Richardson Hitchins Says Teofimo Lopez Failed to Adjust Against Shakur Stevenson

Shakur Stevenson took control early against Teofimo Lopez, and Richardson Hitchins saw the fight settle before it ever found momentum. What unfolded reflected preparation colliding with in-ring reality.

Hitchins expected more resistance. He did not expect confusion. Lopez entered with a plan built for a fight Stevenson never allowed to develop. Once the first rounds passed, the adjustments never arrived, and the night tightened around Stevenson’s terms.

Hitchins explained the issue. Stevenson’s control at mid-range and inside erased the lanes Lopez expected to find. The champion dictated distance and kept Lopez reacting instead of choosing.

“Going into the fight, I thought it was going to be a little more competitive than that. I would think that Teo studied Shakur a little bit better than that, but I told Teo it’s different in front of Shakur,” Hitchins told Fighthype.

That difference defined the bout. Stevenson closed space and made every exchange conditional. Lopez searched for openings that had already been sealed. The pace stayed where Stevenson wanted it, and rounds slipped without urgency from the challenger’s corner.

Stevenson’s control exposes the danger of delayed adjustment against a champion who dictates distance and rhythm

Hitchins spoke from experience, not theory. He referenced time spent sharing the ring with Stevenson, where recognition arrives before solutions. He said the warning was delivered in advance.

“And Teo tried to tell me that I said it’s different because I’m used to sparring Shakur. I told him already that it was going to be different. I told him he was going to lose the fight, and that’s what happened.”

From that point, the fight followed a narrow track. Stevenson did not need to chase KO damage. He neutralized counters, and let control do the work. Lopez landed sporadically, never in sequence, never with enough threat to change posture or positioning.

The fight never required drama. Stevenson had no reason to gamble. Lopez gave him none. Without early adjustment, pressure never formed, and the champion remained disciplined through the late rounds.

Hitchins’ assessment landed on a familiar truth inside the sport. Plans collapse. Champions force decisions. Fighters who wait for rounds to change themselves run out of time. When the adjustment comes late, the result rarely changes.