IBF light welterweight champion Richardson Hitchins (20-0, 8 KOs) got the job done, knocking out the faded ex-champ George Kambosos Jr. (22-4, 10 KOs) with a body shot on Saturday night at The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York.

As many expected, Kambosos looked like he had no business being inside the ring with Hitchins, who boxed his head off all night. In the fifth, Hitchins hurt Kambosos with a left to the body that made him wince. He then teed off on Kambosos, and he was close to being stopped.

Hitchins took it easy on Kambosos in rounds six and seven, jabbing and seemingly intentionally extending his suffering. It was obvious that Richardson was carrying ‘The Emperor,’ but not out of mercy.

He wanted the exquisite torture to last as long as possible. However, in the eighth, Hitchins connected with a left to the body that put Kambosos down. He was too hurt to continue, and fight was thankfully stopped.

After the fight, Hitchins revealed that he’s a free agent and called out Devin Haney. It’s unclear why he called him out when Haney fights at 147. Hitchins is desperate for a payday, and he would move up. Interestingly, Richardson didn’t mention his IBF mandatory Subriel Matias, who many fans believe he’s been avoiding.

The real star of the night was Cuban talent, Andy Cruz (6-0, 3 KOs), who looked like gold, stopping Hironori Mishiro (17-2-1, 6 KOs) in the fifth round of an IBF lightweight title eliminator. Cruz’s performance outshone Hitchins’s effort against Kambosos, which mostly just consisted of jabs, Mayweather-esque potshots, and moving around. Not entertaining. 

The 2020 Olympic gold medalist, Andy Cruz, showed off his power and offensive skills in the third round, scoring two knockdowns with right hands to the head of Mishiro. Cruz finished the job in the fifth round when he hit Mishiro with repeated right hands, staggering him, and forcing the referee to step in and stop the fight.

Cruz is now the mandatory for IBF lightweight champion Raymond Muratalla. That fight could have been the end of the year, provided Muratalla’s promoters at Top Rank don’t delay it.