Shakur Stevenson says he's “concerned” that challenger Floyd Schofield may pull out of their February 22 fight after he was a no-show for their press conference to discuss their undercard clash on the Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitri Bivol 2 card.

Schofield's absence

Schofield (18-0, 12 KOs) wasn't there today, but his promoter, Oscar De La Hoya of Golden Boy Promotions, was, and he spoke volumes for him.

WBC lightweight champion Stevenson will defend against his hand-picked opponent, Schofield, if he shows up next month. This could be one of the more interesting fights on the card as it allows fans to see if Stevenson has turned over a new leaf. He said he will be in the pocket for this fight and will “steal the show” from the other fighters on the card.

“He must have made a mistake. He is a good, young fighter, a hungry fighter. I still hope he fights,” Shakur Stevenson said during TODAY press conferenceFloyd Schofield's response to No Show. “I am worried that he is not here. I was excited to see him.

“Don't get butterflies and pull from the fight. I know these are hard times. I know you're dealing with a lot, but just show up. It looked like I was coming in, putting on my offensive bag and letting my hands out, hitting people. That's what I'm coming to do on February 22nd.

“You've got a young, hungry baby. It's not some old, worn-out guy who wants to win, but they don't have the body or the age to do it. So, it's a hungry lion. He is talking. Her father is talking. They sound very confident online. I wish they were here in person, 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 during the press conference because he'll be there on February 22nd, and he'll put a lot of pressure on the champion. It's a fight that could have gone badly for Shakur if his surgically repaired right arm hadn't held up in the heat of battle. Trying to fight Floyd Jr. with only one effective hand would be a nightmare.

“Maybe, yes, because when you say all that, you have to live up to the hype,” Shakur said. “So, yes, I think the energy is going to be different, but we'll see. Zepeda was my first choice. I loved fighting Zepeda. Now, we're here with Schofield. It's the next best available option.”

Stevenson should be glad the fight against William Zepeda isn't happening because it's one that could probably end badly for him. There's no way he can match Zepeda's high 100+ punches per round outbox, and he won't be able to stand up to the power of his shots. He would be forced to run, and it would be a bad look.

“Stealing the Show”

“What am I going to do to beat her? Just me being me. 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 have nothing bad to say. I've always had me and I thought he was a good fighter. I'm in the fight the fans want to see,” Shakur said.

There's no way Shakur can “steal the show” on February 22nd unless all the other fights bomb badly and he recreates his protection-first fighting style. Shakur is too slick to stop using his hit-and-get-hit fighting style. Thus, Stevenson 'stealing the show' is such a rule.

“The fans didn't want to see me versus Cordina. Everyone participated in the battle and thought it was a terrible fight. When they saw me fight Scofield, they got more excited about the fight because he's a young, undefeated lion and he's a natural 135-pounder.

“A lot of people think Cordina is a 130-pounder. I actually think he's a 135-pounder, and I think he'll feel good at weight. “Just because it's not happening now doesn't mean it won't happen,” Shakur said.

For future fights with Shakur and Cordina. It will take a lot to do. Stevenson's career must collapse. That's the only way the fight could happen because the 33-year-old Cordina isn't young and she hasn't been active with her career.

He last fought on May 8, 2024, getting knocked out by Anthony Cacas in the eighth round. He has no fight scheduled to fight Stevenson and no hope of reaching the top spot at 135.