Hitchins-Zepeda Final Press Conference
Super welterweight contenders Richardson Hitchins and Jose Zepeda faced off at the final press conference for their clash taking place on Saturday at the Caribe Royale in Orlando, Florida.
Jose Zepeda: “In the fights I have seen of him, [Hitchins] is a talented fighter and a good prospect – but he hasn’t been at this level yet. That’s why in this fight we are going to see if he can work under pressure. There are levels. Trust me when I fought for a world title for the first time against [Jose Carlos] Ramirez, the first time I got hit to the body I knew that it was a different level. It’s different stuff. So, let’s see what it’s all about and see how he handles things on Saturday night.
Richardson Hitchins: Jose Zepeda says that I have never fought at this level. But he is forgetting that I was a kid at 22 years old with only ten professional fights and beating guys like Argenis Mendez, a guy who had already won a world title, and for every fight after that, I told anybody and everybody who they put me in the ring with that isn’t on a world championship level that it is a step down.
“Jose Zepeda has fought a lot of professional fights but also, he doesn’t have that on his record. Also, he’s fought a lot of guys who don’t have the athleticism or the same skillset than what I bring to the table. They’re all one-dimensional guys. You know, guys like Ivan Baranchyk, who was one of his best wins, but that guy was nothing. He had no fundamental skills at all in the ring. When he gets in the ring with me this Saturday, it doesn’t matter how many fights he’s had or whether he’s been in with Jose Ramirez.
“There’s a reason why I’m here after 16 fights. I’m a very smart fighter. He’ll figure that out when I open up on him. You will see that on Saturday night. Everything he says when he talks about levels, he’s fought people like Josue Vargas who he talked his way into the fight. I fought my way into this fight, and I have dominated everybody who has been put in front of me. He will be in a tough fight. I’m going to be around here for a long time.
“I can’t say that I’m looking at this as a tough test, but it is a test because Jose Zepeda got here by being a great boxer. But guys like Baranchyk made mistakes against him, so he won. But he can’t do that with me because I don’t make mistakes.”
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