The whole of the USA relies on Jajaira Gonzalez as they expect the 27-year-old to bag herself and her country a precious Gold at the Paris Olympics. Gonzalez, who is considered “the engine” of Team USA Boxing, will go against France’s Estelle Mossely this Friday. In this connection, her past relationship with WBC Lightweight champion Shakur Stevenson resurfaced.

Against the wish of Gonzalez’s family, Shakur and Jajaira fell in love when they were teenagers. Although Jajaira’s brother Joet Gonzalez openly opposed the relationship, Shakur and Jajaira were almost inseparable until Young Lyric came into Stevenson’s life, leaving the boxers’ love story incomplete.

Was Jajaira Gonzalez dating Shakur Stevenson? How did they meet?

Shakur Stevenson and Jajaira Gonzalez were both sixteen when they met each other in Reno, at the Junior World Team Open, as amateur boxers. Even though Shakur and Jajaira “won every tournament from juniors to youth” to receive widespread recognition, if it were not for the former Super Featherweight champion Mikaela Mayer, the two would have never talked to one another. Well, in 2015, Mayer faced Jajaira thrice!

Although Jajaira won the rematch, Mikaela, who was seven years older than her, defeated her twice. After the loss against Mayer at the Women’s Olympic Trials for the 2016 Rio Olympics, Jajaira was devastated and in need of a friend to talk to. “That’s when me and her started clicking,” recalled Shakur, speaking to ESPN. “She started venting to me and somehow she ended up crying. I was hugging her and stuff and then me and her just started texting a lot, started talking every day and we just went from there,” added Shakur Stevenson. That was the beginning of their relationship.

However, Shakur realized he had fallen for Jajaira only after the latter joined the Army in 2016. Speaking of which, the boxer from Newark recounted the letters Jajaira would write to Shakur. “I would read them. I know I loved her because I would miss her so much,” said Shakur, who later fathered a daughter with his now fiancée, Young Lyric.

What happened between Jajaira Gonzalez’s brother and Shakur Stevenson?

Neither Jajaira’s father nor her brother Joet Gonzalez approved of her relationship with Shakur Stevenson. From the very beginning, Jajaira was aware that Shakur Stevenson would not get her family’s approval. So, she had introduced Shakur as a friend to her brother which upset Joet Gonzalez when he came to know about their relationship. “Maybe she was afraid to get me mad. But she lied to me,” Joet Gonzalez confessed. “I never liked him since the amateurs.”

“Fake-a** handshake… Loud, obnoxious, disrespectful…” were among the adjectives Joet hand-picked for Shakur Stevenson. “The way he dresses, half his a** showing. I mean, you think that looks cute? Pick up your pants,” Joet had said, ridiculing Stevenson’s appearance. Later, when Joet was being asked to face Shakur Stevenson for the vacant WBO Featherweight title, Gonzalez even branded Shakur as “all hype.”

So, in his response to Joet Gonzalez, Shakur Stevenson claimed that the former was “mad” because his “lil sis” loved him. Anyway, while Jajaira called Stevenson her best friend, Shakur always spoke respectfully of the Gonzalez family. With that said, what do you make of Shakur Stevenson and Jajaira Gonzalez’s relationship? Do you align yourself with Joet Gonzalez? Share your thoughts in the comments below. For more boxing updates, follow EsseniallySports!