Hearn on the Hitchins vs. Lemos Fight: "I Was Shocked"

Promoter and head of Matchroom Boxing, Eddie Hearn, has spoken out about Richardson Hitchins' (18-0, 7 KOs) victory over Gustavo Lemos (29-1, 19 KOs).

"I was shocked. When I heard the score of 117-111, I thought it could only be in favor of Hitchins because sometimes I think a judge might only score that way for such a boxing style, but for me, 115-113 is the correct assessment. It really could be 115-113, just one round away from a draw. I see 117-111 when I look at the judges' notes. The judge gave Richardson the last four rounds. Hitchins definitely did not win the 11th. Maybe he didn’t win the 12th either, but I think he did the cleaner work. I thought at the beginning, Lemos came out like a train, then Hitchins started to control the fight, and then Lemos came back into the fight at the end.

It was a very competitive fight, and Richardson also missed a lot of punches; he took some damage in the fight, but I think it was an amazing fight. We sometimes criticized Richardson for not organizing such fights for us, and tonight he did it very well.

If Hitchins performs like this against Matias, he won't win. But he survived those terrible moments, and he can remember them when it gets tough again.

Although people will whine, especially about the 117-111, they will appreciate the courage and wisdom Hitchins showed there tonight. He was interesting, which is what everyone wants," said Hearn.

On the night of April 7th, the bout between American Richardson Hitchins and Argentine Gustavo Lemos took place. According to the judges after 12 rounds, Hitchins won with scores of 115-113 twice and 117-111. The confrontation turned out to be extremely competitive, so most fans were dissatisfied with the outcome.

Now Hitchins is the official contender for the IBF super lightweight title (up to 63.5 kg). The title is held by Puerto Rican Subriel Matias (20-1, 20 KOs), who will meet Liam Paro on June 15th.