IT IS WHAT IT IS - TATUM'S COMEBACK, HARDEN SAYS THERE'S NO LOYALTY IN THE NBA & BOXER RICHARDSON HITCHINS PULLS UP!

Episode Date: February 19, 2026

Ma$e, Cam'ron & Treasure "Stat Baby" Wilson are here with another one!! On this episode, the crew responds to the reports of Jayson Tatum making a comeback this season after tearing his achillies in May, is the comeback too soon? Then James Harden says there's no more loyalty in the NBA, is he crazy for saying this or is there some truth to what the former MVP is saying?! Then, should your kids have to follow in your legacy and boxer Richardson "Africa" Hitchins pulls up to set the record straight on Keyshawn Davis and everyone else! Intro (0:00) Tatum's Return Date (2:15) James Harden And Loyalty In The NBA (12:30) Your Son's Following Your Legacy (24:00) Boxer Richardson Hitchens (39:15) What do you think? Tell us in the comments below Please Like the video, comment, subscribe & turn on your post notifications for more content. Listen to the show on Spotify! https://open.spotify.com/show/4Brb7BgCw4f4jwgS5v3sXQ?si=811988ecff7b416a Listen to the show on Apple Podcasts! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/it-is-what-it-is/id1719695401 Sign up with promo code IIWII and play $5 to get $75 in bonus entries! https://play.underdogfantasy.com/p-itiswhatitis #UDpartner Get you some IT IS WHAT IT IS MERCH! https://www.itiswhatitismerch.com Shoutout to our Sponsor Pink Horse Power! https://buypinkhorsepower.com/ ALL INQUIRIES, PLEASE CONTACT: [e-mail] Keep up with us on social media! https://www.instagram.com/itiswhatitis_talk/ Snap: https://www.snapchat.com/add/iiwii_talk2023 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ItIsWhatItIsTalk TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@maseandcam Follow Our Hosts! https://www.instagram.com/masonbetha/ https://www.instagram.com/mr_camron/ https://www.instagram.com/treasurewilsxn/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome back to It Is What It Is. This episode is presented by Underdog. If you're new to Underdog, today's the day, get $75 in bonus entries when you play just $5 with code. It is what it is. So y'all wanted higher payouts and Underdog answered. Underdog is permanently increasing their payout multipliers. Now you can win up to 3.5 times on pick 2s and 6.5 times on pick threes. Underdog is available right now in most states, including Florida, Texas, and California. just to name a few. So make sure y'all support the show. Hit that subscribe button,

lock in your bonus, and start playing today with Code. It is what it is. I'm Treasor Wilson, aka Stat Baby, along with your host, Mace, and Cam. Killer was good, man. Murder was good, man, all white, man. How you doing feeling godly today, huh? Yeah, man.

I might have stumbled on a bag today, man. You know how you feel. That's how it is, man. Congratulations. man it's almost almost pice season now my birthday well mo might get his palm trees after man yeah well i had the palm shoot out wait my birthday just passed almost pice season now man yeah i told you to um what you call it to come in pause i told you i got I told you what I had, man.

I timed it well, man. You definitely did. I timed it well. I got good timing. You know, I'm just appreciate you coming to work every day. I don't mean nothing, man, but I do appreciate it. Thank you, brother. Okay, y'all.

So we're going to start with some basketballs, specifically talking about the Celtics. So Jason Tatum may come back sooner than later, so he posted a tweet in reference to his recovery process, saying 40 weeks with a prayer emoji. He said, I've really grown to appreciate this journey I've been on and allowed time for me to pat myself on the back for showing up every day. So, Mace, if Jason Tatum is able to return this year,

what are your expectations for the Celtics? Man, if Jason Tatum return, I think the Celtics are the favorite out of the East. Right now, they're number two, right, in the East standings. And they don't have Tatum. This has been a remarkable season for just Jalen Brown and the Boston Celtics. To see what they've been able to do without Tatum says that Tatum is just a player. Once they add them to them, they're going to be an explosive force. It's nothing nobody's going to be able to do with them.

And that's all I'm thinking right now. I think they might win it all. They might win it all with Tatum. I don't see OKC beating them. but if it's wimby, then I got to go with the spurs. But I don't think nobody else could beat them. If Taiton is playing well with the way that that Boston team is playing right now. On the record.

Okay, Cam. I'm not sure, be honest with you. I wouldn't say they were won at all. I'm not sure if they get to the championship. Last year, even though the series wasn't done yet, the Celtics were down when they lost to the Knicks. I'm talking about even though Jason Tatum guy, I think they're there on 3-1, 2, 1, pardon me, if I don't have the actual games correct. But they weren't winning that series.

They were already losing that series. And I think to me, and I hate to even agree with Nick fans, because you know the niggas is on them. You know, we're going to fuck of Tatum coming back. That's the attitude, man. Fuck we was playing last year. We just, we just handled the whole Celtics team, nigga. Mawluckin' fucking big-ass unicorn. We got his ass out of there.

fucking niggas got rid of Drew Holliday. We can fuck about that shit, something game series, killer. This is where Nick fans are pumping right now. You know, I try to fight back with the facts of the facts. They were losing with Jason Tatum there. I think that the Celtics are doing really well without Jason Tatum. I'm not saying that Jason Tatum isn't a factor.

Absolutely, he's a factor. But has he had enough rhythm to get in sync with the players that they have now? I'm not saying that him and Jalen Brown don't have chemistry, which they do. they've been playing together for over half a decade now. Pardon me. But it's one of them situations where, I'm not saying Boston can win now without Jason Tatum,

but it's one of them situations where you may get in the way this season. Because they're doing well. But, you know, seven games series matter. And for me, right now, even with Tatum coming back, I like the way that Cleveland's looking. You know, everybody's still on the pistons and everything. I think they need a little more experience, but I do like the way Cleveland looks. It likes Donovan Mitchell open up with James Harden at the point guard.

Mowbly down there, center. They got good wings. I think I really like Cleveland. I have to see more games for them, but if anybody should be motivated, it should be James Hard and it should be Donovan Mitchell. Now, we know James Harden doesn't show up when it counts. If he doesn't show up again when it counts, it doesn't matter east, west, north, south. He's just not going to show up.

short when it's count when it counts. But it's not a lot of big strip clubs in Cleveland. Not a lot of land. It's not Houston. You should be able to lock in. This is not a full season, James Harton. You're not there from August to April, May, or June, whatever the case may be. You need to lock in from February to May. And if you get to the championship to June, he don't have to spend a lot of time there right as this moment to get them to a championship. So right now my favorite would be Cleveland, but I'm not saying that Boston it wouldn't be dangerous with Jason Tatum.

I'm just telling you last time we seen Jason Tatum on the floor. They weren't winning the series. I think when it comes to this type of take that Cam just gave, I think he's just moving towards my second pick because that was my second pick. I was going to go with Cleveland as my second pick, even over the Knicks, because I just think the same way people think,

think about James Harden is how I feel about the Knicks. They just, for some reason, they're not gonna come through. Yeah. I would, I would be surprised if the Knicks won the East. I'll be very surprised. You really never know these days. And then we're gonna go to the Cavs next, but I wanna go back to a point that Cam kind of brought up

because I feel like now people, this kind of happens throughout every season, really, where people start kind of questioning Jason Tatum. And I don't wanna make it like, the elephant in the room, but it kind of is. So, Mace, I'm going to ask you this. Do you feel like potentially the Celtics look a bit more balanced without Jason Tatum? Is that what you guys are saying in agreements with or not necessarily there just yet? It's not only do they look more poised without Jason Tatum. The ball is moving. Pause. The ball is moving. And the only team

I've seen move the ball like this was like maybe that was a Golden State team. a couple of years ago. Not when they had pool because pool wasn't passing the ball. But before that, it seemed like the ball was moving around. You know, when Clay was hitting those threes and right before, right before Clay got hurt. I think they were moving the ball so amazingly, even when KD was there. It was the same thing. I think this is how this Boston team looks.

It just looked like a well-rounded machine and everybody is moving. And it seems like with Jason, not even Jason Tatum, but with Jalen Brown at the helm of that team, it just looked like a better team. Now, when they put Tatum back in there, they're going to be dynamic. You know, there's going to be like adding KD back to Golden State. That's what it's going to be like for them. And if there's not them, I'm going with the Cleveland Cavaliers, just like Killer said. But that would be my second choice. But I still don't have the Knicks.

And stat, one more time, the question? Yeah, basically you started kind of talking about it, but I'm trying to see if you guys are in agreeance. Do you feel like the Celtics look more balanced without Jason Tatum? They look good. I'm not ever going to say that you don't need a Jason Tatum. I don't care what team you want. You know, it's about the coach making sure that he fits in the rotation correctly.

And of course, we know he's a superstar NBA champion, Olympic gold medalist, the list goes on. You're not going to ever sit here and say, don't need Jason Tatum, but I think it's more credit to the coach or how he's making it happen without all the pieces that I named in my first take. You know what I'm saying? We got to think about Porzengis was a very big part of that championship. Drew Holliday was a very big part of that championship.

And when you start getting rid of players like that, you sit there and say, damn, the Boston Seltis might be trying to rebuild because, you know, Jason Tatum isn't coming back last year, next year. So you lose Porzinger's, you lose Drew Holliday, lose Tatum. essentially for 75, 80% of the season. And Jalen Brown and Pritchard, they're really doing good. White is doing well, but I'm going to give more credit to how the coaches playing them and hitting his rotations together

to have them second in the east. And I think he's that good of a coach that he'll figure out how to make Jason Tatum, you know, get back in rhythm with the team. I think he's a really good coach. And I think he should be candidate for Coach of the Year, considering all the names that I named and where the Celtics are at now. I don't know if he's going to win it, but he should definitely be a top three candidate at this moment. Yeah, Killer, how are you giving the credit to the coach when Jalen Brown is at 30.7 rebounds,

five assists and shooting 50% from the field? You don't give them that credit? Because if the coach won, he can put them on the bench, and Jalen Brown can be average in 12 minutes. The coach makes a decision. Jaylen Brown doesn't make a lot of decisions. He can sit there and cry and say, I should be in. I should be in.

We've seen a lot of niggis crying and say they should be in. The coach is the one who puts you in. The coach is the one who utilizes you. Jason. Jalen Brown ain't out there on a mission by itself. I think it's the coach's credit. He knows how to use them. A lot of coaches, you know, we sit there and see a bunch of coaches that's not getting along with superstar players.

We see that with Larry Brown and Alan. I'm like, they need to figure that shit out. I'm now going back sometime. But yeah, and I, and listen to me, with those numbers you just said, I, Kay Cutterham, I have Luca and I have Jalen Brown right now for my top three for the MVP race. I don't know who's actually in the top three,

but if I'm picking three people for the MVP race, Jaylen Brown is in my top three in no particular order. But to me, it's Luca, it's Jalen Brown, is Kay Cunningham. His numbers are outstanding, but I'm not going to discredit the coach. for having them in a position to average those numbers. Yes, he has to go in and put the ball in the basket,

which he's doing, and which we're seeing why he was a final MVP. But if I got to pick, give the credit to somebody, I'm going to give it to the coach. Jalen Bram deserves the credit as a player. That's why I have them in my top three as MVP, but that's why I also have the coaching, my finalist for Coach of the Year. At this moment, I'm talking about February, whatever date it is.

Things may change my time and seasons over, but as today, those are the people and the coach that I have leading for those particular awards. Good points. Okay. Now we're going to go back to the Cavs. So following his trade from the Clippers to the Cavs, James Hardin says loyalty is overrated. He said the whole quote unquote loyalty thing. I think it's overrated.

This is a business at the end of the day. And a lot of money is involved in a lot of decisions that have to be made. So, Mace, do you agree with him or do you think specifically in the NBA? There should be some loyalty to. to an extent or it's just a business. He said that like a true person born at the end of August. You know, he said that like a true God born at the end of August. He makes his own rules.

And I, but I like his statement. James Harden, I like his statement. My birthday is a day after yours. So I get the idiot secrecies. I get it. I understand how you're thinking right now. Listen, they was never. lawyer to me when they choose to trade me in the middle of the night you going home on your way home

you know just find out you got to move tomorrow your kids got to come out of school they don't they don't say you know what give them another week is easter weekend he definitely want his kids to be at school this week they don't think about that they just know he got to go you know so i i like the fact of what he's saying right here i like the fact that he's owning it you know know, instead of hiding from it and saying, you know what, you know, it wasn't me, it was my agent and all of that. I like the fact that he's standing on this statement. You know what? This is a lot of money involved. And he's letting you know that all of you out there talking about his moves, don't know what you're talking about, because there's way too much money involved to be making

a decision that everybody agree with. At the end of the day, he has to take care of his family, and if that's the best decision for him and his family shout out to him and and shout out to his family yeah really shout out to troy pain for the equality group who james hard and assigned to james harton is correct i i don't i don't fuck with that at all so when it comes to players making decisions we're just in the era of where players are making more decisions about their career than older players or all the people who've seen players not have those choices so people will get grumpy about it and be like, well, Michael Jordan ain't do that or Kobe Bryant ain't do that

and this person ain't do that, which is all far and well. To me, it's harder to stay on the same team and won a championship than pick it up and go somewhere and win a championship. So I totally agree. Things get trade in the middle of the night. Look, we've seen that shit the other day. How disrespectful is that to Chris Paul?

Paul, I retired the other day on Instagram. The nigga retired on Instagram the other day. Like, how the fucking Chris Paul retired? Officially. Yeah. Yeah, like, how do you retire Chris Paul on the Instagram? They didn't give him a farewell tour? He tried to do it this year, you know, different situations that happen.

You know, I'm thinking about the situation that happened with the Clippers. The Clippers told him December or whatever, November, December, a couple of, months into the season or a couple, you know, not even 25 games into the season, basically don't come back. Tileu and them say, yo, we appreciate you. We don't want to make this awkward. Just don't come back. You don't come back.

You get trade from the NBA at the NBA deadline. You go to Toronto, doesn't get to Toronto. Then he gets to Atlanta, I believe, if I'm not mistaken. And what happens? They fly him instead of him just staying home. He could have stayed home in his crick. He flies out to Atlanta to get with the team on the road and then they tell him, yo, you're going to wave you.

What the fuck is that? You could have told me that shit when I was back in my motherfucking house. How the fuck are you going to make me fly across the country get situated and then be like, nah, you know what we thought about it. We good. Disrespect at the highest level, my nigga. That's Chris Paul. I know sometimes people get confused without takes as a form.

a disrespect to when people who just to be respected. A lot of times our takes or my takes, I can't speak for Mace. It's based upon performance at the time. So if you're not doing good at the time, I'm going to tell you, you're not doing good at the time. If you're doing better at a later date or I seem better from you, I'm going to talk about that as well. So sometime when you hear about us on me talking about Chris Paul,

it seems like disrespect. I just didn't think it was going to work out of gold and say. state when he went to go to the state and I was correct about that but as far as his legacy in the NBA he's second and steals he's second and assists I believe only to John Stockner 12-time NBA All-Star the list of accolades goes on yeah to fly him across the country and tell him yo matter of fact just stay home my nigger who keeps putting that bubble up on the screen who's putting that these niggas is feeling me the the the niggas in the control I told women feeling you murder.

That's what I mean. So I was just letting you know. That's crazy. That's crazy, but I don't want no parts the niggas in the booth filling you, but listen, on another note. I was murder. I wasn't sounding that label, murder.

Yeah. And he was in the boot filling niggas. You got to worry about that. Your label coming. I wasn't. Your label is next, nigga. Ha, ha.

Ha, ha. Yeah, let's go. I have my own label. I know. Yeah. I left there. I was partners with a nigga. I never was on a label after that after entertainment.

So you ain't got to worry about that with me. But when James Harton is saying, I really respect what James Harton and saying because you know, But what murder saying, and I'm saying, James Hahn ain't never had to go through that. James Hunt is the only nigga I've seen in NBA history go where he wants to go. Yeah. I've never seen nothing like it. He leaves OKC, free agent, signs with Houston.

Okay, cool. It's not working out of Houston. I want to go to the Nets. He goes to the Nets with Kevin Durant, Kyrie. That doesn't work out. Matter of fact, I was bugging. I ain't never really wanted to go to the Nets. I wanted to go back with my nigger.

Morrie. I want to go to Philly. Go to Philly. It doesn't work. Some type of way, when he's a free agent, resigns with Philly. Philly was supposed to trade them. They don't trade him.

He starts throwing the tantrum. I only re-sign because y'all said, y'all's going to trade me to the Clippers. Then he goes to the Clippers. Then he tells the Clippers, after that doesn't work out, I want to go to a team that can potentially win a championship. Now, he's in Cleveland.

Yo, I've never seen that like it. I'm talking about free agency of course you go where you weren't free agency but as far as trades it's concerned the agency you gotta give it up to his agency for them to pull these maneuvers off um kudos to y'all man yeah I think when it comes to um I was about to say Chris Brown note when it comes to Chris Paul I think it's karma right he was a part of the Charlotte the Charlotte Hornets and he and he went around and try to come back to the clippers. I think it's karma from the Charlotte that's saying, you know what,

why you didn't come back and try to retire here? You know, and sometimes you forget what was the place you really came from. Sometimes you're doing well at different places that you don't really realize. You're from North Carolina. You're from Charlotte. Charlotte is really the team that birth Chris Paul, not the Clippers. So when he come there and try to retire there, I know he probably tried to retire there because his family was there, but the place he really should have retired.

That would have gave him all the love and the fanfare. And, you know, the home is going to be the hometown because that's where he's from. And I think he missed a great opportunity trying to rush back to L.A. What do you think, Stad? I know you don't feel that. Well, it's just because, like, how are you going to tell somebody where you should retire at? Like, he already has a pretty, like, decorated career, at least stat sheet and stuff like that. So it's, like, at certain points, like, I think you should let people.

do what they want to do. If you don't want to retire over there, he shouldn't have to. And they didn't have to try to ship them out to Canada and then be like, oh, like, the whole thing was a mess. I just feel like the whole thing was disrespectful. And he should have been able to end it how he wanted to, given how many years he's given to the league. So that's my opinion on it. I get what you're saying. Yeah, I'm saying that's the karma, right? You, you tried to go to L.A. And they didn't honor it. You try to go to Atlanta. They didn't honor it. Why? Because you're from Charlotte. That's what I'm trying to say. You're looking for somebody to honor you that don't have that history with that loyalty to that loyalty to you. So if you I'm not saying you got to go back

to Charlotte, but I'm saying a place that you know, it's like you you you're going to be buried in Cincinnati. No, you need to be buried where you're from here where the places that that really, um, that you come from. Yeah. That's what I the way I look at that by figuring I'm not saying Mace is wrong, but he ain't never played in the NBA in Charlotte. He's from North Carolina. Oh. But the Hornet wasn't in Charlotte when he played for Charlotte. They were in New Orleans.

They were in New Orleans. Yeah. Yeah. So it's not like he even played NBA basketball in Charlotte. I get that he's from North Carolina. I understand what you're saying too. But Chris Paul to me was trying to get this close to a championship as he could. Like everybody else who doesn't win a ring.

Yeah. Well, that's what's happening for James Harden except his wishes are being granted and unfortunately it's just not working for other people. So shout out to him because I know a lot Let's think about this too. Remember this? Remember this as well? It was a trade. I remember of trade free agency. I can't remember whatever it was and Davis serves. Davis Thursday. Oh hell. Yeah. When he was him and the white. When he was the one, the Lakers. Right. Exactly. But now everybody else is doing it. I know he's like man that was his opportunity right there so i don't know what david stern

poor god bless today but uh everybody else is doing what he was trying to do david's third could stop to that stop to that shit yeah david sterns were trying to keep the lead balance because that year it was colby there it was it was just too many players on the lake because if they would have got the white and chris paul it was just everybody was up like yo david stern stopped it David Stern said, we make it money. That's when the league was partially owning the New Orleans Pelicans. So they was making some money there. So they broke it up.

But what can we say? Yeah. Okay. So we talked a lot about players having control over their career decisions, but now I want to take it to segue to parents having control over their kids' career decisions. So Ron Harper was asked if he expected his sons to follow his footsteps and play in playing the NBA. He said, and this was live at the press conference, I'm not LeBron James. I'm not going to tell my kids what they have to do. So my question you, Mace, is when it comes to NBA

legacies, how do you feel about hands-off parenting or do you see stepping back as costing generational greatness? First of all, I don't know if LeBron forced his kids to play basketball. So I can't speak to that. So I'm not going to just jump on that conversation. because Ron Harper did it. I think, you know, Ron Harper is a player who played very well for the Chicago Bulls, played even better in the Cleveland Cavalier uniform. So I can see that there being some hitting issues. A lot of times you got to watch this with celebrities, right?

They say things about people, but if you do the history and you go back, they're probably hating on the person they're talking about not so good. so you can't really take everything they're saying. But when it comes to a parent, I think all parents should be hands-on. I think that's just the best way to parent, not to be overbearing, but they definitely have some say-so on what they're doing. But I think when it comes to parenting, it's just my kids follow my vision for them until they tell me their vision for them, right?

Once you find out your vision, then you're free from my vision. until until you have your vision you're going to follow my vision the day you wake up and say no dad i don't really want to do that like my son he's he's you know he was like six two playing basketball i always tell his story and in the middle of the game he said dad i don't want to play basketball i was thinking man i don't bought all this stuff paid all these trainers niggie you go and play basketball because he was like 12 years old six two year six two six two I'm thinking, okay, we definitely got a pro. And then he says, no, Dad, I'm an intellectual.

I said, what's that, nigga? We're in the middle of the game. What's the intellectual? What is that? You know, it was a long ride home from the AAU game. But he was right. He says he's an intellectual. Now he's doing phenomenal, and I'm happy about it, you know?

So I'm glad you're hands on until you need to be hands off. Once they recognize what they want to do, you can step back. Yeah. Shout out Mr. Intellectual. Yeah. Thoughts. Oh, that's a great take, Mason. How do you, what's the exact question though?

Yeah. So basically, when it comes to NBA legacies and you can also apply it to your life too. How do you feel about hands off parenting or do you see stepping back as costing generational greatness? It depends. I mean, listen, a lot of NBA players because you refer to Ron Harper, right? Yes. Mm-hmm. It's different.

for different people. We've seen a lot of, think about Michael Jordan kids, right? You think he wants to see his kids out there sniffing cocaine, running around with Scotty Pippen, baby, mama. You think he wants to see that? No, he wanted his kids to play basketball. They just Michael Jordan. Think about Kobe Bryant, God bless the day, and God bless the day with his daughter, too. He was, you know, they was on the way to a basketball game, but you got to want it. You got to warn it. You got to want it just as bad as they want it. I don't care if it's basketball or anything else. Even if it's not kids,

you can't want something for somebody more than they want it for theirself. I think a great example is if you ever watch Serena Williams and her father and her sister, the father was really, really, really hard on them as far as playing tennis. But they wanted it too. you know, that's to me, that's the best example. You got people who seem like you're forcing them to do it.

They don't want to do it. And not bringing it up. I'm not being disrespectful or anything, but I remember Snoop Doggson was one of the best high school football players ever. And I don't remember. I don't want to say the wrong thing because I don't want to be disrespectful. But he was like top three, top five receivers in America. And then got to school and was like, you know,

I don't want to play. baseball no more party football no more but Alicia just I told you at 12 imagine when you get there campus you see LA yeah niggick all American but I wouldn't know yeah yeah so um I don't think it's one answer for this question I think it's different strokes for us for different folks and but the main answer for me is whatever you want your child to be they gotta want it as well but they like Mace said that's what I think Mace take was so great they may have their own vision it's a different time right now right yeah just

imagine now I'm saying today like 2026 just imagine in 1990 telling or in 1990s or even early late 80s or 1990 I know we're bringing up but imagine trying to tell your mother your grandmother you won't be a rapper yeah like you don't even understand what that is you don't you don't even like I'm talking about you. You don't even understand what you're going to hear back. You gotta basically keep that shit a secret. You can't even be realistic and try to share your dreams with them.

Until you blow up. Yeah, you can't tell them you want to be doing no music. You can't even tell them that. It's unfathomable to them. You better fill in school and get a job. You better go wrap your ass in them books. It's not realistic at that time. at that time.

You know what I'm saying? Yeah, we grew up with a with a with a plan B. Everybody grew up in our era had to have a plan B. Nigger, if you're thinking you're going to play ball, what's your plan B and what's your plan C? We know that ain't going to happen. That's how they would tell you from the jump. That niggas,

that shoot your dreams down from the jump. What's your plan B on on school day when you come in? They say, hey, what you want to be? Plan B, Mason, plan B. I said, I just told you what I wanted to do. He sent me to the principal office because I told him my plan A. You wasn't allowed to just have a plan A.

Nays would correct you. They would say you're not prepared for life if you didn't have two or three options. That's crazy. Like the way today you're like, oh, no, I just want to do this. No, I just know that's all I want to do. Go to the principal office.

You're just thinking stupid. So did your mind really quick go ahead, Kim. No, good, you got to ask the question. Yeah, I was just gonna say, so did your mind mindset ever shift? Like, did you ever like, okay, well, let me just have like a second and third option just in case? No, me and Cam, me and Cam, had a deal like, how old were we can when my mother's didn't sign the contract? Probably like 17 or 18. Yeah, we would have been rich.

We would have been rich. We was good young. Yeah, but we was at the age. We was at the age. where your parents had to sign for you and your mother Mason's mother was not letting him do it you said no bless she was like no we said my son is not a rapper he's not a rapper I said mom but I am she said you want to go through that again I said man nah actually nah she wanted to get they wanted to give me a beating

for like two days because I want to be a rapper you're too smart to be a rap I said, I'm a rap, oh, mom. All right, let's go back here. You ain't figured out. You ain't figured out. Yeah, and we didn't have no Instagram to and tell the world about it. That's very true. Guess what I had a deal in my mom let me know.

Let I find that dream up. And then I got to go to school with head cam and I'm out. I'm like, yo, we sign in a what? We was like, we was like, um, juice. You said, yo, we, I don't know what. She ain't gonna let me do it. Yeah, and listen, that's, that's incredible. Like, what I was gonna say is, too,

I started a little my grandparents, so you gotta think about that generation gap. This is, we talk about Mace parents. You gotta think about the generation gap between grandparents. I, like in my grandparents house, I probably not, no exaggeration. I probably had it.

And that's just my grandma's house. I probably had about 65, 70 trophies, basketball trophies. I come in with a, I came in, I won the Rutgers one day. I remember this big tournament in New York. I came in the trophy with six feet. My grandfather was excited. Oh, what trophy is this? I said, yo, I won the biggest,

I won the biggest tournament in New York today. My grandfather looked at it and said, well, yeah, when you're gonna start bringing some money in here, though? It ain't really enough rope for this shit. Yeah, he was eating every day. Yeah, he was too tough. He said, Karen, y'all leave, y'all leave that door open back there.

It's like, what he think, niggas is this poor fact? Yeah, that's a fact, man. That niggins accused me of stealing one of his jackets. That nigga born in 1928. Fuck I want this jacket for. It was crazy, man. Wow. That is crazy.

Just everything to me is crazy to think about because I know this probably sounds so tone deaf, but like when you brought up the no social media, like you guys are, and I knew this, but y'all are real, like, real celebrities. Like, because I feel like people nowadays, like, you ain't have no Instagram. You had to really pop. Yeah, that's a, that's crazy. Because I'm just like, how are you? But I mean, y'all are a product of what you did. But I'm like, how did you do that? It was just every day. It was a thing about it is you got to think about this, right? And that's why you guys are lucky with technology. At the same time, you're lucky, but to me, it's kind of not lucky, because it's so oversaturated too. Anybody can just jump on here and get a dumbass song, and you start dancing to it, it's a hit. So at the same time, it's just mad saturated.

You do a TikTok dance, you're out of here. It's popping, you got the streams. But then you may disappear, though. It's no real stability. You might be a one-hit wonder, but I just think that, you know, when we told the night, I will be here forever, but, you know, just the process of Mace having to get on was

at a drive to Atlanta, hopefully running the Jermaine Dupree, or hopefully run into the like the producer. Then you get into, you end up meeting Puff and Puff wants to sign you, but you got to think about Puff. Puff, got to talk to Clyde Davis, and Clyde Davis got a like it. It's just a whole process, you know. You know what I'm saying?

Then you gotta go to radio and kiss the radio ass. Then you got to have a street team putting posters up everywhere. Because like I said, it wasn't no phones. The process is crazy. Yeah. So yeah. And you got like one thing I think about the 90s that was so, like genius is that you had to be super focused, right? Because while I'm recording an album, I don't know what anybody else is making in the world.

It's not like TikTok, you're hearing a portion of this nigger, You're hearing this nigga record and that nigger record. You don't know what anybody is. You just know you're dropping on this day. Do you want to keep that verse? That's how they used to do me, killer, where you wasn't there. Like, do you want to keep that verse? I'd be like, nah, I'm gonna do another one.

All right, go ahead and do it. So you didn't, you couldn't see what nobody was doing. You had to just present your best. Yeah. And that's what I did like about the 90s. That's dope. because that's a whole different type of creative freedom, too. Like you're not being influenced by hearing what everybody's doing

and hearing all these variations and versions. Yeah, you couldn't do what everybody else is doing. Like, your sound had to be different. So I think that was really cool. I love our music today too, though. But I like the fact that you're able to kind of show your version of other people's sound, but you couldn't do that. Well, definitely had to revisit that,

because I want to know more about the process and stuff, but I'll ask you guys, over the course of our episodes because you guys do drop some good gems but we are going to go to break when we return we got a special guest she called this thing about toxic isn't counting got you feeling like a option maybe i'm my own problem baby she's tired of hearing i don't know Welcome back. Now let's get into our underdog picks of the day. So tonight, the Sons will play the Spurs. Underdog has Wemby at 23 and a half points. Do you have them higher, lower, Mace? I'm going higher. I mean, right now it seems like Wembe is in the zone. No bike is, nobody could guard Wembe. I'm going higher. Okay. Cam? Going higher as well. Okay. Stefan Kassel is at 26 and a half points, rebounds, and assists. Do you have them higher, lower, Cam? Going higher.

points rebound and assist yeah yeah he'll have higher okay and Devin bookers at 24 and a half points do you have him higher lower mace I'm going higher I'm going higher yeah he put on a decent performance a three point card so something he's gonna start letting it fly the second half of the season I'm gonna go higher as well okay make sure you'll download the underdog app and you can make your picks too so y'all in studio we got a special guest he's a unfeated with a 20 and 0 record with eight knockouts. He's the IBF super lightweight champion and will be defending his title in fighting Oscar Duarte this weekend on the Mario Barrios

and Ryan Garcia undercard. We got Richardson Hitchens, aka Africa, joining the show today. How you feeling? How you doing? How you doing? I'm good. I'm good. I'm good. Bless. Yeah, what's up, man? Killer. What's good? What's good? What's good? How you doing, man? Thanks for stopping by. I'm doing good. Thank you for having me. Yeah, not a problem. Let me start off with this, actually this. I've seen after your fight that Eddie Hearn had a little attitude with you for not resigning with him.

Can you tell me what that's about? And you tell me if y'all two talked since then. Oh, yeah. You know, me and Eddie spoke since after that situation. And basically, we hash things out. And it was just, I could see where he was coming from, you know, given that he didn't want I got my career to this point and helped me be seen from other people, but that's in the past. So now we're just moving forward.

Why did you move on from him? Do you feel he could do somebody else to do a better job or you think he wasn't doing the job that could have been done? No, he did a great job. You know, it was just me just letting know, letting people know that, you know, I'm a free agent and if, you know, the options is out there. But like I said before, you know, I understand what you know. understand where he was coming from and we spoke about it and we hash things out and everything is

you know copacetic now so would you re-sign with him yeah for sure we spoke we sat down the room we hash things out we uh we spoke about you know everything the future plans certain fights that could happen and yeah it's something that's like most likely possible to happen all right killer you finished because i i got questions I just started, but go ahead, if you want to ask for it. Yeah, go ahead, go ahead. You also said you wanted some big fights, right? Gary Antoine Russell, he's kind of like the boogeyman and division.

Do you see a showdown between y'all two as well? I mean, yeah, that's something that's on the horizon. I want to call him the boogeyman of division. You got what I'm saying? I think people, it's a narrative that people paint out, but I think that's a fight that's destined to happen. destined to happen. We fought each other in the 2016 Olympic Games. And we was the top dogs back then when we were 16, 17, 18. And years later, as professionals, we still here. We still on

that world championship level, fighting on the same card defending our world titles. And it's crazy because when we was coming up in our career and I was signed the mail of the promotions, he was signed to Al Heyman. You know, that's kind of the same family. So we was always finding on the same cards coming up like, you know, when we was like five, six and oh. So, we still going. Cool. We just had Kishan on the show. He said that y'all all used to hang out, then all of a sudden you started hanging out

with Taint. And he didn't really give it specifics to that. But did you see anything wrong with doing that at the time, or is that calculated? Um, that, you, like when he said that, that's, I guess, I don't know if he's delusional or something. he's delusional or something or whatever's going on with him. First of all, when I first met, I never hung out with Kishon. Like, Kishon was a course friend. Like, I came around.

I used to be in a gym, obviously, you know, coming down to Virginia. Kishon would be there, but I was never like my boy. We never hung out. Like, I don't really know the kid too much. I just knew he was a very talented boxer. And, you know, at the time Kishon was, I think he was about a weight class smaller. And he's probably like a year or two younger than us. So we looked at him like, like, you know, like the little,

little nigger coming up type shit. So he wasn't really my friend. But I always to be, I always to be coming down there sparring Shakur, stuff like that, noticing Kishan. Shakur told me, like, yo, he's next up. Like, he's really, really good. So we'll be in the gyms. It'll be times. We'll be in the gyms. We'll be sparring and stuff. But he really wasn't my friend. When I met Giovante, I met Javante through Shakur, like, we all was cool. It was me, Javante, Shakur. We all was cool. So I started, you know, Kishonan moved down to Virginia, a part of Virginia, Shakur living. So he was in the gym every day while I was, you know, coming up, I was turning professional. I'm signed a mail of the promotions.

Tank signed a mail order promotions. And then we started hanging around AB a lot. Well, me, AB took me under. It was always to be me and AB, and he would bring Javonte along. So that's how me and Javonty relationship really started, you know, coming together. But at that time, it was always me, Shakur. in Javante, like we all was cool. It started getting funny and weird, obviously,

when it started being talks of Chaucor saying, you, I want to fight Javante one day, that's gonna be a big fight. So they kind of stopped being cool, but me, me and Javentay relationship wasn't a boxing type of relationship. It was like, he's from Baltimore, he two hours from New York, he's always in New York, we outside, we partying, we both boxes, we both signed the same promoter, so we kicking it. But me and Chikor kind of got into it years later.

Not over that, we got into it. because of our own problems. I see Keishon come out of nowhere talking about, oh, dude been moving funny, dude been this, I don't like, I don't like,

I don't like this dude. But, nigga, you was the same nigga in Gervantes' DM accent, trying to be cool with the nigga, like, like facts.

Like, you real life was in the nigga DM trying to be cool. Even the day when Dervante fought Ryan Garcia, you see me in Vegas, you over here asking me, yo, what y'all doing tonight? Like, yeah,

what we're doing? What we doing? Like, what's going on? Looking high as fuck, And I'm looking at him like, get out of here, where they're like, like I said, he was, it was no problem. I ain't ever had no problem with him at that time, but he wasn't somebody I hung out with. So if a nigga see me in Vegas in the MGM hotel lobby and just asking me what y'all doing tonight, I'm not about to be on something like, yeah, we're doing this tonight.

We're not cool. So that's really the story with that. We, it was never know. I started hanging out with Gervante over Choucourt. Me and Chacore, still friends to these day. Me and Chacore talking right now as we speak. We talk every day, every second. That's my brother, so I don't really understand what Keishan had to say.

He was going to answer, you know, some clarity because a lot of things didn't tell to show he was like, ask you. So I'm going to ask you now. Another thing that he said was that you guys were supposed to fight on that card at the garden on January 31st. And some type of way, it was your fault that y'all didn't originally fight. And we asked why not? And he told me us to ask you, why not?

Why didn't the fight happen on the 31st? And you're four different people. I was supposed to fight Jermaine Ortiz originally. I signed the paper. I signed the contract. Well, it was in a contract. It was like a term. And then I got a call for my manager.

Like, yo, they're talking about Keishon Davis. And I think they started off with like 1.5 or some shit. My manager is like, we ain't going to go for that. If they want to fight, at least they can meet us at two. at two, they stopped at 1.7 for the fight. So we like, we not, we know, um, we like, all right, let's see if they're going to go up. The next day, I go to the, uh, press conference. That's when I seen Keishon, Jay Prince seen me. Jay Prince is like, yo, what's going on with the fight? Jay Prince threw the numbers out there. Like, yeah, they, they stop in at, uh, one point

something, one point something, right? I heard Keishon went in one point two. I get to the back with Eddie. That's when me and Eddie first spoke. And he, they, they first, they, they first. bring the deal to Eddie, the Saudis. They bring it to Eddie. Eddie's looked at the numbers. He's like, if I was Rick Hitchens' advisor, we wouldn't take this fight for that type of money, but I'll bring it to them since the Saudis, you know,

said, you know, presented to him. And Eddie was kind of saying, like, yo, this is a way, they had shut it. They didn't go past 1.7. The deal was the same day, it happened the same day it was done. It never passed that. But the next day when I seen Eddie,

Eddie was saying that fight is a way bigger fight anyway. Like, I don't know why they threw out the numbers. You know, y'all could have made more money than that on your own without, you know, anybody paying money up. So the fight didn't happen off of that. But to be real with you, I'm not going to fight a Kishon Davis for that type of money when I know niggas like, niggins is making two, three M's to fight nobodies. And I know that's a big fight boxing would have been seen.

But if they wanted that fight, they were at the pay up. Kishon wanted one. I think he was trying to fight. like he was trying to settle for one point two a lot they was not trying to give him that and that's exactly why they took him off the card and put me on the card then they came back and took me off the card and put him back in the car so it was all the type of funny business going on with that whole show got you um i seen you just mentioned how cool you and tank was i seen y'all had some issues on social media going back and forth and you mentioned how you and shippur also cool again

Are you in a good space right now? And even if so or not, what caused the issue? Me and Teng haven't spoken in a little minute, but like, we kind of got into it a little bit because my boy, I don't know if you know Edgar Balinga, he fought Canello. And the situation was, it was a fight party in my crib, and Tink kept calling me in a party and, you know, saying like, yo, this thing about to get knocking.

out by Conno was probably like the fourth, fifth round. The next day, Edgar called me and he found out, because it was a fight party, so people, I don't know whoever, the news got to him through somebody. And I told Edgar, like, nah, like, Tank was saying he was going to get,

you was going to get knocked out, but even Tank gave you your respect after the fight. Like, he, like, nah, that nigga ain't getting knocked out. He fought Canello, like, I respect it. Aga went on the internet that when they was beefing on Twitter, like, whatever. I think Tank was saying, like, nigga, you celebrating, you losing.

and Edgar threw it out there like, oh yeah, and I know you was calling Richardson saying I was going to get knocked out but when I told Edgar, Tank saying he was going to get knocked out, I was trying to tell him like, no, like, you did good. Like, even you and Tank Beef, and he thought you was going to get put out, and he's still saying you did good.

Like, he's still saying, you feel like, you fought Canella, you didn't get put out or nothing. So the way it looked at it on Twitter, like we kind of fell out from that. But I feel like that situation wasn't just the reason. I feel like it was probably stemming from other shit, but I feel like I was the trigger like the trigger to be like, ah, yeah, like, niggas ain't fucking with each other.

So we've seen each other after that, like the day- What? What of a shit though? Of a shit like what? It's like, I don't know. Like I can't, like I said, I like, Tank, I always looked at Tank like somebody that he come from where I come from and he was doing the things that I always envisioned of. Like even finding Team Mobile Saturday.

Like I always wanted to do that. Like he was flying Ryan in 2023 in Team Mobile. I remember coming to that arena with him like, damn, like that he's doing everything. I wanted to do winning his first world title and everything. So it was never known animosity on my side. side. Like, I seen him two days before he fought, Roach. I seen him in front of, like, Pergola in New York. He was staying in a hotel across the street, and my girl at the time was like, yo, I looked like, tank. I'm like, oh, that is tank. And I pulled up to him.

I'm like, what up? And he was like, you know what you did? You know what you did? That's why I wasn't fucking with you. Then we started talking about him and Roach. Like, yeah, do your thing Saturday. We dapped up. I go on it, I go on the Internet. I see him like a day later talking about, yeah, I cracked Shakur and Richardson. So I know I had to respond. that then from there just been back and forth got you man well I know you just mentioned eggers your man tell I go we said with something you know we gave our take on his last play I don't think he liked him to tell me we got much love for much respect I know that's your man so Tom saluting we wish him to get back in the

ring soon yo Mace go ahead you asked all the questions killer you leave me no question but bro I told you to go I told you to go no no I got something I want to ask, what is it going to take for all of y'all to fight? Because I think when it comes to boxing, everybody is saying they're the guy, but nobody's fighting a guy. It seems like everybody is fighting a fight that they can make the most money at while avoiding danger. And to the casual fans, like people like myself, we want to know what is it going to take to get you, Chakor. Who else is there? Killer is him?

Devin, Devin, all of y'all to fight, just like in the tournament, like when they had Trinidad. Because if you're gonna be that guy, you gotta run through these niggas. You're from New York. You know the temperature we come with. We wanna see the best fight the best. Like I said, I'm chasing the biggest and best fights in boxing.

It's just all about it being presented to me. I just, I remember, like, I just got kind of, got, kind of got announced to this stage. Like I was kind of like behind the eight ball. Like when Devin and Chacon all these dudes and racking up belts and millions, 2022, 2022, 23, 2021, I was at the door trying to get an opportunity.

I was signed with Floyd. I wasn't getting my opportunities. And when I got with Eddie, I took off. But I had, it steps to this. Like, even this fight right here, Saturday, I'm fighting. I was not supposed to be fighting. Tio Fimo, first thing out the ring.

I was like what I thought it was gonna be. Tio was at the front. fight if I seen with George Cambosis. Chaucour kind of swept that from under me. I'm not going to say Chicoor fault. Tio says some shit about the Saudis. The Saudis was like, yo, we're not dealing with Tio. Chacore was asked, who do you want to fight next?

He said, I'll fight Tio female. Then the Saudis considered like, all right, we'll fuck with Tio. Just off the strength of this is what the fight. Chacour want to make happen. I was supposed to be in that type of fight. But, like, I want to fight all these guys. I just feel like the money got to also be right, too. I'm not about to fight Kishon for this type of money

when I know I could fight this guy for, damn, they're the same amount. So you take the easier fight for the same money? I mean, yeah, obviously, on a business tip, like if I'm going to fight a mega fight, if I'm buying a big fight, I'm going to lead this arena knowing I make big money also. I'm not asking to get overcompensated,

but I know what these dudes is getting paid to fight. Nobody's. No, that's a concern from guys like me because when I hear people talking, everybody like, yo, I'm a BTA, all of this. It's like, in order to be great, right, you got to run through the greats to be great.

It's no way around it. Like, it's all danger ahead to be great. Like, I want to be great. I had to run. I had to go against HOVA. I had to go against SNIZ. I had to go against DMX. 19 years old.

I want to be great. I don't want to be one of the niggas in the room. I want to be that. and they go, I'm not showing up. I don't even, killer, no, this man, killer B for 20 years. We've known each other since we're 10 years old. We beat for 20 years.

Because we both want to be great. We're not like, like Hakee Sean and Chikorah's, like they won't fight. Me and Kill have been fight for 20 years. That's what made this show so good. To tell everybody else they're like, is a good show, but it's really because they know these two people would do anything to win.

See, that's why he laughing. He knows. We'll do anything to win. If you think I'm going to help you, no, nigger, I will step on your oxygen. Don't let these glasses fool you. I'm going to step on your oxygen and smile all the way to the car. So that's what I'm looking for with fighters. I saw you fight.

And the first thing I was thinking, I was like, you could beat all of them, right? Because you got the lymph, you got the style that'll give them problems. But you got to want that fight. Devin is a good fight, but who do you think is the easiest side of all of those fights? I think, I mean, Tio for sure, I definitely thought Tio was the lick. I don't lie. I was begging my manager. So everybody was camping out on Tio?

Yeah, I was like, he's the lick. Because me and had the same manager. Other than Tio, other than Tio. I don't know. There's a lot of great fighters. I don't want to say, you can say, Kishon. That's a good question. You can say, Devin.

You can say, you can't, I mean, I ain't gonna say Chachor, so it had to be, I don't know. Because y'all, y'all too cool to be great. I'm just gonna keep it real with you. You're from Brooklyn, so the niggas I know from Brooklyn? When I say me and Chakur cool, like, we're real life cool, like me and Shakur really done real life, we don't slept, head to toe together.

We don't did everything that you can name that two friends, two niggas that's really coming up, like, going to do, like this is like, to go through media, I mean, media week, the whole fight week and all that. Knowing y'all families and- All y'all niggas is the same weight class, though. This is weird to me. Killer, how's it for you?

All these niggins is 140. And they're like, oh, we're best friends. This is my cousin. This is my nephew. We prayed together. We slept head and toe. Nigger, y'all, who's fighting who? But y'all saying that, it's only the situation

with Kishon and Shakur. I've set it on record that. You'll fight Shakur? I said that on record. I said if the opportunity presented itself and we gotta show the best, I'm willing to fight your court. I'm not saying- So y'all talk every day, but you'll fight him.

I told Shikor to his face. We was driving in a car after he came back from fighting Saudi Arabia. I said, you look good this weekend. I said, you know I'll fight you too. I said, you know if that come up in the situation right, we're going to fight. And I said, they're going to demand us to fight

because we both is the top type of dudes. And he said, I know, he's a, he said, I'm going to fuck you up, though. And that was the conversation. I bet. I never like, I'm not on that shit where, oh, y'all got to pay me 500 million to fight him. I'm not saying that. But I would rather go through other dudes before I fight Chicago, obviously, you know what?

Who, but it seemed like it's danger anywhere you go. Exactly. Is no, at the 140 is, what, Abdullah Mason is he 140 now? He's 35. Okay. But then it's Keishon. I mean, Devin is that 47. It's like everybody want to fight who they could beat.

That's how it's. sounds listening. Yeah. It's like, I want to fight him. It's like all these people over here, I want to fight stat. It's like, no, don't fight stat. Stad is a girl.

Pick one of these niggas over here that's dangerous, because that's really what's gonna get your name, how does it supposed to be? You gotta be Shakur, you gotta be Javante. And people that listen to this show, right? We love everybody. We love you, we love Javante, we love Shakur. If a nigger perform well, we gotta be

I gotta say he performed well if he doesn't. We gotta say he doesn't. I think that, like, for me, that's the end-all, be-all. Put it in a one-two. If you, if you only had three fights left, put it in one, two, three. Who would you fight first, second, and third? Left in boxing, period? Yeah, if you couldn't fight no much.

Because tomorrow ain't promised. That's what I'm saying. I'll fight Devon Haney. You'll fight Devon. At what weight class? I have 47. 47. I fight Devin Haney.

Gary Antoine Russell because I need that rematch and I'll have to test I had to go against the best that's your core if I could have a never box again I'll leave it at that you wouldn't fight tank

I mean tank I don't know like he's not even in a conversation right now he didn't know what's going on all right I'm just asking I got to ask you a question so why Gary why Gary because he beat me in the Olympics

and he's around he's still a top dog that would be you know just a great feeling to match up with him to professionals to see the development been through these years through these past 10 years.

So say it again? Yeah, Mace, you know, I said, Mace, you ain't realized when he said, he ain't the boogeyman, the division. He had a little attitude about niggas calling him a boogeyman division, man. Yeah, niggins, the boogeyman, niggis don't fight him. Yeah. Nah, I say he ain't a boogeyman. It's like, you know, he already got a loss.

He lost to somebody. And he ain't, I mean, his record looked good, but it's like, like you said, who he's fighting, who are you doing this to? So you're fighting him second. Why not fight him first? Because Devin Haney is just personal. It's more personal to me.

Why is it personal with Devin? Because every time we talk about boxing, it first initiated, started from a sparring. But then, every time, like, I'll say I'm the better fighter. He'll always try to shit on me. Like, yo, get a world title first. You broke.

I'm fucking with your girl here. But he never said nothing about. He's saying everything, but let's fight. Oh, like, yo, I'm ready. He said that after my last fight, he tweeted, oh, if I want a fight, I got to come up to 47. But it's like, okay, cool.

That was before he even fought for the title with Norman. So, I mean, yeah, I feel like that's a fight that's been. So Devin First and Russell and who you said last to Cheshaw? Yeah. So you wouldn't fight Kishon. You said if I could never box together. Yeah, I'm just asking. Shikora be the last dude.

That's the toughest dude. That's the hardest dude. All right. You from me? Yeah. No, I asked you that because when we had Keishan, he said you're the first person he will fight. He didn't say that. He said he don't want to fight me.

He wants to fight tank. Oh, okay. I'm paying attention to Harry Day. He's like, are you quick on your toes? You got to make sure. Africa, don't let that nigger sting you, man. Nigel from New York. You got to try, you know?

That's what I got. You got any questions? Yeah, I do. So I want to know how you're. feeling going into this weekend because I was watching some interviews from your opponent Oscar and I did have to translate it he said you're a basic fighter there's nothing extraordinary so what do you say to that and then what are your thoughts oh that's beautiful that's beautiful I hope he come in there like that I've been boxing my

Oscar be wilder man yeah it's wow it's wild because you know how you grow up watching niggas and you like niggas no no I said I wasca d'orte yeah oh no yeah I wasn't even going to let you finish me. Yeah, it's going to be wild. Nah, that's beautiful. You're a good nigga, Africa. I want to let him finish. I don't know what I'm saying?

But... That nigger, fuck with you murder. Once he getting there, once he's getting there, a lot of time when dudes getting in there with me, they just look different. And I was just, I was feeling, you know, I was feeling myself that day. And I was thinking about me.

Now, you look at the everybody I fought, Nobody's done to them what I've done to them. Besides the dude that I fought that Kishon knocked down the second round, but it was a lot of things going on behind the scenes. And I'm mad still at my team right here. Even though I got a world title opportunity, I'm still mad because I told everybody in the room, tomorrow, if I do this tonight, it ain't going to be good for me.

And the whole world crucify me now because of it. But it is what it is. But you look at all the dudes that I fought, George Cambososos. Nobody done what I did to George Cambosos. Yeah, you got him out there. Not Lemachenko, not Devin Haney. He was saying the same thing. You basic, nobody, you haven't fought nobody at the top level.

I fought this guy, that guy. I told him none of them dudes is going to do to you what I've done to you. Liam Powell, when the guy fought from the world title, John Bowser or Genes Menace, the list goes on and on. Like, I make these guys look regular. Jose Zepeda, like, I had Regis Pro Gray always saying who you beat. Bro, you're a two-time world champion. Your best win, it was one of my easiest nights.

And I wasn't even a world champion yet. So I scored Dorte, he's going to find that out come Saturday. His game plans to come pressure me. He's in shape to throw a lot of punches. We'll see if that works. I mean, I'm ready. And I know it's going to be a puzzle to solve. So once I get in there, I'll figure him out.

And then last question, who do you think wins? Ryan or Mario? I really don't know. Everybody asks me that. Yeah, that's the question of the week. Yeah, I don't know. I really don't know. I think Ryan is more talented fighter.

And I don't really watch too much Mario Barrios. But it's like, Ryan, if Ryan can't get that hook off, we got to see if he could go on his back. If he could use his jab, if he could use a footwear, combinations together. We'll see Saturday. I don't know. Okay.

Race Cam, any more questions? No, I don't know. How do you predict your fight's going to go? Right now, I can't really say, you know, he, I believe that. There's a possibility I'll stop him. I'm in shape. I'm focused. And, you know, he's a tough guy.

He's in shape. And he has a good corner. So, you know, we know his corner is going to press him to work. I just got to fill him out. You know how I'll fight go. They're hyping him up. They're saying he's crazy, he's strong, he's super powerful. I look at the guys he's knocking out.

None of these dudes is 140s. He's been at 140. He haven't knocked nobody out. I don't even see no highlights in him putting nobody to sleep. We'll see. Saturday, hopefully it ain't me, though. So, hopefully it ain't me, though. Now I'm just saying.

Okay, well, Africa, thanks for joining us. Where can people follow you so they can stay tuned to see what you got going on this weekend? Make sure y'all follow me on Instagram at he is, I mean, on Instagram at Richardson Hitchens. On Twitter, he is Richardson. I'm fighting Saturday night, February 21st at the T-Mobile Arena live on the zone.

If y'all can't make it, order the pay-per-view. If I in the West Coast area, come to the Team Mobile Arena, and buy your tickets. It's a big night of boxing. That's all the time that we have for today. Thank y'all for watching. And as always, it is what it is.