Gustavo Lemos vs Richardson Hitchins: “El Eléctrico” had to start over and knows that the train doesn’t pass twice

Not because they are banal, insistent and squashed, proverbs cease to be used in everyday speech. There is one, unsustainable like the others, that guarantees it the train passes only once. Gustavo Lemos It can be countered with facts that this is not always the case. This Saturday, Tresarroyense will have his second big chance to place himself on the doorstep of a World Cup chance, when he takes on the American Richardson Hitchins In Las Vegas in a duel for number one in the International Boxing Federation (IBF) super lightweight rankings. The card will be broadcast starting at 9pm on ESPN 2.

With his 29 consecutive victories and his 19 categorical definitions in tow, Lemos landed Monday in the City of Sin to make his first presentation abroad. With him he will also measure his strength at the Bleaulive Theater of the Hotel Fontainebleau undefeated Hitchins, who has won all 17 of his lawsuits (7 before the limit). The winner will become the mandatory rival of the IBF 140-pound monarch, the Puerto Rican Subriel Matíasthe dark horse of this division, which will expose its crown to the Australian on June 15th Liam Paro.

He Electric, born 26 years ago in the Ruta 3 Sur neighborhood of Tres Arroyos and a former construction worker, was already half a step away from fighting for a title from the New Jersey-based organization. In March 2022, after knocking out the Welsh veteran Lee Selby at Luna Park, he acquired the status of number one contender for the lightweight crown, which at that time was held by the Australian George Kambosos. But that lawsuit was postponed because Oceanic had agreed to a unification duel with American Devin Haney And so the man from Buenos Aires entered a 21-month hiatus in which extremely uncomfortable situations arose.

In July 2022 He was arrested by Buenos Aires police personnel for resisting authorities after a car accident in the center of his hometown. He then suffered a hand injury that prevented him from hitting normally for nearly a semester. When his return now seemed like a given, already established in the super lightweight ranks, he exceeded the category limit by four kilos (63,500 kilos) at the weigh-in for a fight against the Cordovan. Javier Clavero, scheduled for August 18, 2023 at Luna Park. That bout was canceled and, a few days later, the IBF dropped him from its rankings.

The reappearance of Tito It only occurred on December 15, after 629 days of unwanted stoppage. That night, in the ring set up at Corrientes and Bouchard Coliseum, it took him just 40 seconds to knock out Clavero. A couple of weeks later, the IBF reinstated him in its rankings: it ranked him eighth among super lightweights. In February he was promoted to the seventh step. From that position he will challenge Hitchins.

“This fight is a motivation and a great joy. We had been looking for her for a long time. “I am happy to be able to fight in Las Vegas and I have complete confidence in myself.”, said Lemos in dialogue with Planeta Boxing Radio from the United States, where he traveled with Pedro Alem, his father and coach; Aníbal Amarilla, his second; and Sebastián Rivero, his promoter.

The Argentine, a persistent boxer, constantly moving forward and throwing punches from all angleshe will have to exploit his power against an elusive rival, equipped with a good defense, much taller and with more reach than him. “It is more than certain that Hitchins will run. “We are ready to have a good fight and I hope people leave happy with my great show.”Tresarroyense was excited.

For Hitchins, 26 years old, this will also be the most important match of his professional career, which began in March 2017, after representing Haiti at the Rio de Janeiro 2016 Olympic Games (his parents are Haitian), but gained momentum after signing a contract in September 2022 with Match boxingone of the most important promoters on the planet and organizer of Saturday evening.

The Brooklyn-born boxer has built an ascendant career that includes wins against, among others, two former World Cup challengers, Californian José Chon Zepeda and the Dominican Argenis Méndez, two men with many teeth and many hours on the rope. Hitchins comes to this commitment well regarded by several organizations and in a position of expectation: he is third in the IBF ranking and in that of the World Boxing Organizationand second in that of World Boxing Council (he also recognizes him as a silver champion).

Like Lemos, the American is full of optimism (and a little pedantry). “There are layers to this. When he gets in there, he will realize that he will be facing a fighter of a completely different caliber. I don’t respect his record, I don’t respect whoever fought him, I don’t respect anything he did in boxing. So I have to show him that this fight is out of his league,” he challenged the venue, who acknowledged that his style might be boring to some spectators. “But I’m also a boxer who could put on a perfect fight without a single drop falling on me. glove.”My motto is to hit and not be hit.”He explained.

Although Hitchins and Lemos occupy the third and seventh spots in the IBF 140-pound rankings, a combination of situations opened their way to the top spot, which is now vacant (as is the second). Fourth in the standings, the Englishman Jack Catterallhas a long-awaited and repeatedly postponed rematch against the Scot scheduled for May 25 Josh Taylor. The fifth, the American Recording Programshe lost his World Boxing Council crown less than four months ago to his compatriot Devin Haney. And the sixth will compete, the Australian Liam Paro Subriel Matías in June. Therefore, this Saturday’s cause offers a great reward

Anyway, Owning the number one won’t necessarily lead to an immediate World Cup chance. Because if he managed to win the fight against Paro, Matías, the most elusive man in this category, could compete with Devin Haneyif the WBC champion beats, as everything suggests, Ryan Garcia in two weeks in Brooklyn. The American, in fact, has already expressed his desire to unify the four tiers of this division and his willingness to face the Puerto Rican in his next match. The other 140-pound monarchs are Teofimo Lopez (OMB) and Mexican Isaac pitbull Throughfrom whom he snatched the WBA belt last Saturday Rolando Romero.