On a crisp December night in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Richardson Hitchens collapsed on the floor of the Roberto Clemente Arena, arms raised in celebration after a split-decision victory over Liam After Paro, he captured the IBF welterweight title.
Hitchens headlined Matchroom Boxing’s first big fight of the year in the final month of the year, defeating Paro on all three judges’ scorecards in what many believed should have been a unanimous decision.
The victory marked a coronation for Hitchens, fulfilling a dream he’d had since donning the gloves. Standing nearby, quietly enjoying the moment, was his long-time coach Lenny Wilson.
This isn’t just another fight for Wilson – over the years he’s molded himself into not just a boxer, but a man fit for boxing’s biggest stage.
Wilson’s comments between the fourth and fifth rounds may have turned the tide. Although Wilson believed Hitchens was ahead, he saw signs that the fight might be getting away from them. According to CompuBox, Paro knocked down and knocked out Hitchens in three of the first four rounds.
“I’m realistic,” Wilson said. “I saw it slip away. That’s my passion for boxing and my passion for him to win. There was so much at stake and I just felt the urgency.”
This sense of urgency didn’t happen overnight. It was forged over decades of struggle, frustration, and redemption.
Boxing has always been in Wilson’s blood, but his path to that night was anything but easy. His dreams of becoming a fighter were shattered at a young age when he was imprisoned for 10 years for a crime he didn’t want to talk about. In prison, however, boxing never left him. Inmate young George Collins (Sandy Sadler’s former sparring partner) became Wilson’s mentor.
“He showed me how to throw the left hook and all that,” Wilson recalled. “He used to call me ‘puppy’ and would say, ‘You have a talent for boxing.'”
Equipped with boxing books e.g. boxing art The creation of Tom Lotta, coupled with an unshakable determination, Wilson was fully committed to the sport. He began boxing while incarcerated at Auburn Correctional Facility, a program that featured championships and competitions. Wilson won the junior welterweight title, an achievement he proudly shared on Instagram.
During this time, he also earned a bachelor’s degree through the Syracuse University program. After Wilson was released in 1990, he became a social worker, but the pull of boxing proved irresistible.
Wilson’s path to Hitchens began 17 years ago when he was training Saddam Ali. Hitchens, then 10, worked on the mat with his coach.
“He remembered me years later,” Wilson said.
Hitchens’ first corner was Aureliano Sosa, a New York City police officer and children’s boxing gym. It was Sosa who forever linked the two. Sosa simply told Wilson to come to the gym. He originally planned to postpone, but one day Sosa called him and Hitchens was in the car, and Hitchens invited him over.
Wilson couldn’t say no.
“Because it was a kid asking me, I couldn’t give him crap. I said, ‘I’ll be there.'”
What started as a casual commitment turned into a bond that took them to the very top of their sport. Along the way, Hitchens tested Wilson’s patience, but his confidence always stood out, and Wilson noted that Hitchens always wanted to fight the big-name fighters.
“I put him in with Carlos Adamez,” Wilson said, recalling a key sparring session with the current WBC middleweight champion. A big shot from Adams that winked Hitchens back in the corner. “Sosa was ready to pull him out, but I asked him, ‘How many fingers did I hold up?’ He said three, so I told him to go back. After that, Carlos couldn’t touch him anymore. “
Wilson pitted Hitchens against top sparring partners and kept him grounded as his confidence soared, especially as Hitchens always wanted to fight against the top guys. When Hitchens needed a wake-up call, Wilson brought in Bronx welterweight Eddie “E-Boy” Gomez for what was expected to be a tough fight. Instead, Gomez came back and told Wilson, “Yo, that kid’s ready.”
Those moments convinced Wilson that Hitchens was someone special. Wilson speaks of Hitchens with paternal pride.
“I was like a second father to him,” he said. “I caught him at the worst moment of his life and I cared for him like he was my son.”
Although Wilson has worked with other top fighters, including former junior middleweight champion Ali and Daniel Jacobs (Jacobs was primarily trained by Andre Rozier), he has been with Hitchens for nearly two years. Years of friendship and their growth together make this feel especially meaningful.
As Hitchens triumphs in Puerto Rico, Wilson reflects on their journey to get there.
“He only trains around world championships,” Wilson said. “He was the cream of the crop along with Bruce ‘Shush’ Carrington and now it’s his turn.”
Hitchens’ road to his first championship came in Puerto Rico (rather than his hometown or even the mainland United States), which feels fitting for a pairing that has never had it easy.
“I had to come all the way from the Bronx to the police and the kids,” Wilson said. “I get up at five o’clock and go to the gym in my work clothes just to train him every day. Then, I go to work.”
This moment wasn’t just Wilson’s moment to receive the belt, it was recognition of a lifetime of fighting. Fighting for his own redemption, for his passion for boxing, and for the young man who believed he could lead the way, even if the journey wasn’t smooth.
Wilson, who has been working in social work for nearly three decades and is now a full-time trainer, reflected on the symbolism of that night. It was a transformative moment when the dedication of a coach and the passion of a warrior came together based on trust and commitment to achieve greatness.
“Perhaps the short version is that the sheer passion for boxing is what we saw that night,” Wilson said of his speech in the corner. “I remember running in the yard [when locked up]a calm voice said: “This is your life.” We are here. “
