“Everyone know Duarte had no reason to why I pulled out. That high volume was not gone be enough. I was 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 would’ve [expletive] Duarte left ear up.”
Fans on X see it differently, saying the former IBF light welterweight champion Hitchins had his chance 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 ultimate cardinal sin for a fighter’s reputation. It creates a narrative of cold feet that is incredibly difficult to shake, regardless of the medical reality.
The timing of his posts feels like a defensive PR move by Richardson. By saying he would have “murdered” Duarte, he’s trying 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 have a very fresh memory of the Gustavo Lemos fight.
When a fighter is faced with a high-pressure, dangerous opponent like Duarte, and the fight disappears at 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 would have murdered this guy and yall know it.”
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