Hitchins Wants MSG Money for Davis Fight in Cardiff

Richardson Hitchins says he has accepted a fight with Keyshawn Davis in Cardiff, Wales, but wants his purse to match what he was promised when the bout was still slated for Madison Square Garden.

"As long as the pay is the same, I'm cool," Hitchins told Sean Zittel and Radio Raheem. The unbeaten 147-pounder said Davis has already told him he's ready to sign, and that the opponent was never his issue. The location and the number attached to it are.

Why Cardiff Changes the Math for Hitchins

The fight was originally pitched as a co-feature beneath Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua in New York, according to Hitchins. Moving the card to Cardiff swaps a hometown crowd for a stadium of neutral fans with no built-in rooting interest in either American. That alone shifts leverage away from Hitchins. Add a possible Manny Pacquiao-Shakur Stevenson fight to the bill, and Hitchins-Davis likely slides from co-feature to third on the marquee beneath two heavier draws. Cards built around Fury, Joshua, Pacquiao and Stevenson allocate their money to the names selling tickets and subscriptions. A third fight, however good the matchup, typically isn't budgeted at co-main numbers.

Hitchins is 21-0 and has fought most of his career at 140 pounds before moving up to welterweight. He's a skilled boxer known for distance control and a patient, jab-heavy approach, not the style that usually electrifies a stadium crowd waiting on heavyweights. Davis, unbeaten and coming off strong form at lightweight and now moving to 147, brings more natural crowd appeal with his combination punching. That contrast matters if promoters are deciding how much value the fight adds once it's buried under bigger names.

What's Actually Been Confirmed

No purse figures have been made public, and Pacquiao-Stevenson has not been finalized. Hitchins has accepted Davis as the opponent and says he's willing to travel to Wales for the fight. The sticking point, by his own account, is only the money.

Betting Angle

Nothing about the financial standoff changes the stylistic matchup between Hitchins and Davis, which remains a genuinely competitive 147-pound crossroads fight between two Olympians. What it does change is placement and exposure, and that matters for how sportsbooks and bettors will treat it once odds open. A fight slotted third on a bill topped by Fury-Joshua and a possible Pacquiao-Stevenson draws less market attention and typically less liquidity than a true co-feature would have gotten in New York. For bettors, the fight itself hasn't moved. Where it sits on fight night, and how much attention the market gives it before first bell, has.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will Richardson Hitchins fight Keyshawn Davis in Cardiff?

Richardson Hitchins says he has accepted the fight with Keyshawn Davis in Cardiff, Wales, though he wants his purse to match the figure originally pitched when the bout was planned for Madison Square Garden.

What card would Hitchins vs. Davis appear on?

The fight has been discussed as part of a card built around Tyson Fury vs. Anthony Joshua in Cardiff, with a possible Manny Pacquiao vs. Shakur Stevenson bout also being considered for the bill.

What is holding up the Hitchins-Davis fight?

Richardson Hitchins says the opponent is not the issue; he is seeking the same pay he was promised for the New York version of the fight, though no purse figures have been made public and the Cardiff card is not yet finalized.