This is not compromise. A countdown.
Hitchins, the undefeated IBF junior welterweight title holder, is left in limbo after being pulled from the card on January 31 at Madison Square Garden. He was linked with a fight with Jamaine Ortiz on the Teofimo Lopez-Shakur Stevenson card. After the show ended, Hitchins was no longer part of the group. Ortiz forward. Hitchins did not.
The rest of the section is sealed:
• Teofimo Lopez Jr. already committed to Shakur Stevenson.
• Subriel Matias is tied with Dalton Smith and then Alberto Puello.
• Gary Antuanne Russell has his own law.
That leaves Hitchins alone, holding a belt with nowhere to go.
The name that appears is Frank Martincoming off a strong win over Rances Barthelemy. It was a discreet fight. Besides, for the time being, it’s unimportant. Martin is not ranked in the IBF’s top fifteen, meaning the fight cannot be sanctioned unless the rules are relaxed or the situation changes soon.
The public is not equally happy.
Beyond that, the options disappear quickly. Awaiting IBF official challenger, Lindolfo Delgado. The decision to promote him was highly controversial. That doesn’t matter to the IBF. The important thing is compliance.
Once an official announcement is made, Hitchins will fight with Delgado or risk losing the name that created this window in the first place. There is no third way.
This time there is more to say about Hitchins’ status than his last defense. Champions and keywords. Champions without waiting for books.