Stevenson’s left hand: his main hope against Schofield?

Leaked footage of Shakur Stevenson working out in camp for his fight against Floyd Schofield in 46 days showed him still not using his surgically repaired right hand in training for his WBC lightweight title defense on 22 February He favors his right hand, doesn’t want to use it and focuses on his left.

Unfortunately, that strategy won’t work for Stevenson against Schofield. He’ll be in attack mode from the first round, and if Schofield runs like he did against Edwin De Los Santos, he’ll be after him like a hungry cat.

Training footage reveals weaknesses

The southpaw Stevenson (22-0, 10 KOs) is still reduced to using only his left hand, which was the situation in his narrow win over Edwin De Los Santos in 2023. In the video, Stevenson barely uses right hand, which shows he doesn’t trust it. It’s too tender.

If Shakur’s right hand lands on him against Schofield, there’s no way he can stand and fight that type of fighter. He won’t be able to single-handedly hold Floyd working for him.

For this fight against the 22-year-old Schofield (18-0, 12 KOs), it’s vital that the 27-year-old Shakur has more than just his left hand working for him. This guy can punch and will attack you relentlessly. This is how Floyd fights; he and his father know that Shakur is fragile.

“I think if Floyd Schofield can fight high, use a lot of pressure and use that jab (he’ll beat Shakur). The jab is the key to Shakur’s style,” Oscar De La Hoya said Fight Hub TV.

Shakur’s added volume

Stevenson now looks like a middleweight, having moved up in weight since his last fight against Artem Harutyunyan six months ago on July 6. He’s going to have to take that weight because he looks like a fat 160lb. Stevenson doesn’t look healthy or anything like a professional athlete.

I don’t know what he’s been eating to get so big, but he needs to stop raiding the cookie jar. He looks like an old drummer from a 60s rock band.

This weight will have to come off. Shakur will step away from the kitchen table and watch his nutrition if he doesn’t want to get stuck, having to burn himself to the bone the week of the fight. He doesn’t have a fighter’s physique anyway, but he’s made it worse by exploding in the six months he’s been out of the ring.

Instead, Schofield looks chiseled and already in fighting shape. That’s youth, obviously, but it’s also hard work. You don’t sit around eating and watching your belts or posting 24/7 on Twitter.