Speaker 1: Well, it is my great pleasure to welcome to our
podcast this week a first time guest on the podcast.
It's the IBF Junior Wealth'sweight World Champion Richards Hitchens and Richie,
you have an important fight coming up, your first title defense.
You're taking on George Cambosas Junior, the former lightweight champion.
You'll fight in the main event of the Matchroom card
on his own at the Madison Square Guard Dinner at
June fourteenth. Welcome to the show. Thank you very much
for doing this.
Speaker 2: Thank you, thank you very much for having me.
Speaker 1: It's my pleasure. Before we get into the fight with George,
I wanted to just talk a little bit about your fight.
When you won the title, you became a world champion.
Go back to December and you scored a decision victory
over Liam Paro. It was a big step up for you,
it seemed to me based on the opponents you had
faced previous to that. He was the champion, he was
twenty five to zero. Tell me about your confidence going
into that fight, because anybody that follows you knows that
you exude confidence.
Speaker 3: I knew he was it on my level, and I
knew that a lot of the people were looking like, oh,
you know, he lost the first four rounds or something
like that, and his coach woke him up.
Speaker 2: You look at the fight, even the.
Speaker 3: Rounds that I was losing in the early rounds, I
wasn' even getting hit, and I felt like, you know,
Liam Perrol was knowing I love.
Speaker 2: I felt like he was a novice fighter compared to me.
Speaker 3: And I think that in that fight I showed that,
you know, once I, once I took the took the
data that I need to take in it was easy work.
And I don't think he went a round from third
round up and up.
Speaker 1: So when the fight was over and you heard it
to split decision, how surprised you are, because, like you said,
I thought, you know, he he did well early. It
took you a few rounds to settle in, but eventually
it was pretty much all hitchings.
Speaker 3: Yeah, I think that, you know, it ain't no surprise
that happened to me. For the Genous Men fight, it
was literally two judges had it literally like I think
Genas win is maybe at most was two rounds, and
a whole judge told another judge had me winning at
most only two rounds. So in boxing I just feel
like with things like that happened and scorecards like that happened,
they needed to be somebody like watching and you know,
like paying attention to saying why was your scorecard this?
Speaker 2: Or what's this?
Speaker 3: Because you know, judges, you know, can mess up a
whole fight or life, you know, doing with the wrong decision.
I don't think that that's okay for the sport and
I think that it's fucked up.
Speaker 2: But God, willn't you know.
Speaker 3: The judges, the other two judges had it right. And
what's crazy about it was one of them was the
Australian judge that scored it for me too.
Speaker 1: So yeah, So when you heard and the new IBF champion,
that's the moment that every young fighter dreams about. Can
you tell me or remember what it was like when
you heard that those words that every every boxer wants
to hear.
Speaker 2: It was so real. It was like whoa, we did it?
Like it's like, yo, we did it.
Speaker 3: It's a great feeling, you know, because it takes doubts.
It's more of a now, it's more of a it's
more of a knowing in your head. It's like the
for your first national tournament you don't know if you
can win it. And you win your first national and
you go to the second and third Nationals, it's like, yeah,
I know what to do to win this. Like you
know how it feels to go to a tournament. You
know what it feels to compete on that level now.
Speaker 2: So I think.
Speaker 3: That that's just all it is, is just about you know,
knowing what it takes to compete in boxing is levels.
You know, you got your first TV fight, might fight,
your first undefeated fighter, first world title fight, and you
go on and obviously, and then then you get to
a level of boxing where a fight is just a fight, and.
Speaker 1: Well, you're checking all those boxes that you mentioned, You've
done those settings, and now you're about to check another box.
This is going to be your first world title defense,
so that that's always a big mark on anybody's career.
But not only is it your first defense, but you're
going to be doing this at home in New York.
You're a Brooklyn kid. You're fighting in Madison Square Garden Theater.
You fought a plenty of your fights in New York
through your career. I saw you many of your early
fights at Barclay Center. Those types of fights when you're
coming up. But now you're there, You're the A side,
you're the main event, you're defending the title. Can you
tell me a little bit about what it means to
you to have gone through the road that you just
talked about and now get to the point where you're
not only defending a title but doing it in the
main event at home.
Speaker 2: It feels great, uh, you know, defending my title? Uh
at home? You know, just long road, long, long world.
Speaker 3: I remember going to the Barking Center seeing Danny Jacobs,
Adrian Barna, Tank Davis, you know, in the Barky Center
headline and big cards in New York.
Speaker 2: You know, then to the current time when you.
Speaker 3: Have guys like Edgar Blinga bringing headlines to New York City,
and then every time there was a big fight in
New York, I'll be like, damn, I can't wait to
be the headline. But then I would have never doubted
my first headline in New Yorker be has the world
champion bringing.
Speaker 2: The title back home. That's like even bigger for me.
Speaker 3: And I feel like the city, you know, the city
haven't had a world champion and so long, and for
me to be a world champion.
Speaker 2: I am.
Speaker 3: I'm from New York. I'm really I'm really a New Yorker.
I'm flaing boyant. You know, I got charisma, you know,
So I think that it's even It brings even more
energy and more uh more spark to the fight fans
from New York. So I think it's big for me,
you know, uh just just to see everybody. A lot
of people that doubted me, a lot of people that
you know, overlooked me. They didn't really think I would
get to I was getting to. But the people that
knew talent, the people that knew what I was capable
of and what my potential, they're not surprised.
Speaker 2: But it's just finally, you know, we're here, let's part,
let's celebrate. So it's big.
Speaker 1: How how hard is it going to be to sort of,
uh keep your emotions under control in the circumstances you're
you're you know you're I don't think it's a secret
to say you're a little bit of an emotional guy
in terms of like your outspoken and you don't have
a problem speaking your mind, but when it comes to
fight night, you know you got to kind of control
the emotions. How is he going to do that, you know,
given how excited you are about the the scenario of
being at home and defending.
Speaker 3: The title, being in the ring is being in the ring,
and I'm I think three steps ahead.
Speaker 2: It ain't. This ain't a do a dom movement.
Speaker 3: There'll be another time to headline and another big fight
another time, another time. So it's just another day of boxing.
This is a small card, it's not that big. It's
not a big opponent. Is a title defense? Was George
Campbose's You're training extremely hard, but it's not a crazy
moment for me. Is that a fucking like Yankee Stadium,
eighty thousand met like had it belts on the line,
hundred million turkey giving me the gold gold belt like?
And to me it's like, I know, I know the
places I'm going to Another day, another dollar.
Speaker 1: So you mentioned about sort of at some points in
your career, a lot of people didn't know you, maybe
overlooked you. You had been a little bit inactive. Even
when you were boxing with PBC. It wasn't in the
higher profile type of cards, or at least in terms
of your exposure on those cards. In twenty twenty two,
when you guys parted ways with PBC and you went
and you signed with your manager, Keith Connolly. He brought
you to Eddie Hearn. You guys did a deal there
and ever since then, you know, you've been pretty active
relatively speaking. You've been fighting your two fights a year.
You've gotten exposure, You've gotten obviously the opportunity to fight
for the title. You won the title, And I'm wondering
what what is it meant that linking up with Keith Man,
because to me, it seems like that really changed the
trajectory of your career in terms of getting not only
opportunity but exposure.
Speaker 2: Yeah, it taged my career.
Speaker 3: It was a move I wish I would have did
a year earlier or two years earlier before that. But
everything happens for a reason. You know, a lot of
people around the New York area is something you need
to get with Keith Conley. You need to get with
Keith Conley. And I see it the things he was doing.
You know, Egar Balga heard about his track Seet with
Danny Jacobs, and I just always need a level I
was on. So I said to myself, if he could
do that with those fighters, I couldn't imagine what me
and him could do together. And I told he told me,
we need some time to catch up. We're gonna get
you a few fights, and we're gonna bring some structure
to your career.
Speaker 2: I'm gonna and I'm to get on my job. You
do as long as you do your job.
Speaker 3: This is what uh, this is the plan, and everything
is going to according to as plan. I think that uh,
he's a manager, that he's he's about his business. He's uh,
he's a shrewd businessman. And I'm a hard work and
I'm a talented special fighter. So I think that is
that we could do in the sport, the box and
on the business side, and as far as you know,
the legacy side, I think it's gonna be major. So
I'm just excited for I'm just excited for you guys
to sit back and just watch.
Speaker 2: And all he said to me that you know you're not.
Speaker 3: We have some time to catch up to your peers,
but once you catch up, we take off.
Speaker 2: So now this is the point where I'm building my resume.
Speaker 3: I'm building my portfolio to catch up with the til
femos and Devin Hany's the guys that been here.
Speaker 2: Before me, and.
Speaker 3: Yeah, once I get once, once I get to that
even playing field with them, and my name is just
as big as them.
Speaker 2: It is lit.
Speaker 1: So you you mentioned about you're fighting cambosis. You said, Oh,
it's not that big of a fight, you know, Uh,
And and I just wonder you've been outspoken about cambosis.
You guys have had plenty of back and forth with
each other on your social media and then the build
up to the fight, I get the feeling, you know,
you kind of don't like each other. George has always
been a guy to talk about his opponents. What is it?
Speaker 2: Uh?
Speaker 1: What is it that annoys you about him?
Speaker 2: What is it?
Speaker 1: What is it? Is it more than just hyping up
the fight?
Speaker 2: Nah? I just feel like he just think like I'm
just like a regular guy.
Speaker 3: I don't like when fighters like try to downplay me,
down play my skills.
Speaker 2: I take that very personal. So I think that he
don't know what's in front of him, and I think.
Speaker 3: That it's not about the crowd or da da da,
Like I'm gonna make a movie on him, like I'm
gonna show if George kmpbos is, if he don't come
in there and prove that he's on an elite level
of box and if he don't come in there, I
Am going to show him that he's a fucking bump.
Speaker 2: And I believe he's a bump. So if he's the.
Speaker 3: Guy that I'm watching on TV, he's the guy that
I'm seeing as in front of Devin Haines.
Speaker 2: If he comes in as that same guy, it's going
to be a messy nightman, and I can guarantee that.
Speaker 1: So he's back in the same building at the theater
where he scored his biggest win when he became the
unified lightweight champion against t Fimo in a huge upset.
That was back in twenty twenty one. He hasn't really
done anything since then, to be honest. I mean, I
got nothing against George, but he's two and three since then.
A lot of folks would say he's one and four
because a lot of people thought he lost that fight
against Hughes. He got wiped out two times by Haney,
who you mentioned. He got knocked out in a one
sided fight by Lomachenko. He's had one lower level win
at one hundred and forty, and I wonder do you
think he even deserves to fight for the world title
because he hasn't really done anything at one forty and
the end of his days at one thirty five were
certainly nothing to write home about.
Speaker 3: Camp Boss has been a bum before that, he's been
a bum. He's he beat to a female Lopez to
a femal Lopez is a talented fighter. Like I said before,
he's a talented fighter. But IQ wise is how I
look at boxing. You got guys that I have two
little kids walking to the gym right now, and I
tell him both to throw one two. One might throw
it faster, one might throw a slow, One might throw
it fast and harder.
Speaker 2: One might throw.
Speaker 3: A slower, slower and not that hard. That don't mean
the other fighter is a better fighter. Just mean that
fighters is a talented fire see a female show. He's
a talented fighter with boxing experience. But as far as IQ,
as far as the ship that he needs for the
ship that he he needs to like compete at a
highigh level of boxing, he don't have that. He showed
that since the amateur days. If your guy as, if
your guy at, if your guy at like any guy at.
Speaker 2: Is not me, He's not.
Speaker 1: He's not.
Speaker 2: He's not. It's two different styles.
Speaker 3: Two different to my my body type, my arm, reach,
my speed, my like teer. Female is an athletic, twitchy,
fast dude and talented.
Speaker 2: He's not me.
Speaker 3: He's not me, and I noticed for a fact, if
you know boxing, it's not I can make a fight
look way easier than to your female can and and
if you know boxing.
Speaker 2: You you would agree.
Speaker 3: But if for the people that don't know, I'll just
show them it is what it is. You know, like
in boxing, fighters like you gotta prove they so you
know people will listening, Like all right, he says this.
He says that until you get to the Canelos and
the Maywether level, then it's like, okay, this guy's been
saying this for years. I mean he's not lying when
he say this, But your female and me is not
the same. I'm a I'm a way better box and
take female.
Speaker 1: Well, since you think you're going to win this fight
so easily, I know that you have aspirations for bigger fights.
There was some conversation before this match was made between
yourself and Cambosis about you fighting against t Femo. He's
the champion in your division, he has a WBO title,
he's the lineal champion, you've got the IBF title, you
are both with Keith Connelly as your management. Is that
a fight that you want down the road or like,
what are your aspirations for the so called big fight?
You know at one hundred and forty pounds.
Speaker 2: He has plans right now.
Speaker 3: I definitely want to unify with one forty champions, and
then I want to look at one forty seven. Oh,
if I get a big fight, I want to go
to one forty seven. I don't want to stay have
one forty too long, especially with the IBF. I don't
want to hold onto the IBF too long. So I
just want to make the best out the belt and
go up to one forty seven and grab a strap
up there and uh, you know, make big fights up there.
But right now, it's just one fight at a time,
and George Campos is the guy in front of me,
so is the guy we gotta get, you know, passed.
Speaker 1: When you say you don't want to keep the IBF belt,
you specified the sanctioned body. I know there have been
champions of the IBF. The one thing that they don't like.
They love having the world title obviously, but they don't
like that Saturday morning or the day of the fight
weight check. That's a ten pound limit. Is that? Is
that why you say that about the idea?
Speaker 2: Yeah? Yeah, they need to change that ship.
Speaker 1: So if you fight a unification fight, they waive that. Yeah,
So is that is that one of the reasons that
you'd love to unify? You got other good champions that
wake class po is fighting coming up in July against
Mattias who was a former champion, got the very talented
Gary Antoine Russell with the WBA title. Anybody though, any
of those guys tickle your fancy.
Speaker 3: Any of them guys, you Femo is definitely the more
high profile fight, the more easier fight to make because
he's with Keith Conley also, and you know with Turkey
now anything is possible.
Speaker 2: So maybe after this fight.
Speaker 3: The win a Playo and Matis is we'll see what
Russell has a title of defense. I think he has
coming up with the Asian guy. So I mean I'm
hearing TiO Fimo has you know, other plans with other fighters,
or we'll just do another defense or you know, well,
I don't know, so right now, I can't think too much.
Speaker 2: I gotta box. I gotta box.
Speaker 3: George campbos Is on June fourteenth, and after the Milliam
has done boxing. Uh, we'll figure out what's the next
who the next guy they'll put in front of us?
Speaker 1: All right, So just to wrap it up, and with
the fight coming up against camp Boss, you've said that
he's a bum. Basically, you've said that you're gonna beat
them easily. I wonder you put yourself in a little
bit of a corner, or even if you go out
there and you win the fight, but maybe it's close,
maybe maybe it's not so dominant. Maybe you have a
little bit of a rough moment that you'll get to
win and still be a champ, but you'll emerging that
where people might downgrade you because you didn't live up
to the big boasts that you're making leading into the fight.
Speaker 3: I believe every fight that I fut as a professional dominated,
even in the fight. I think the only fight that
I haven't completely dominant is the Gustavo Lemos fighting.
Speaker 2: And if you look at if you really watch that fight,
if you really.
Speaker 3: Watch that fight from fourth round all the way up
to the seventh, seventh, and eighth, before that hiccup, they
were saying hitching is starting to dominate this fight, as
the words the commentator is used and almost obviously called
me with the big shot in the eighth and he
got to say he pulled hisself back into the fight
where he took the momentum away from me.
Speaker 2: So I believe in my skill.
Speaker 3: I believe in my skills, and I believe most all
my professional fights I put on dominant performances. Lilian Perrow fight,
they said I was losing from the fourth rounding up,
it was pure of domination. So I believe that with
George camp Boss, I erased the mistakes I've made in
them fights where I did lose the momentum for me dominating,
and I stay consistent, I will dominate him.
Speaker 2: So I think that at the end of.
Speaker 3: The day, Yeah, it can uh obviously, me talking like
that can fuck.
Speaker 2: Fuck uh, you know, fuck my stock up.
Speaker 3: But if I didn't say anything about George kmp bos
and I was just playing on just you know, just
not doing interviews and just you know, keep in the platonic,
people still would have had to say what they were said.
They were like, you know, he's he's definitely can't beat
the other one forty champions. He struggled with George camp
Boss called Camp Boss two and four in his last time,
they would have.
Speaker 2: Done the same ship regardless. So to me, it's like
why not talk shit?
Speaker 3: It's like fuck it, Like I've bet the view of
the people don't like me anyway because I funck shit
in the bast.
Speaker 2: So me not talking shit about camp.
Speaker 3: Boss don't erase if I have a bad performance with
him or not.
Speaker 2: So it is what it is.
Speaker 1: Well, Richie, I enjoined the trash talk For me, it's
always amusing to me. I appreciate U. I can appreciate it.
I appreciate the trash from George also makes it fun.
I wish you the best of luck in the fight
of coming up June four, Kate Ritchie, thank you very
much for the time and good luck to you.
Speaker 2: Let me man, thank you, appreciate you.