Golden Boy's promoter Oscar De La Hoya says it was somewhat “overly ambitious” for his fighter, Floyd “Kid Austin” Schofield Jr, to take on WBC lightweight champion Shakur Stevenson this early in his four-year professional career.
De La Hoya says Schofield's father, Floyd Sr, was “adamant” that his son should fight Shakur (22-0, 10 KOs) next, so he is now scheduled to challenge him on February 22 on the mega card in Riyadh.
Payday hustle?
If the move backfires on Schofield Jr.'s part, De La Hoya will at least give himself some cover from the backlash by telling the media early on that he was against the idea in the first place for the 22-year-old to challenge Shakur.
Many fans believe that Schofield Jr. and his father are just after the money, wanting to get the briefcase without believing they will beat three-division world champion Stevenson.
When Kid Austin loses, he will likely pick up two wins against the same low-level opponent he built his 18-0 record on and then try to work his way to another world title shot for another payday. In other words, It's just a hustle.
The way Schofield looked in his last fight against second-tier fighter Rene Tellez Giron, who dropped him, means he doesn't belong in the same ring as Shakur or anyone in the top 15 at lightweight. Floyd Jr. had a terrible performance in that fight.
De La Hoya's warning
I was the first to say: We have to wait. We have a plan for you, we have a strategy for you, but Father was very insistent. “It was the father in particular who wanted this fight,” Oscar De La Hoya said. Combat Center TV About wanting Floyd Schofield to continue to develop before fighting for the world title.
“For my taste, it was a little ambitious, but they know exactly what they're doing. The father (Schofield Sr.) knows his son. We know his abilities in the ring. Is it too soon? Maybe. Is it the right time? Who knows.” Just Kid Austin He knows what's in the ring that night.”
Boxing fans are divided on social media over whether it would be a good idea for four-year pro Schofield to challenge Shakur for a world title so early in his career. While some fans like the idea, seeing Floyd Jr. as showing courage, others think it's foolish and that he's skipping the developmental part of his career.
Learning at work
Some fighters make it straight to the top early in their careers, but they come from excellent amateur backgrounds. Scofield was not a great amateur. He's learning at the top as a pro, and has yet to fight a contender.
De La Hoya, who was 20 when he won his first world title in his 12th professional fight in 1994, was an Olympic gold medalist in 1992. Schofield doesn't have the same amateur pedigree.
