Via Vince D’Writer: The 140-pound division is a division that brings together high-quality fighters, and underweight Amanda Serrano-Erika Cruz, two undefeated ultralightweights will vie for the spot, as the 13th-place contenders for the title. IBF Richardson Hitchins (15-0 , 7 KOs) will face John “El Terrible” Bauza.
John Bauza, 24, lives in North Bergen, New Jersey, but he is a boxer originally from Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico who is well aware of his underdog status in the upcoming bout. His rival Richardson Hitchins left Mayweather Promotions to join Matchroom for the sole purpose of getting a chance to fight more often.
Matchroom survived to the end of the deal when Hitchins first launched under the Matchroom banner in November 2022, and three months later he was set to clash with Bauza. The Hitchins’ goal is to stay active and increase the rankings, but Bauza wants to derail the Hitchins’ plans and create a path of her own.
John Bauza looks like he’s on track to break into the top 15 in December 2021 as he enters the squared circle and delivers a dominant performance. He needed just four rounds to knock out his previously undefeated opponent, Michael Williams Jr.
Thirty seconds into the first round, Bauza hit Williams Jr with a right-handed counterattack that sent Williams Jr to the frame. Two minutes into the second round, Bauza landed with a strong left hand, causing his opponent to fall backwards.
Midway through the fourth round, Bauza pinned his opponent to the rope and hit him with a series of hits, which resulted in Williams Jr being forced to his knees. Bauza went on to pull off a three-punch combo to knock Williams Jr down for the fourth time, and he then ended the match with a devastating left-hand connection.
After his five-man takedown masterpiece, Bauza was looking to put some impressive performances together, but unfortunately, things didn’t turn out that way. In March 2022, John Bauza faced Tony Luis, and he was able to win by unanimous decision, but it was a match that Bauza had to fight to win.
Now John Bauza (17-0.7 KOs) has a big chance to win against a ranked opponent and claim the IBF North American lightweight title. The match between Bauza and Hitchins is interesting because Bauza is a pressure fighter, and Hitchins is a more technical fighter.
On Saturday night, February 4, at the Hulu Theater in Madison Square Garden, live on DAZN, John Bauza will try to score a nasty point that could get him ranked with one of the sanctioning bodies. In the final push, John Bauza mentioned his big chance and his familiarity with the opponent.
“First of all, I want to say thank you for giving me the opportunity to be here. All I have to say is that I work hard. There were many obstacles, but we fought and we are ready.”
Bauza went on to declare, “We are ready for everyone. We have proven it in amateurs. He (Hitchins) knows who I am. I sparred him before. I come from the same group as them, all of them. They also know who I am, so we’re ready for everyone.”
