Eddie Hearn now has a clear path to make a unification fight between IBF 140-lb champion Richardson Hitchins and WBO champ Teofimo Lopez next. Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis has decided he doesn’t wish to face Teofimo in a title defense of his IBF welterweight belt. He says he’d rather focus on unifying at 147.

Hitchins vs. Teofimo: A Realistic Matchup

Matchroom promoter Hearn should contact Bob Arum, Teofimo’s boss at Top Rank, and try to negotiate a fight. It’s the best available contest for Teofimo (21-1, 13 KOs) because he’s not going to get the Terence Crawford match he’s been asking for.

Hitchins (19-0, 7 KOs) captured the IBF 140-lb title with a 12-round split decision win over Liam Paro last Saturday night at Coliseo Roberto Clemente in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The Eddie Hearn-promoted Hitchins looked excellent, beating Paro by the scores 116-112, 116-112 for Paro, and 117-111 for Paro.

Teofimo would have to want the fight with Hitchins because he may choose not to take the match if he feels it’ll be a difficult one or a fight he could lose.

“He said he wants Teofimo Lopez. That’s a pretty big fight in New York City.  Teofimo and Hitchins are both New Yorkers, both champions at 140 lbs,” said Chris Mannix on YouTube. “I think Teofimo-Hitchins is a much more realistic fight [than Jaron Ennis vs. Teofimo].

“I think that’s a fight that Top Rank could financially put on. Teofimo is obviously the A-side in a fight like that. He would get the bulk of the money, and would get the A-side billing. Even though Hitchins is a title holder, he’s not that expensive.

“You can do a fight with Teofimo and Hitchins. Put it on ESPN. If they don’t want to put it on ESPN, Eddie Hearn could put it on DAZN. That fight makes a lot more sense. That’s an interesting clash of styles, just like Paro and Hitchins. Teofimo is more of a come-forward guy. Hitchins is more of a classic boxer.

It’s obviously not the massive fight that Teofimo wants against Jaron Boots Ennis, Devin Haney, Ryan Garcia, or Crawford, but it is as good as it gets for him.

“Who wins out? Teofimo has a lot more pop than Liam Paro. That’s a very interesting fight at 140. That’s a fight I want to see Teofimo win. Not something like Boots Ennis,” said Mannix.

“Hitchins, no one gives him credit for his power, but I do. I could hear it, and I could see it. He doesn’t commit to combinations,” said Sergio Mora. “The pot-shotting. You could hear it, and you could see the respect he’s getting from his opponents. I could see it in the face of Paro after the second half of the fight. He was a defeated fighter.”