Nightcap Hour 2: LIVE from Las Vegas - Max Kellerman, Zab Judah & Richardson Hitchens Join!

Chad Johnson (0:00)

What's up, bruh?

Shannon Sharpe (0:01)

We got Richardson Hitchens joining us. 21 and 0, 8KO, made you a well-to-wait debut.

Oh, sorry about that. Richardson Hitchens made his well-to-wait debut. He's 21 and with 8KO. How you feeling, bro?

Joe Johnson (0:15)

I'm feeling good.

Richardson Hitchins (0:15)

Thank you for having me. Thank you.

Shannon Sharpe (0:17)

Go ahead, Ochocinco.

Joe Johnson (0:18)

Hey, listen. Last Friday, how you feel?

Richardson Hitchins (0:22)

I felt good. I felt really good at 47

The seven extra pounds helped me out, and no rehydration clause. It felt like another day in the gym.

Joe Johnson (0:30)

Right. As far as obviously going up in weight, dealing with different opponents at that weight, is there a difference with your power? Did your power carry over?

How did that feel? Yeah.

Richardson Hitchins (0:40)

I feel like my punches had more snap on it, sharper, crisper.

I felt really good, honestly, on my first fight at 147, and just the comfortability of how I feel in the gym. At 140, I was walking around maybe upwards of 168 to 170

Chad Johnson (0:57)

That's a lot of weight to come down.

Richardson Hitchins (0:58)

And then I had an IBF rehydration clause, so I couldn't even gain more than 10 pounds till the day of the fight.

Chad Johnson (1:03)

Right. Wow.

Richardson Hitchins (1:03)

So, yeah, my days was numbered.

Shannon Sharpe (1:06)

How's the speed? Because obviously, when you move up, sometimes the speed dissipate as you move up in weight, because you're a lot faster at 35, 40 Now here you are at 47 How's the speed compared to the lighter weight?

Richardson Hitchins (1:17)

I feel like the speed is the same, because I was really a 47 pounder the whole time. I was just sucking out extra pounds to make 40

Shannon Sharpe (1:23)

Yeah. Hey, do you think elite boxers have a responsibility to entertain or is getting a dub is the main thing?

Richardson Hitchins (1:33)

I feel like it depends on the level you're on. Right. The level you're on, because I feel like if you're fighting a mega fight, if I was in there with somebody like a Devin Haney or a big name, I don't feel like the fans would...

It wouldn't stay in my career if I didn't entertain the fans and I got the W. I see Floyd do it numerous nights.

Zab Judah (1:53)

Oh, yeah.

Shannon Sharpe (1:56)

You joined Zuffa Boxing. What went to the decision to join Zuffa?

Richardson Hitchins (2:02)

To be honest, I spoke over with so many different promotional companies when I became a free agent from Eddie. We spoke to Eddie, I sat down with Oscar De La Hoya.

Shannon Sharpe (2:12)

Top rank.

Richardson Hitchins (2:12)

Top rank and all in one of me. But Zuffa, they came with the best offer as far as the money wise, as far as seeing my vision. I feel like a lot of different promoters, they'll try to like, they money not as big as Zuffa. So they can't do a lot of cards in New York or East Coast because it costs to throw a show in New York. But Zuffa, they was like down with making me a star where I'm at. I had me fight in Vegas, Orlando. Like he's a New York fighter, he's an East Coast fighter, let's build him here.

Once I heard that in the mean, I'm like, yeah, I need a sign.

Joe Johnson (2:43)

Hey, now you look at the landscape of 147 right now, is there anybody that you have your eyes on, a set that you'd like to fight next?

Richardson Hitchins (2:50)

I always want to Devin Haney fight. The Devin Haney fight, Devin Haney or Teal Fimo or Ryan Garcia. The guys that was the stars at 140, they still the stars now.

Shannon Sharpe (3:00)

Right.

Richardson Hitchins (3:02)

And I feel like, yeah, Teal Fimo, Devin Haney, Ryan Garcia, those are the established names. And then the names right under that would be like, Rowley, Keyshawn Davis or Brian Norman.

Joe Johnson (3:15)

Why is this so difficult for us, for me as a boxing fan, as a boxing enthusiast, why is it so difficult for you to be able to name the people that you want to fight and it never really happens? Is it that much politics that comes into play?

Richardson Hitchins (3:29)

Yeah, I don't know. I don't know what is it about boxing while the certain fights ain't happening. Like even just now, I was talking about it. I don't know why nobody's talking about Ryan Garcia and Devin Haney too. That still didn't get settled. Nobody's talking about that at all. But I feel like these fights don't happen because I feel like just different things is always happening in the background. You just never know what's going on. One minute you'll think Kishon Davison, Devin Haney's fighting. Then that fight fall through then. Now I'm in talks with Kishon.