From the opening bell, Hitchins established the piston-like jab that carried him to a world title at 140 kilos. Salas tried to work his way inside with body shots, but each advance was met by one other stiff jab or straight right. At any time when Salas managed to shut the gap, Hitchins circled away or tied him up before the Mexican could work. The tactic kept Salas from constructing any sustained offense, even though it also slowed the pace and produced long stretches with little motion.
The Brooklyn native looked physically comfortable despite moving up in weight. His footwork kept Salas chasing, and his shoulder-roll defense caused many punches to miss. The performance resembled the style Shakur Stevenson has used throughout his profession, counting on distance control, quick exits, and frequent clinches to neutralize attacks somewhat than standing within the pocket.
The pattern remained the identical through the center rounds. Hitchins piled up points behind the jab, accurate right hands, and left hooks before retreating each time Salas pressed forward. Once Salas reached him, Hitchins often wrapped him up until the referee called for a break. It wasn’t probably the most entertaining fight on the cardboard, however the strategy prevented Salas from finding any rhythm.
Salas continued marching forward over the ultimate rounds, refusing to offer up despite taking clean shots. Hitchins never abandoned the sport plan. His corner encouraged him to press harder looking for a stoppage, yet he stayed committed to boxing safely from the skin as a substitute of taking unnecessary probabilities.
After the fight, Hitchins revealed that his right hand began bothering him across the sixth round due to an injury suffered in training camp. Even with the problem, he finished the competition without appearing troubled.
Hitchins later mentioned Gervonta Davis, Ryan Garcia, and Devin Haney as opponents he wants next. His first appearance at welterweight left little doubt about his technical ability, even when the safety-first style won’t appeal to fans in search of motion. It produced an entire shutout on the scorecards, showing that Hitchins has already turn into difficult to resolve at 147 kilos.