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Eddie Hearn wants WBO light welterweight champion Teofimo Lopez to fight new IBF champion Richardson Hitchins in a unification fight in Brooklyn, New York. Hearn sees a fight between Teofimo (21-1, 13 KOs) and Hitchins (19-0, 7 KOs), who talks trash and would attract fans.
Interestingly, Teofimo called out Hearn’s fighter, IBF welterweight champion Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis, last Saturday, saying he wants to move up to 147 to face him next. However, instead of Hearn choosing to go in that direction, he is pushing for the Teofimo-Hitchins unification fight to happen next.
Hearn didn’t even mention Boots. What does that tell you about Ennis’s position with him? It’s not good. I’m with Hearn on this. Hitchins is a diamond in the rough and where you should invest your time, money and energy.
Hearn’s new favorite
This could indicate that Boots is on the sidelines with Hearn because he failed to shine in his last four fights against Karen Chukhadzhian x 2, David Avanesyan and Roiman Villa. Those four consecutive poor performances and Ennis’ (33-0, 29 KOs) complete lack of charisma indicate that he is not star material or someone Hearn should invest his money in to put together big fights.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Hearn dumps Boots at the end of his multi-fight contract with Matchroom. Ennis has already had two fights and looked horrible and nowhere near star quality.
“Teofimo against Richardson is a huge fight for Brooklyn, but it’s also a fight for Riyadh,” Eddie Hearn told the media last Saturday night following Richardson Hitchins’ victory over Liam Paro. “Him against Teófimo is a huge fight for Brooklyn, but if he doesn’t go there, he can go to Riyadh. (José ‘Rayo’) Valenzuela boxed on a program in Riyadh.”
The creation of a star
Do you see what I mean? Hearn wants Teo for Hitchins and I can’t blame him. Eddie understands that Richardson is a talent he can quickly transform into a global superstar. He has more potential to achieve this than Shakur Stevenson, who is less entertaining than Hitchins in and out of the ring. Hearn inked the New Jersey native Shakur thinking he could make him a star, and he’s in the same boat as Boots. He’s not acting.
Richardson, 27, has more star potential than Boots and is worth Hearn putting together fights he can sell to the public. As we saw during the build-up to Hitchins’ title challenge against IBF 140-pound champion Liam Paro last Saturday, he is able to create interest in his fights with his WWE theatrical spectacletrash talking and, naturally, an exaggerated personality.
Boots Ennis is the brand and lacks the spark Hearn is subsidizing matches that will not attract public interest due to Jaron’s lack of charisma and another poor in-ring performance.
