Josh Padley‘s unexpected fairy tale quickly became a nightmare when he stepped into the ring against Shakur Stevenson on February 22 at Kingdom Arena. The Yorkshire native had replaced Floyd Schofield on the “greatest boxing card ever” just four days before the event. However, fighting against a champion of Shakur Stevenson’s pedigree on a four-day notice is not a joke.
As expected, Stevenson dominated the fight and secured a KO victory in the 9th round. The thing is that everyone expected Shakur to do away with Padley way before the ninth. After all, Paddy was still working as an electrician when he got the call. With Josh Padley dragging the fight up to the ninth round with his all-or-nothing attack, fans started wondering what would have happened if the scheduled fight against Kid Austin had happened as planned. Well, Shakur Stevenson has an answer for us.
It’s all the same for Shakur Stevenson
A day after the ‘The Last Crescendo’ event, a boxing page, ‘Texas Runs Boxing,’ took to its ‘X’ account and wrote, “I low-key think Kid Austin wouldve gave Shakur a tough fight.” Evidently, it is something that everyone has been thinking about since the Riyadh Season event. Schofield is the rising star of the lightweight division and a win against Shakur Stevenson would have made him the face of the division.
Nasty work https://t.co/3Dq68FYhoS
— Shakur Stevenson (@ShakurStevenson) February 23, 2025
Moreover, his aggressive fighting style has convinced many fans that he might have had a small chance against the WBC lightweight champion. However, the champion himself thinks otherwise. The Newark native decided to rub salt on Schofield’s wounds and replied to the tweet.
He wrote, “ Nasty work,” claiming that the result would have been the same no matter the opponent. Given that the WBC champion is not a KO artist and still managed to beat Padley via a knockout, shows how much he has improved himself. On the other hand, we have yet to see Schofield against a legitimate title contender fighter. So, the claim by Shakur Stevenson is not that far-fetched.
However, at this moment, it does not look like Schofield is even a bit worried about the mockery and ridicule he is facing from those who claim he ducked out of the Shakur fight.
Floyd Schofield on a the road to recovery
While there were no hints of Schofield backing out of the fight, concerns were raised when he did not appear during the official press conference. Later that day, his withdrawal was officially announced, leaving everyone quite stunned. However, what was even more shocking was the allegation made by his father. Schofield’s X account, widely believed to be run by his father, wrote in a now-deleted tweet, “They poisoned my son.” He further added that a masseuse associated with his Shakur Stevenson’s team “wiped a cream on my son.”
Floyd Schofield Jr’s father has just posted this clip of Floyd in hospital after the BBBOfC withdrew him from his fight with Shakur Stevenson this weekend.
We wish Floyd a speedy recovery and look forward to seeing him back in the ring
@KidAustin11 #StevensonSchofield… pic.twitter.com/K7MBHs4ShR
— IFL TV (@IFLTV) February 19, 2025
It was a direct accusation against the WBC champion and was met with proper retort by Sugar’s co-manager Josh Dubin. “This fighter [Schofield] should get advised on the defamation laws in our country. Saying these things that slander Shakur does not come without legal consequences,” said Dubin in an interview with Boxing Scene.
Furthermore, he put Schofield’s team on notice claiming that there would be legal action while demanding proof. Schofield Sr. presented proof on social media. He shared a clip of Kid Austin lying unconscious on a hospital bed. He wrote, “As a parent I am overwhelmed. People can be cruel and evil. The comeback will be major. NO ONE DUCK a FIGHT WITH MR. PILLOW HANDS!!!”
However, when Schofield Sr. calmed down a bit, he issued an apology to Shakur Stevenson and withdrew the poisoning allegations. And now he is still hopeful for a fight in the future, something that every fan would appreciate.
With Stevenson disappointed with the lack of opponents at 135, he would love the challenge and we will get the fight for sure. At the moment, he should only focus on recovering from his mystery illness.
Do you think Kid Austin has a chance against Shakur Stevenson? Let us know your thoughts down below.
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