Scott Christ
Hitchins was miserable to watch in his last bout, a debatable (being kind) win over Gustavo Lemos. Paro’s not usually as cautious as he was against Subriel Matias, though, and he might see that getting in close and trying to make Hitchins uncomfortable is the way to go here, not only for The Fans and our Entertainment Value, but to, like, win the fight, which is Paro’s real goal on Saturday.
I think he can do it. There’s just something about Hitchins I don’t buy as a top contender, but at the same time, Paro doesn’t exactly look unbeatable, and style-wise, if Hitchins is actually on his game, then he can be a problem. He’s got skills. If he’s not really on his game, he is technically effective at an awful clutching-and-grabbing style, enough that the sport’s terrible judges gave him the win over Lemos.
I think the outcome is about 50/50, but I’m going with Paro. Partially because I don’t buy Hitchins, partially because I’d rather watch Paro in meaningful fights going forward. Spoiler but below, John manages to go through his whole prediction without noting this seems like it’s lining up to be “winner faces Kambosos next summer.” Paro SD-12
Wil Esco
I’m not particularly in love with the style of Richardson Hitchins but I do think he has the dimensions and ability to outpoint Liam Paro over the distance so long as he’s able to prevent himself from getting into a close range war.
Hitchins showed some vulnerabilities in his last fight but I think he’ll be careful to fight as disciplined as possible and if he’s able to keep from getting hit with shots he really shouldn’t, I see him tallying up enough points on the scorecard to win a decision. I don’t expect a great action fight in this matchup, and the less back-and-forth action the better it’ll be for Hitchins. Hitchins UD-12
John Hansen
One of the delightful revelations of our early podcast days was the story of lil’ Scooter Christ and his dog Cookie getting blasted by a skunk. It’s the sort of experience that’s hilarious with the benefit of 30-plus years of distance, and the knowledge that all turned out well. It’s much, much less funny in real time when your own dog gets a faceful of a skunk’s foulest anal excretions, which is what happened in my backyard on Tuesday night.
It wasn’t easy corralling and de-funkifying the poor, miserable beast, stinking ferociously as it slavered and vomited all over the patio, while my children made their own horrible commotion watching from a window, their mother hundreds of miles away on a business trip. But I got through it. And what helped me deal with it all was knowing that it won’t even be the most miserable night of my week, because I’m on live coverage for Hitchins vs Paro.
Richardson Hitchins fights should all happen at The Hague, so that the International Court of Justice can get an eyewitness view of his heinous crimes against humanity. Hitchins fights the most revolting version of the clutch-and-grab non-stop foul style, to a degree that makes Devin Haney look like Arturo Gatti. Gustavo Lemos absolutely beat his ass earlier this year, and the three judges who scored it otherwise should be blasted into the Adalaide Byrd/Ian John Lewis Phantom Zone, along with every referee that’s consistently refused to enforce the clearest and most basic rules of the sport when Hitchins is in the ring.
Paro is no avatar of action and virtue, having won his IBF title from Subriel Matias through his own brand of cuddling and fouling, but at least he had the courage and tenacity to navigate one of the scariest men in the sport. Hitchins wasn’t going to take this fight when Matias held the belt, citing the IBF’s rehydration rules ahead of the Lemos eliminator fight. That suddenly wasn’t an impediment once the belt was no longer attached to Matias.
Unless we get a referee performance for the ages, this is practically guaranteed to be among the most miserable fights you’ll ever see in your life. Someone has to win it, though, and I’ll pull for the far, far lesser of two evils. Paro UD-12
Patrick Stumberg
I’ve got plenty of selfish reasons to pull for Paro; the better he looks, the more justifiable my man Subriel Matias’ defeat, with the added bonus of punishing Hitchins’ disgraceful performance against Gustavo Lemos. Luckily for me, an objective analysis favors Paro just as much as a subjective one. Hitchins’ inability to keep the diminutive Lemos away was a massive red flag against a skilled body puncher like Paro, and while Paro lacks that sort of balls-to-the-wall aggression, he makes up for it with solid footwork. Hitchins’ jab won’t be sufficient to keep him out of trouble and his Plan B, excessive clinching, is hamstrung by Paro’s ability to fight inside and the fact that Hitchins isn’t the A-side this time.
After picking against Paro for two straight fights, I’m ready to believe. Effective aggression and consistent body work carry him to a decisive win. Paro UD-12