Richardson Hitchins sees only one winner in Teofimo Lopez vs Shakur Stevenson: “He’ll mess him up”

IBF super-lightweight world champion Richardson Hitchins has revealed his prediction ahead of this month’s 140lb title clash between Teofimo Lopez and Shakur Stevenson.

Hitchins got his hands on the IBF strap when he outpointed Liam Paro in Puerto Rico in late 2024, but ‘Africa’ made just one defence of the belt during 2025, knocking out George Kambosos Jr in a statement win.

Since then, the New Yorker has been chasing a unification clash with his fellow super-lightweight rulers, but WBO titleholder Lopez instead opted to take on three-division champion Shakur Stevenson, with that contest scheduled to take place in two weeks’ time.

Ahead of the bout, Hitchins told FightHype that he is expecting a dominant win for Stevenson, believing the undefeated Newark sensation to be a ‘different level’ of fighter to Lopez.

“Shakur finna f**k Teo up. I’m telling you, Teo better wake the f**k up.

“I think it can be competitive, Teo is real gifted, Shakur is real defensive, and I feel like when a fighter is super defensive, it can play against you also, if you go in there and try to be really defensive.

“Shakur is a high-level boxer and Teo ain’t on Shakur’s level. Teo knows that and, like I told Teo when I saw him, it is different. He told me that me and Shakur is used to each other, that is why I think it is different, and that Shakur is not used to him. In two weeks, we will see [who is right].”

However, Hitchins then went on to call for a clash with Lopez, if the latter is able to overcome Stevenson, revealing that he has unfinished business with ‘The Takeover’.

“Teo, if you somehow win n***a, fight me! Fight me, that is the fight I want, fight me. I’ve been calling for that fight, people saying that I am clout chasing and I am saying names.

“When I got out of the ring with George Kambosos and Teo was right there in the crowd, that was the fight that we was supposed to be making happen next.

“Shakur jumped in there and intercepted my s**t, but it’s cool though. If Teo gets the job done, I am here.”

Lopez-Stevenson goes ahead on Saturday, January 31, at Madison Square Garden, where the intriguing main event is supported by two further world title scraps on the undercard.