5 Facts You Need to Know About the Hitchins vs Kambosos Fight

On June 14 in New York, a bout for the IBF Super Lightweight title will take place. For the reigning champion Richardson Hitchins, this will be his first title defense. The challenger is George Kambosos, who recently debuted in this weight class.

We’ve previously told you where you can watch the fight.

Here’s everything you need to know about the Australian’s second title shot:

Kambosos is notably smaller. This could be one of the decisive factors

– George Kambosos is an extremely experienced athlete. His record includes big names like Teofimo Lopez, Vasyl Lomachenko, and Devin Haney. However, he lost most of these fights and now faces a size disadvantage against his next opponent.

– Height and reach aren't always decisive in boxing, but they matter here. Hitchins is already well-established at Super Lightweight, unlike Kambosos, for whom this is only his second fight at the weight. Richardson is significantly taller and has a much longer reach. Plus, he’s a fighter who counters aggressively and performs best against pressure fighters like Kambosos.

The combination of size and style could give Richardson a major edge.

– On one hand, general stats favor George: experience, KO percentage, number of big fights. On the other hand, recent activity may be the key.

Kambosos has lost three of his last five fights. And he had some real trouble against the larger Maxi Hughes during his Super Lightweight debut. Hitchins, on the other hand, became champion by beating Pablo César Cano, Jose Zepeda, and Gustavo Lemos, and is clearly on the rise.

– This is also about unification. Hitchins has long wanted to face WBO champion Teofimo Lopez, and Kambosos remains the only fighter to have defeated the American. Beating George and using that as leverage is a classic strategy. But Kambosos would also welcome a rematch with Teofimo — so the winner will definitely aim for him.

– This is Hitchins’ second fight in his hometown of New York.

In the first one, he won by a calm judges’ decision. But Kambosos has also never lost in New York — he beat Mickey Bey and Teofimo Lopez there, both by split decision.

A detailed breakdown with full statistics is available at this link.