Oscar Duarte doesn’t need a sanctioning body to establish who the world champion is.
Based on the fact that Duarte showed up at T-Mobile Arena in February prepared to fight for the IBF 140lbs belt, only to learn then-titleholder Richardson Hitchins was pulling out due to sickness, means the title has changed hands in Duarte’s mind.
“He loses being champion because he won’t fight. So I’m the new champion,” Duarte pronounced to BoxingScene at a media workout for the May 2 Prime Video/DAZN pay-per-view card at T-Mobile Arena.
Hitchins sealed his own fate this week with news that he’ll vacate the 140lbs belt and move to welterweight as he joins the new Zuffa Boxing promotion.
Duarte fights May 2 under the main event pitting unified cruiserweight titleholder Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez defending his belts against unbeaten light heavyweight titleholder David Benavidez. Mexico’s Duarte, 30-2-1 (23 KOs), meets countryman and fellow action fighter Angel Fierro 23-4-2 (18 KOs) in a bout scheduled for 10 rounds.
To Duarte, it’s his first title defense after he effectively one-upped Hitchins with a creatively vulgar statement and action at their February news conference, only to see the New Yorker withdraw beyond the 11th hour.
Rather than strip Hitchins or order an immediate rescheduling, the IBF allowed Hitchins to skip Duarte and meet his stablemate at the Robert Garcia Boxing Academy, top-ranked Lindolfo Delgado, next.
Hitchins likely saw his time as IBF titleholder waning, however, given the move to Zuffa, which saw its new cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia stripped of his IBF belt.
It’s not immediately clear how the IBF will respond to Hitchins’ exit.
“I’m feeling very excited for this big opportunity. I’m ready for war. Right now, I’m focusing my camp, focusing on victory,” Duarte said. “I’m training very hard, ready to go.”
Duarte is ranked No. 3 by the IBF, No. 4 by the WBA and No. 8 by the WBO.
Still, in Duarte’s mind, there is a belt in play May 2 because of the prior circumstances that followed Hitchins making 140lbs, but falling sick after the IBF’s mandated fight-day weigh-in, when the limit is 150lbs.
Duarte contends it wasn’t over an illness.
“My fight was denied because I was a good fighter,” he said.
Turning to the challenge of Fierro, he said, “These are the kind of fights I want.”
Asked how long he might have to wait for a bona fide title shot, Duarte said, “I’ve lost the opportunity to fight for a world title, but I feel I am the world champion and I will prove it on May 2.”
The fastest way to gain that legitimate title shot is to perform impressively, which Duarte plans to do.
“I will win the fight by knockout. I don’t know the round, but I will win the fight by knockout,” he said.
And if someone can deliver him a strap of some kind afterward, all the better.