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Golden Boy promoter Oscar De La Hoya says it was a little “too ambitious” for his fighter, Floyd ‘Kid Austin’ Schofield Jr., to fight WBC lightweight champion Shakur Stevenson early in his four-year career.
De La Hoya says Schofield’s father, Floyd Sr., was “adamant” that his son should fight Shakur (22-0, 10 KOs) next, so he now plans to challenge him on Feb. 22 at the giant letter in Riyadh.
Payday?
If the move backfires on Schofield Jr, De La Hoya will at least give himself some backlash coverage by telling the media in advance that he was against the idea of the 22-year-old challenging Shakur in the first place.
Many fans believe that Schofield Jr. and his father are just in it for the money, wanting to get the purse without believing they will win against the three-division world champion Stevenson.
When Kid Austin loses, he’ll likely pick up a pair of wins against the same low-level opposition he’s built his 18-0 record with and then try to claw his way to another world title shot for another payday . In other words, it’s just a fuss.
Schofield’s appearance in his last fight against second-tier fighter Rene Tellez Giron, which dropped him, means he doesn’t belong in the same ring as Shakur or anyone in the top 15 at lightweight. Floyd Jr. he performed terribly in that fight.
De La Hoya’s Warning
“I was the first to say:” We have to wait. We have a plan for you, we have a strategy for you’, but the father was very adamant. The father, in particular, was the one who wanted this fight,” said Oscar De La Hoya Fight Hub TV about wanting Floyd Schofield to continue developing before he fights for a world title.
“For my taste, it was a little too ambitious, but they know exactly what they are doing. The father (Schofield Sr) knows his son. We know his skills in the ring. Is it too early? maybe Is it the right time? who knows Only Kid Austin knows inside the ring that night.”
Boxing fans on social media are split on whether it’s a good thing for 22-year-old Schofield to challenge Shakur for a world title this early in his career. While some fans favor the idea, seeing Floyd Jr. as a show of courage, others think it’s silly and that he’s skipping the part of his career development.
Learning on the job
Some fighters went straight to the top early in their careers, but came from excellent amateur backgrounds. Schofield was not a big fan. He is learning at the top as a pro and has yet to fight an opponent.
De La Hoya, who was 20 when he won his first world title in his 12th pro fight in 1994, was also a 1992 Olympic gold medalist. Schofield doesn’t have the same fan pedigree.
