Shakur Stevenson says he’s “concerned” that challenger Floyd Schofield could pull out of the February 22 fight after he failed to attend a press conference to discuss their fight over Arthur Bey Artur Beterbiev clashed with Dmitry Bivol on the 2nd card.

Schofield absent

Schofield (18-0, 12 KOs) wasn’t here today, but his promoter, Oscar De La Hoya of Golden Boy Promotions, was, and he gave him a lot of speeches.

If that happens next month, WBC lightweight champion Stevenson will face his handpicked opponent, Schofield. This could be one of the most interesting fights on the card as it allows fans to see if Stevenson has turned over a new leaf. He said he will stay in the pocket in 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 still want him to fight,” Shakur Stevenson said on today’s fight. press conferencereacting to Floyd Schofield’s absence. “I’m a little worried that he’s not here. I’m a little excited to see him.

“Don’t get nervous and get out of the fight. I know it’s a tough time. I know you have a lot to deal with, but come on. It looks like I come in, put on my offensive bag, keep my hands off, Beat people up. That’s what I’m going to do on February 22nd.

“You’ve got a young, hungry kid. It’s not an old guy who wants to win, but they don’t have the body or the age to do it. So, here’s a hungry lion. He’s talking. His dad is talking . They sound very confident online. I wish they were here in person so I could see how confident they are,” Shakur said of Floyd Jr. and his father.

It doesn’t matter that Schofield didn’t show up at the press conference because he will be there on February 22 and he will put a lot of pressure on the champion. This fight could go badly for Shakur if his surgically repaired right hand can’t withstand the intensity of the fight. Trying to fight Floyd Jr. with just one hand would be a nightmare.

“Maybe yes, because when you say so much, you have to live up to the hype of what you’re saying,” Shakur said. “So, yes, I think the energy will be different, but we’ll see. Zepeda is my first choice. I’d love to fight Zepeda. Now, we’re with Schofield, who’s the next best option available.”

Stevenson should be happy that the William Zepeda fight didn’t happen as it would have ended badly for him. There’s no way he can match Zepeda’s 100+ punches per round, and he can’t handle the power of his punches. He would be forced to run away, which would look bad.

“Stealing the Show”

“What do I have to do to beat him? Just be me. Go in there and perform. My goal is to steal the show. That’s what I’m here to do. I think Cordina is a great fighter. I don’t have anything bad to say . I always thought he was a good fighter and I was passionate about the fight that the fans wanted to see.”

There’s no way Shakur “steals the show” on February 22nd unless all other games are terrible and he reinvents his safety-first fighting style. Shakur is too timid to stop using his hit-without-get-hit fighting style. Therefore, this rules out the possibility of Stevenson “stealing the limelight.”

“The fans didn’t want to see me fight Cordina. Everyone was in the fight and thought it was a terrible fight. When they saw I was fighting Schofield, they were more excited about the fight. , because he’s a young, undefeated lion, and he’s a natural 135 pounds.

“A lot of people think Cordina weighs 130 pounds. In fact, I think he weighs 135 pounds, and I think he’ll feel better at that weight. Just because it’s not happening now doesn’t mean it’s not going to happen,” Shakur explain.

For future battles with Shakur and Cordina. This requires a lot of work. Stevenson’s career would have to crumble. This is the only way this fight could happen because at 33, Cordina is no longer young and his career is no longer active.

He last fought on May 8, 2024, where he was knocked out in the eighth round by Anthony Cacace. He had no match scheduled and had no hope of finishing on top of the list with a score of 135 against Stevenson.