Russell still sees something

“I think he looks more professional now,” Russell told DAZN’s Inside The Ring. “But some habits are hard to break. And I still see his old habits in the amateurs.”

That observation shaped how Russell viewed the 140-pound division. While he acknowledges Hitchens’ evolution, he believes the foundation is permanent. In Russell’s heart, the void remains. Muscle memory and instincts under pressure are basically ingrained.

While this psychological advantage is powerful, it also comes with clear risks. The professional version of Hitchens has evolved into a different animal, an IBF champion who is proficient in the 12-round marathon. He no longer relies on the wild outbursts of the amateur circuit.

Instead, he wins through tight control of distance and patience that can frustrate even the most aggressive hunter. He traded his helmet for a calculated defensive style that frustrated the best players in the world.

Russell is a seek-and-destroy specialist with 17 knockouts in 18 wins, but he relies on the exact opposite. He forced trades. He looks for a breakthrough. If Russell is right, these amateur habits will resurface when stress reaches a boiling point. If he was wrong, then he was walking into a fight expecting a boy he once knew, not the man standing there now.

While Russell prioritized Dalton Smith for the WBC belt, Hitchens’ talk felt visceral. It’s about the pride of the 4-0 score. It’s the confidence a person feels that they already have the answer.

pride and progress

Hiraoka is the immediate obstacle. As an undefeated, powerful southpaw, he deserves full attention, but Russell’s language suggests his thinking has shifted toward a uniformity rooted in multi-year scorecards. He views a dangerous world title defense as a pit stop in a personal vendetta.

If Russell and Hitchens meet, the belt will be secondary. The true test is whether a warrior can truly transcend his past, or whether growth ultimately rewrites memory. It’s no longer just career rankings; This is about Russell trying to prove that the version of Hitchens he reigned in all those years ago is the only one that truly exists.

Russell sounded convinced he already knew the answer. In boxing, this certainty is either a boxer’s greatest weapon or his greatest weakness.