Junior welterweight contender Oscar Duarte is days removed from seeing his chance at the IBF world title slip through his fingers. But the 30-year-old from Chihuahua, MX, isn’t letting that derail his journey, especially when his promoter, Golden Boy Promotions, makes it clear they have his back.
It was Friday afternoon at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV, and Duarte (30-2-1, 23 KOs) stepped on the scale and weighed in at 140 pounds ahead of his IBF junior welterweight title fight against champion Richardson Hitchins on a card headlined by Mario Barrios facing Ryan Garcia in a WBC welterweight title bout. Hitchins also stepped on the scale afterward, coming in at 140 pounds, completing the first of two weigh-ins. Duarte was prepared to fight for the world title in front of family and friends, with some making the 20-hour drive from Chihuahua, MX, to Las Vegas, NV.
The next morning, both fighters needed to be within ten pounds of the junior welterweight limit as required by IBF rules. Duarte and Hitchins met the weight requirement, and the fight was now set to take place later that night. What happened next was unexpected—Hitchins started to vomit after eating breakfast and became ill. Soon after, the fight was canceled because Hitchins felt he was not well enough to defend his title.
Duarte was immediately notified, and because the card was scheduled to begin in a matter of hours, there was no way to arrange a replacement. Duarte ended up resting and later attended the fight card. Reflecting on the events that morning, Duarte told FightsATW, “I’m still a little upset about this weekend’s events, but with my chin up, I’m moving forward and ready for what’s to come.”
Duarte continued, “I felt a little upset and left out because I did everything I was supposed to do in preparing for this fight, arrived ready, made weight, was prepared to be crowned world champion, and in the end, the fight didn’t happen. Although I was upset, I was proud of myself because I did what I was supposed to do. Sometimes things happen that are out of our control, so I can’t get frustrated about it.”
One of the most important things that comes with not fighting, besides missing the chance at a world title, is that if you don’t fight, you don’t get paid. For a guy like Duarte, who has faced some notable names in the past, he really hasn’t hit the big paydays, so each fight counts. When entering the T-Mobile Arena on that Saturday night, Duarte saw his promoter, Oscar De La Hoya, and Golden Boy Promotions’ president, Eric Gomez. Duarte shared his conversation with them and the loyal gesture that was shown by the ‘Golden Boy’ himself.
“At the arena on fight night, I went over and greeted Oscar (De La Hoya) and Eric (Gomez),” said Duarte. “Oscar told me that he felt Richardson (Hitchins) was scared and that not to worry, as he was going to pay me for the fight. Being told that I’m going to be paid for the fight relieves me of any worries. Right now, I still have plenty of desire to fight and will continue to keep myself ready so I can return as soon as possible.”
Although the public was demanding that the fight be rescheduled for another date, the IBF had other plans because the deadline for a voluntary defense was about to expire, so they ordered the champion Hitchins to face top contender Lindolfo Delgado. This decision wasn’t well-received on social media, as fans felt they were robbed of seeing Hitchins-Duarte. Now that it seems Duarte isn’t going to get that shot, he must set his sights on another champion or top contender within the 140-pound division, even if that means facing “the runner Shakur Stevenson,” as he put it.
“The public is asking for the fight between Richardson Hitchins and me,” said Duarte. “If Hitchins were a man, he would fight me, but since he isn’t, he can do whatever he wants. I’m ready to fight Gary Antuanne Russell, Dalton Smith, or Shakur Stevenson. I’ll face whoever.”
When I mentioned a picture Duarte posted on social media of him handling a pit bull with Isaac Cruz’s face on it, he lit up when it was suggested that it could be a fight that takes place on Cinco de Mayo’s David Benavidez vs. Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez fight card. “Isaac ‘Pitbull’ Cruz is another opponent as well, who is a great fighter and has earned the position he is in,” said Duarte. “Because he is a great fighter and his fighting style matches my own, it’s a fight that the people would be the ones who would win. The people want great fights, and one with Pitbull Cruz, and I would be a great one.”
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Not to leave any stone unturned, if none of those options work out, Duarte could move up in an attempt to right the wrong against the new WBC champion, Garcia. “I would even move up to 147 to face Ryan Garcia in a rematch, as I still have a score to settle with him. I am happy for him to have won his world title this past weekend. I would still want to have that rematch.”
With Duarte, he has a warrior mentality, but also a personality that is hard to dislike. It’s a combination that often leads to continued opportunities being presented. With Golden Boy Promotions having a fight card in March and May, let’s see if they can get Duarte on one of those cards against a top opponent so that the fans can enjoy a great fight to replace the one they didn’t get on Saturday night.
(Editor’s Note: Translation of the interview was conducted by Abraham Gonzalez.)
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