Stevenson dreamed of sharing the ring with the future Hall of Famer, but in 2024, when his call-outs grew louder and louder, Lomachenko opted to walk away from the sport.

Fighting someone as good as Stevenson, or anyone for that matter, required motivation. But after losing out on a chance to become an undisputed lightweight champion to Devin Haney in May 2023, Lomachenko’s fire and desire fizzled away. Before he hung up his gloves, Lomachenko stopped George Kambosos in the 11th round of their May 2024 clash to become IBF lightweight champion.

Stevenson (25-0, 11 KOs) doesn’t think Lomachenko is lying when he said he was no longer motivated. But he also doesn’t believe he’s telling the entire truth.

Around 2017, a fresh-faced Stevenson had just turned pro and got a chance to have a few sparring sessions with the three-division champion as he prepared for a fight against Guillermo Rigondeaux. In the moment, those sparring sessions were valuable lessons. In hindsight, however, Stevenson somewhat regrets getting in there with him.

“I messed myself up,” Stevenson said on the Joe Rogan Experience. “I kinda did this to myself. I understand why a lot of fighters wouldn’t fight me. A lot of fighters wouldn’t fight me because I spar them. I never thought it would be a day that me and him would be fighting. I didn’t think that far down the line. I was just thinking he’s the best fighter in boxing, number one pound for pound, I wanna be able to get in the ring with him and see how I can do. They told me they wasn’t even gonna pay me for the sparring, I’m like 'ok cool, I don’t wanna get paid. I’m just here to get in the ring with Lomachenko.'”

“I feel like I was outboxing him but his conditioning [was good]. I was like 'ok, I gotta be in tip top conditioning' because the first day we sparred, we did six rounds. I was like 'ok, I can outbox him.' The next time we sparred, he made me do 12 straight. For the first eight, I’m good. I’m good for eight but for the last four rounds, he started picking up the pace. He didn’t get off on me but he got the better of the last four rounds I would say.”

Rarely does Stevenson lose rounds nowadays. So why exactly did Lomachenko (18-3, 12 KOs) get the upper hand as those sparring sessions continued? He went on to explain.

“It was for sure because of fatigue,” Stevenson said. “Skillfully, I felt like I was the better fighter. I felt like my range and my distance and my speed was kind of better than his.”

Stevenson now reigns as The Ring and WBO junior welterweight champion after outpointing Teofimo Lopez on January 31 at "Ring 6", in New York’s Madison Square Garden.