“Everyone know Duarte had no reason to why I pulled out. That prime volume was not gone be enough. I used to be gonna be placing shots all night on him.”
He also claimed he would have left visible damage had the fight taken place.
“I been told everyone that I’d’ve [expletive] Duarte left ear up.”
Fans on X see it otherwise, saying the previous IBF light welterweight champion Hitchins had his likelihood to fight Duarte last February, but pulled out with a sickness excuse on the day of the fight. In a classic battle-type context, fans feel like Hitchins saw the heavy artillery Duarte was bringing and decided the sick bay was a safer place to be.
Pulling out on the day of the fight is the last word cardinal sin for a fighter’s fame. It creates a narrative of cold feet that’s incredibly difficult to shake, whatever the medical reality.
The timing of his posts seems like a defensive PR move by Richardson. By saying he would have “murdered” Duarte, he’s attempting to rewrite the history of that night from a medical withdrawal to a missed opportunity for a blowout. The fans aren’t buying it because they’ve a really fresh memory of the Gustavo Lemos fight.
When a fighter is faced with a high-pressure, dangerous opponent like Duarte, and the fight disappears on the eleventh hour, the “lost nerve” label sticks.
“This ass whooping Duarte getting is cause my [expletive] was in his mouth. I don’t wanna hear no excuses about weight,” said Hitchins. “I’d have murdered this guy and yall understand it.”