Shakur Stevenson says he is “concerned” that challenger Floyd Schofield may withdraw from their fight on February 22 after not attending their press conference to discuss their undercard fight on the Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol II card.
Scofield's absence
Schofield (18-0, 12 KO) wasn't there today, but his promoter, Oscar De La Hoya of Golden Boy Promotions, was, and did a lot of talking on his behalf.
Stevenson, the WBC lightweight champion, will defend against his hand-picked opponent, Schofield, if he appears next month. It could be one of the more interesting fights on the card because it will allow fans to see if Stevenson has turned over a new leaf. He said he will stay in the pocket for this fight and “steal the show” from the other fighters on the card.
“He definitely made a mistake. He's a good young fighter, a hungry fighter. I'm still hoping he gets the fight,” Shakur Stevenson said during today's encounter. press conferenceIn response to Floyd Scofield not showing up. “I'm kind of worried he's not here. I was kind of excited to see him.”
“Don't get the butterflies and pull out of the fight. I know it's a tough time. I know you're dealing with a lot, but just show up. It was like I walk in, put on my assault bag and leave my hands, and hit guys. And that's what I'm going to do on February 22nd.”
“You've got a young kid who's hungry. He's not some old washed-up person who wants to win, but they don't have the body or the age to do it. So, this is a hungry lion. He's talking. His father's talking. They seem very confident online,” Shakur said of Floyd Jr. and his father. “I wish they were here in person so I could see how confident they really are.”
It doesn't matter that Schofield didn't show up during the press conference because he will be there on February 22nd, putting a lot of pressure on the champion. This is a fight that could go poorly for Shakur if his surgically repaired right hand doesn't hold up under the weight of the fight. Trying to fight with just one hand against Floyd Jr. would be a nightmare.
“Maybe, yeah, because when you do all this talking, you have to live up to the hype,” Shakur said. “So, yeah, I think the energy will be different, but we'll see. Zepeda was my first choice. I was hoping to fight Zepeda. Now, here we are with Scofield. This is the next best option available.”
Stevenson should be happy that the fight against William Zepeda is not going to happen because this fight would most likely have ended badly for him. There is no way he can match Zepeda's high punches of over 100 punches per outbox, nor will he be able to stand up to the power of his shots. He would have to flee, and that would have been a bad look.
“Steal the show”
“What do I do to beat him? Just be myself. Go out there and perform. My goal is to steal the show. That's what I'm here for. I think Cordina is a hell of a fighter. I don't have anything too bad to say. I've always thought that he and I are a good fighter.” “I'm involved in the fights that the fans want to see,” Shakur said.
There's no way Shakur will be able to “steal the show” on February 22 unless all other fights bomb hard, and he reshapes his fighting style that puts safety first. Shakur is so cowardly that he can't stop using his fighting style of hitting and not getting hit. So, Stevenson's exclusion kind of “steals the show.”
“The fans didn't want to see me against Cordina. Everyone got into the fight and thought it was a terrible fight. When they saw me fighting Scofield, they were even more excited for the fight because he's a young, undefeated lion, a natural 135-pound lion.”
“A lot of people think Cordina is a 130-pounder. I actually think he's a 135-pounder, and I think he'll feel better lifting the weight. Just because it's not happening now doesn't mean it won't happen,” Shakur said.
For a fight with Shakur and Cordina to happen in the future. It will take a lot of work. Stevenson's career should collapse. This is the only way the fight can happen because the 33-year-old Cordina is not young, and not very active in his career.
He last fought on May 8, 2024, and was knocked out in the eighth round by Anthony Cacace. He has no fights scheduled and no hope of reaching the top spot at 135 until a showdown against Stevenson occurs.
