Richardson Hitchins tells Duarte to meet him at 147

Hitchins defends February pullout and invites Duarte to 147, but fans question timing and credibility

Richardson Hitchins has called out Oscar Duarte at 147 after his February withdrawal, pushing back on claims he avoided the fight. The move has drawn skepticism, with fans pointing to the timing and his decision to leave 140.

Hitchins also defended his February withdrawal, saying people were ignoring the damage done by a full 13-week camp, the struggle to make weight, and the seven-figure payday he lost when the fight fell apart.

“Tell Duarte if I’m so pussy and I’m scared to fight him Meet me at 147 I’ll fight him whenever he want literally whenever his manager can reach out Whenever!” said Hitchins on X.

“Imagine Me investing in a whole 13 week camp draining my body to the most extent. Make weight, miss a 7 figure pay day and give up my world title that i work my whole for to be scared of Duarte run with whatever narratives ya want im on of the best fighters in the sport #147!”

Hitchins acting like he’s the one setting the table for a Duarte fight at 147 is pretty rich, especially since he’s now an employee in the Zuffa league system. Zuffa isn’t in the business of burning their new investments. They didn’t sign him to a massive deal just to feed him to a guy like Duarte, who is a stylistic nightmare for a back-foot specialist like Richardson.

Hitchins is trying to sound like an old-school fighter, but the reality of his new situation says otherwise. Zuffa Boxing isn’t the Wild West. They control the matchmaking, and they sure as hell aren’t going to let Hitchins dictate terms for a grudge match that doesn’t fit their broadcast or league schedule.

Why would they put their shiny new signing in with a heavy-handed pressure fighter who just watched Gustavo Lemos expose Hitchins’ inability to handle a high-volume attack? Duarte has the size and the power to actually hurt him at 147.

Now that Hitchins has vacated his belt, moved to 147, and signed with Zuffa Boxing, critics see this latest callout as an attempt to rewrite the story on better terms.

It looks like the criticism on X is getting under Hitchins’ skin. When a fighter starts writing paragraphs defending their choice to walk away from a seven-figure payday, it’s a sign that the ducking narrative is winning.

Hitchins is in a tough position because, in the eyes of the public, he vanished at the finish line.

Fans and critics like Oscar De La Hoya haven’t let him forget that he made weight on Friday, passed the IBF second-day weigh-in on Saturday morning, and then pulled out just hours before the opening bell. To the fans, that looks like a panic attack, not food poisoning.

Hitchins has been vocal about being an elite “master boxer,” but his biggest wins are against guys like George Kambosos Jr., Jose Zepeda and Gustavo Lemos (a fight many thought he lost). When you talk that much and then skip the Duarte fight, which was widely seen as his first real sink or swim” test, the “fraud” allegations write themselves.

Moving to 147 and signing with Zuffa Boxing is being viewed as a convenient escape hatch. By vacating his title and leaving the 140-pound killers behind, he’s essentially resetting the board on his own terms.

By calling out Duarte at 147 now, he’s trying to frame it as “I’ll still beat you,” but the fans see it as “I’ll only fight you if I don’t have to kill myself to make weight.”

He’s learning the hard way that you can’t out-logic a ducking narrative. Until he actually gets in the ring with a live dog and stays there, the “Zuffa-protected” and “scared” labels are going to be his shadow.

The sickness may have been genuine, but boxing fans often judge optics harder than explanations. Hitchins is learning that once a duck narrative starts, it is hard to shake. If Duarte answers the challenge, Hitchins gets a chance to change the conversation. If not, the jokes likely continue.

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