While talented, the young career of Richardson Hitchins, at least from his point of view, has stalled.

After a strong showing in the 2016 Olympic Games, the now 25-year-old inked a promotional contract with Mayweather Promotions. From there, Hitchins was convinced that he aligned himself with the sort of promotional muscle that would allow him to become a star.

But, in spite of his lofty goals, Hitchins grew acrimonious as he endured protracted stints on the sidelines. Unwilling to allow his talent to go to waste, Hitchins escaped the promotional clutches of Mayweather Promotions and has signed on with Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing.

On February 4th, at the Hulu Theater in New York’s Madison Square Garden, Hitchins (15-0, 7 KOs) will make his second ring appearance since inking his agreement. Hitchins, admittedly, has nothing but respect for John Bauza, his upcoming foe. Nevertheless, the incredibly confident contender considers himself one of the best fighters around, whether the rest of the boxing world knows it or not.

“I think I’m an elite-level fighter,” said Hitchins to Ringside Views.

The pedestal in which Hitchins places himself upon, hasn’t led to mainstream attention. Currently, the New York native has a ways to go before he’s mentioned amongst the rest of the super lightweight division’s upper echelon. Should he go on to become the first man to hand John Bauza a defeat, Hitchins believes that his gaudy aspirations will be only a few fights away.

Ultimately, the main objective for Hitchins is to become one of the more recognizable faces in the sport. In order to do so, he knows good and well that he must aggregate world titles and string together impressive performances.

Still, at this very moment, Hitchins is under the impression that he’s somewhat outgrown his current status as a mere undercard fighter. Although his desires aren't exactly pragmatic, Hitchins deduces that at this stage in his career, he should be at least somewhat of a household name.  

“I feel like I should be having my own main events and right there in world title contention.”