The purse bid between Richardson Hitchins and Jack Catterall was canceled last week, prompting Hitchins’ promoter Matchroom to arrange a different opponent for him to face; Argentinian contender Gustavo Daniel Lemos. The two 140-pounders will be facing off at the Fontainebleau in Las Vegas, Nevada on April 6 in a bout scheduled for twelve rounds.
The circumstances surrounding American contender Richardson Hitchins (17-0, 7 KO’s) and British contender Jack Catterall (28-1, 13 KO’s) have not been expounded upon by any party, but what is known is that the purse bid that was set to be held between the two fighters’ teams last Thursday was cancelled. Previously, the IBF had ordered the two super lightweights to face each other to become the IBF 140 lbs mandatory; with the IBF title currently being held by Puerto Rican Subriel Matias (20-1, 20 KO’s).
While it is still unknown which direction Catterall will take, Hitchins will reportedly continue fighting in the previously ordered IBF title eliminator against a new opponent in the unbeaten Gustavo Daniel Lemos (29-0, 19 KO’s). Lemos, 27, is currently ranked as the #8 on the IBF’s super lightweight rankings and will leapfrog several other contenders, including #5-rated Ryan Garcia (24-1, 20 KO’s) and #6 Regis Prograis (29-2, 24 KO’s), as he will compete in this elimination bout.
In accordance with the rules of the IBF’s title eliminator bouts (Rule 9), the winner will be acknowledged as the IBF mandatory challenger at 140 lbs and face an opportunity to face Matias in the near future.
Both Hitchins and Lemos will be up against the unknown when they face each other, with Lemos notably bearing the greater experience as a professional due to his number of fights. When it comes to top competition, both fighters are left wanting in this department though Hitchins has accumulated a decent amount of experience fighting the likes of domestic rival John Bauza (17-1, 7 KO’s) and former world title challenger Jose Zepeda (37-4, 28 KO’s).
Lemos’ most notable name on his resume remains British former featherweight world champion Lee Selby who he stopped in 2022. Though this was a significant win for Lemos’ career given the lack of competition he faced earlier, it should be noted that the fight occurred at lightweight; a division where Selby has compiled a record of two wins and two losses.
Hitchins and Lemos will be main-eventing on April 6, and the co-feature of the card will further feature rising American super middleweight contender Diego Pacheco (20-0, 17 KO’s) who will similarly put his undefeated record on the line against the unbeaten Shawn McCalman (15-0, 7 KO’s). Their 168 lbs non-title bout will also be set for a total of twelve rounds.
The April 6 USA-based fight card will be promoted by Matchroom, and broadcasted on DAZN.
