. Hitchins claimed: 'You know I ain't going nowhere. Run from you? You ain't got nothing for me. I promise I'm gonna stop you. Right in your face all night. Easy work, easy f*cking work. 'I've been here a billion times, (I'm) world champ for a reason. This sh*t ain't going nowhere, it's saying in New York. He don't believe in himself. I bet you I stop you, you bum. F*ck you. He's getting knocked the f*ck out.' Enjoy 185+ fights a year on DAZN, the Global Home of Boxing Never miss a fight from top promoters. Watch on your devices anywhere, anytime. See Schedule ADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent. Kambosos Jr's response had slightly fewer swears, stating: 'I know where you're going – run, run, run, run, run. Your breath stinks bro, you stink. That talk's easy, brother. I'm smarter than you.' After first meeting in the bowels of the Empire State, the duo renewed their war of words on the rooftop shortly after. This time Kambosos Jr started the insults, beginning: "Look at ya, you skinny-looking thing. You look scared. I can't talk with this guy; this guy's breath stinks." Hitchins was undeterred, replying: "I promise you, you will not be saying what you're saying after the fight. I promise you, bro. I'm not Lomachenko." The reigning champion then pressed Kambosos Jr about their wager, saying his opponent had shaken on it. He restarted: "Bet that $50,000 then. How (do) you shake on it and then take it back?" Kambosos Jr stated that he instead planned to stake the same amount with the bookies, who have priced the contender at 7/1. "I spoke to my financial advisor - why the f*ck would I bet $50,000 on you, one-on-one, when I could put my $50,000 on $7 odds? "That's $350,000 bro." When Hitchins pointed out that they had already shaken hands, Kambosos made a vulgar gesture with his nether regions, telling his opponent to 'shake on that'.
The Independent
2 days ago
- Sport
- The Independent
Iconic venues in NYC that have hosted boxing ahead of return to Madison Square Garden
Boxing returns to Madison Square Garden this weekend, with Richardson Hitchins' IBF super lightweight clash against George Kambosos Jr headlining an evening of the sweet science in the Big Apple. Whilst the Garden has become the Mecca of boxing for many fans, New York City as a whole is littered with many iconic venues that have staged big fights over the decades. Here is a rundown of some of the stops in NYC boxing has paid a visit to. Watch over 180 fight nights a year live on DAZN To many, Madison Square Garden is a sporting Mecca. Described as the world's most famous arena, MSG is home to NHL franchise the New York Rangers, as well as the NBA's New York Knicks. Aside from sport, the Garden is also a dream venue for musicians, with artists such as Elton John and Billy Joel labelling the arena as their favourite to perform at. However, the biggest crowds the venue can currently hold are for fight nights, with 20,789 able to watch boxing at the Garden. MSG has long been entwined with boxing – even though the venue has been relocated many times over the years. The third incarnation of the famous arena saw Joey Giardallo's seventh-round knockout of Willie Tory in 1954, in what was the first boxing match televised in colour. The Garden will always retain its lofty place in the history of the sport, having hosted the 'Fight of the Century' in 1971. Still regarded as one of the biggest fights in boxing, the bout between undefeated heavyweights Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier more than lived up to expectations, going the full distance with the latter ending up on top. Barclays Center Madison Square Garden is not the only NBA home that frequently hosts boxing. The Brooklyn Nets ' arena, Barclays Center, is far younger than its Manhattan-based counterpart, opening in 2012. 19,000 punters can watch boxing here, and it has hosted plenty of world title fights despite its infancy as an arena. In just the second card hosted at Barclays Center, 48-year-old Bernard Hopkins became the oldest champion in the history of the sport when he claimed the IBF light heavyweight belt with victory over Tavoris Cloud. St. Nicholas Arena Originally an ice rink, St. Nicholas Arena would become one of the first proper homes of boxing in the USA. With legal venues for boxing scarce in the States, the rink started hosting fights in 1906, staging cards until its closure in 1962. Frequent boxing action could be enjoyed by those in attendance at the rink and to others watching at home; so frequent were fights that NBC transmitted a show called Boxing from St. Nicholas Arena during the 1940s. Plenty of big names threw punches at the venue, including Jack Johnson and Rocky Graziano. On one of the final cards hosted at the rink, a young Muhammad Ali, still going by his birth name of Cassius Clay, secured a knockout victory over Billy Daniels. Radio City Music Hall Although standing for almost a century, Radio City Music Hall does not have as much storied history with boxing as other venues in New York City. In fact, it took 68 years for the first night of boxing to be staged at the concert venue, with Roy Jones Jr headlining a card in January 2000. Jones retained his WBC, WBO, IBF, and IBO light heavyweight titles with a unanimous decision victory over David Telesco, with Jones not dropping a round on the judges' scorecards. In 2013, the second and currently last card was staged at Radio City, with another world title clash. Cuban super bantamweight Guillermo Rigondeaux unified his WBA belt with Nonito Donaire's WBO title thanks to a unanimous decision win. Yankee Stadium Boxing has been a part of the schedule at Yankee Stadium since its inception in 1923. 63,000 watched on as former heavyweight champion Jess Willard secure his last win as a professional. Joe Louis frequently fought at the home of the Yankees – in between fights at Madison Square Garden, highlighting both venues' importance to boxing during the first half of the 20th century. Muhammad Ali would headline the final card hosted at the old Yankee Stadium, edging out Ken Norton via a tight unanimous decision. Boxing would return to the home of the Yankees in 2010, shortly after the new stadium was constructed. Miguel Cotto stopped the previously undefeated Yuri Foreman in the ninth round, picking up the WBA super middleweight title in the process. That, until now, remains the most-recent fight staged at Yankee Stadium. Times Square Just over a month ago a new venue played host to boxing, with the iconic tourist destination of Times Square converted into a ring for The Ring 's debut promotion, featuring Devin Haney, Teofimo Lopez, and Ryan Garcia. Fighters' ring walks were replaced by a fleet of NYC yellow taxi cabs whisking boxers from nearby hotels, giving the event even more of a fever dream feel. Whilst the ambition show was admirable, the open air venue saw a limited capacity, leading to a subdued atmosphere, which perhaps led to subdued performances inside the ring.
News.com.au
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
‘Broke his jaw': Jai Opetaia stays undefeated with brutal right hook to register 28th straight win
It was early on in fight week when Jai Opetaia told us how, as a child, he would walk around his gym shouting that famed Achilles line from cult fightin' flick, Troy. 'Is there anyone else?' Opetaia would bellow, grinning as he walked. 'Is there anyone else …' Finally now, he gets to find out. Hitchins vs. Kambosos Jr | SUN 15 JUNE 9AM AEST | IBF super lightweight champ Richardson Hitchins attempts to make a first defence of his crown against Australia's George Kambosos Jr. | Order now with Main Event on Kayo Sports Almost three years after famously winning the IBF cruiserweight title with a jaw busted in two places, Opetaia is ready to completely erase the division after brutally finishing Italy's Claudio Squeo – and, ironically, after almost certainly breaking his jaw. Coming into the bout as an unbackable $1.01 favourite – and with Squeo as wide as $26 in some markets – Opetaia needed just 36 seconds into the fifth to finish the challenger with a brutal right hook. You can watch the massive right hook in the player at the top of the page. As mentioned more than once this week, it was after watching Russell Crowe's performance in Cinderella Man that Squeo took up boxing, so enamoured was he by the underdog yarn of James J. Braddock. Yet there was to be no Hollywood upset on this warm Gold Coast night. Still, you can't say things didn't go to script. After starting the first round cautiously, Opetaia then quickly built into the fight. There was a moment in controversy in the fourth when Opetaia dropped Squeo with a body shot however referee Robert Hoyle ruled it a low blow. The crazy moment – which was loudly booed after replays were shown on the big screen – followed the champ opening with a big overhand right and then, once the Italian was given time to recover from the 'low blow', went on the attack again. Opetaia then finished the round attacking Squeo to the body and head. The challenger, while brave, was quickly running out of answers. And early in the fifth it was all over. Pushing his rival into a corner, the champ landed a thudding right hand that saw Squeo pause momentarily before clutching at what is likely a broken jaw and dropping to the canvas. And it was there he stayed as Hoyle counted him out. Asked about his effort, Opetaia said: 'Man I was just in a rush. 'I really wanted to get him out of there 'I'm chasing unification fights. 'It's frustrating.' The Central Coast product that praised the love from Australia and Samoa before calling out the man he has been chasing for some time, Mexican Gilberto 'Zurdo' Ramirez. While refusing to bad mouth the man holding the division's WBO and WBA straps, Opetaia simply said it was time for the pair to throw down – or at least if the champ wins his own title defence in 20 days. 'Anyone who thinks they're the best they're not the best until they beat me,' he said. 'Anywhere, anytime just pick up the phone.' All of which completed a wild Australian boxing day that saw Justis Huni suffer a controversial 10-count in his world title loss against Fabio Wardley, while Sam Goodman was announced to face WBA featherweight champ Nick Ball in Saudi Arabia this August. And then to top it all off, Opetaia went and chalked up another brutal KO – taking his undefeated tear to 28 straight fights. As revealed by Fox Sports Australia earlier this week, the IBF and Ring champ will now jet to the US in coming day and personally confront Ramirez. In just 20 days time, the popular Mexican star is set to feature as the co-main in Jake Paul's latest outing in Los Angeles. Should Ramirez win, he will be confronted immediately afterwards by Opetaia, with Francis stressing he's already spoken with broadcasters DAZN about putting his client in the $2000 ringside seats. While eventually planning for a hyped move to heavyweight, Opetaia first wins to not simply unify the cruiserweight division, but go undisputed in back-to-back blockbusters. That makes taking on Ramirez and then, in victory, taking the last available strap from WBC champ Badou Jack. Already, there has been talk of Opetaia-Ramirez taking place in Saudi Arabia this October. But the Central Coast product his heard his share of false promises. Which is why he and manager Mick Francis will be jetting to the US to make the fight happen.
