The dream of a come back to the global boxing levels, and the path via the 140lb division came to a crashing end today for Aussie George Kambosos.
In a decisive display of skill and precision, Richardson Hitchins defended his IBF Super Lightweight title with dominance, stopping former Unified Lightweight champion George Kambosos Jr. with a clinical body shot in the eighth round at Madison Square Garden’s Theater in New York City on Saturday night.
From the opening bell, Hitchins left little doubt about who controlled the ring. The Brooklyn native showcased his trademark sharp jab and superior reach to keep Kambosos at bay, picking his precisely timed moments in order to punish the Australian challenger with clean, accurate combinations.
By the midpoint of the fight, the fight statistics told the story. Hitchins had connected with over 100 jabs, consistently dictating the pace while Kambosos struggled to close the distance and land meaningful shots. According to post-fight Compubox numbers, Hitchins landed 205 of 398 total punches (a remarkable 52% connect rate), while Kambosos managed just 57 of 384 (15%).
A key moment came in the fourth round when Hitchins dug a powerful left hand into Kambosos’ ribs, clearly hurting him. The Australian is well-known for his toughness and his grit, and he demonstrated that again to be able to stand up and work through the pain, but despite his courage, this was not enough. From then on, the writing was on the wall: the challenger could neither match Hitchins’ hand speed nor evade his precise attack.
The end came at 2:33 of the eighth round. Hitchins caught Kambosos with a vicious left hook to the body, folding him to the canvas in visible agony. Although Kambosos rose before the count of ten, referee Steve Willis had seen enough, waving off the contest as the battered challenger winced in pain and was unable to protect himself.
“I’ve been telling the boxing world I was coming and they should have listened,” Hitchins said in the ring afterward, brimming with confidence as he extended his unbeaten record to 20-0 with 8 knockouts. He wasted no time calling out fellow top names in the division, including Devin Haney, signalling his intentions for a unification clash.
For Kambosos, now 22-4, the loss leaves questions about what’s next in a career that once saw him shock the world by toppling Teofimo Lopez to become a unified lightweight champion.
“He was a little bit too good for me tonight,” Kambosos admitted graciously in the post-fight press conference. “He hit me with a beautiful body shot. I’ll spend some time with my family now and probably coach my son’s footy team.”
The fight cemented Hitchins’ status as one of the most technically polished fighters at 140 pounds and underlined his promise as a legitimate threat to the division’s biggest names. Fans can expect him to push for bigger paydays and headline main event fights soon.
As for Kambosos, the Aussie warrior’s heart has never been in doubt, but the punishing nature of recent bouts may prompt him to weigh his options carefully before stepping back between the ropes.
Fight Summary
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Date: June 14, 2025
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Venue: Madison Square Garden Theater, New York City
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Result: Richardson Hitchins TKO8 George Kambosos Jr. (2:33 of Round 8)
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Punch Stats: Hitchins — 205 landed of 398 thrown (52%); Kambosos — 57 landed of 384 thrown (15%)
Although Hitchins’ victory serves as a reminder that in the super lightweight division, its precision and patience that wins fights just as much as raw power. If Kambosos had listened to his corner though, and move his head to avoid the jabs, or move out of the centreline of his opponent, and use more combinations on the inside rather than just hit once and step away, he may have taken the title and the ending he dreamt of. As it stands, we’ll never know, and unfortunately the real pain of bruises is nothing compared to any pain of regret.
Like others who had a great short-term career, Jeff Horn for example, Kambosos only path now seems to retire from the sport as elegantly as he can, knowing that he will forever be in the history books with one of the most amazing wins (ie Teofimo Lopez for the unified belts) in the sport’s history.
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