Fact Check: Shakur Stevenson Refutes Calling Richardson Hitchins Mid-Fight to Help Him

Richardson Hitchins survived a scare in Las Vegas on Saturday night, edging out Gustavo Lemos via a close decision. While Hitchins furthered his record to 18-0, some believe the judges might have gotten a little too friendly with the hometown hero. The fight was a thrilling dance between a sharpshooting boxer and a relentless Argentinian puncher. Lemos lived up to his reputation, putting “Africa” on his heels on more than one occasion. “I felt I outboxed him,” Hitchins insisted after the fight. “He was tough, but I won easily.”

Lemos’ supporters, however, felt differently, convinced their fighter deserved the win. This eliminator bout paves the way for a potential showdown with the division’s boogeyman, Subriel Matias. Amidst the chaos of the fight, rumors started swirling that Shakur Stevenson Facetimed Hitchins and told him techniques on how to win the bout. But, is that even true? Stevenson himself has spoken on the matter.

Shakur Stevenson denies making any calls

Amidst the fight, someone spread the rumor that Shakur Stevenson had called Richardson Hitchins during the fight, and pointed out his mistakes to him. On X, while sharing a clip of the match, the fan claimed that this was the first time in the history of sweet science, that another boxer had to intervene mid-fight to save one boxer from losing the match. The post soon went viral.

In the caption, the fan wrote, “Lmao Since when do ya mans call you on FaceTime and try to give you advice in the corner. Man idgaf what none of y’all n*** say.. the boy got Adrien Broner syndrome.”

Well, Shakur Stevenson instantly clarified and stated that this was just a rumor and that he hadn’t made any calls to anyone. He stated, “That’s not true I never called in think they just wanted to say my name.”

This rumor could have been spread, considering Stevenson’s previously cordial relationship with Hitchins. So much so that Stevenson believed if he kept on training by his side, his recent fight against Lemus wouldn’t have gone as tough as it did.

Sugar thinks Hitchins is better than that

Richardson Hitchins’ dominance continues, and his sights are set on championship gold. His previous victory over John Bauza displayed his refined skills, and credit for some of that refinement goes to none other than Shakur Stevenson. In preparation for Bauza, Hitchins traveled to Houston to train alongside Stevenson. So, “Sugar” wanted him to do the same for the Gustavo Lemos fight as well.

Read More: “I Am a Jake Paul Fan”: Shakur Stevenson Reflects on Mike Tyson vs. ‘The Problem Child’ Saga Set for July 20

In a pointed tweet during the fight, Shakur Stevenson suggested that Richardson Hitchins could have been in much better shape, implying Hitchins’ conditioning wasn’t optimal and could have led to a stoppage victory over Lemos. He wrote, “I promise u he would have trained down here wit me he would stop this n***.”

Moreover, when one fan talked about how Stevenson should challenge Hitchins for a fight, ‘Sugar’ put a halt to that idea. He responded, saying, “Ion think it would ever happen but I wish him the best in his career. He better than what he showed tonight for sure The Africa that came down here to train for the Bauza fight stops Lemos.”

What are your thoughts about this entire fiasco? Tell us in the comments section.

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