Richardson Hitchins defeats Liam Paro to win the IBF light welterweight title.

Richardson Hitchins won the IBF light welterweight title with a split-decision victory against Liam Paro in San Juan, Puerto Rico on Saturday 7th. One judge bizarrely scored the high-level, tactical fight 117-111 for Paro but was overruled by scores of 116-112 and 116-112 Hitchins.

Paro was making his first defence of his IBF title after winning an upset decision victory in June over Subriel Matias, also in Puerto Rico.

Hitchins was coming off a debated decision victory over Gustavo Lemos in April and this time found himself on the other side of some horrendous scoring from one judge.

Paro, the champion, started well in the opening three rounds of the fight with his Jab and footwork negating Hitchins's offence from the south-paw stance, as Hitchins started the fight cautiously, after a stern talking to in his corner, But from Round 5, Hitchins, turned the momentum of the fight and outboxed Paro with his fast Jab, footwork and high-level IQ.

"I want Teofimo Lopez, the WBO champion in New York" Hitchins said, who is from Brooklyn. "That's a massive fight for 2025. I don't belong in the ring with anyone but the best."

Flyweight Yankiel Rivera, a 2020 Puerto Rico's sole Olympian, produced a dominant, stylish performance, stopping Angel Gonzalez via a fourth-round technical knockout.

Marc Castro suffered a shock loss against Augustin Ezequiel Quintana to suffer his first career defeat in a competitive ten-round split decision with judges' scores of 97-93 and 97-93 in Quintana's favour and the other card 96-94 for Castro.