Shakur Stevenson took to social media to encourage Floyd Schofield ahead of his Feb. 22 undercard fight in Riyadh. WBC lightweight champion Shakur (22-0, 10 KOs) let contender Schofield know not to “let go” of his dream after whipping him.
Shakur’s dismissive confidence
Normally, these kinds of comments are made after a fighter wins, but an overconfident Shakur jumps the gun, consoling the 22-year-old rookie Schofield before they meet.
It makes sense because Schofield will be a huge underdog in this matchup and his chances of winning depend on whether he lands a lucky punch or Shakur suffers an injury.
Many fans believe that Schofield and his father are just taking his fight for the $1 million payout, knowing they can’t win, but it’s all about the money. That would be pathetic. Schofield has not fought anyone of note to take this title.
Scofield’s last five opponents
– Rene Tellez Giron
– Estueri serum
– Ricardo Lopez Torres
– Haskell Rhodes
– Jesus Valentin Leon
These are NOT world class fighters and it is unbelievable that Schofield was given a high ranking by sanctioning bodies based on wins over opposition. Golden Boy promoter Oscar De La Hoya should have been adamant about not allowing Schofield to fight for one more world title, but it’s understandable why he said yes.
The way Schofield looked in his fight with Giron, who went down, this cash-out match against Shakur could be so good for him. If De La Hoya chooses to continue developing Schofield, he would likely be taken by one of the second division fighters before he gets to the level of facing a top 15 contender.
“Don’t give up on your dream after this buzz. You might make it happen someday. tell them, aunty,” Shakur Stevenson said Xcomforting Floyd Schofield before their February 22 match in Riyadh.
Redemption
Shakur tries to pick on Schofield in the build-up, but it doesn’t matter if he mentally rejects him because he’s already out of the league in this fight. It doesn’t need to chill him because it’s just a simple prospect.
“We’re going to shock the world … and the NEE,” Schofield said of his matchup with Shakur.
I don’t think anyone believes Schofield or his dad that they think they’re going to win. Again, they just see this as a money oriented deal for them, going for the quick cash, take the loss and rinse and repeat with more wins over bland opposition for another pointless title shot.
