Floyd Schofield no longer faces three-division world champion Shakur Stevenson at The Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on February 22. The bout was canceled after the unbeaten contender from Jersey City, New Jersey, fell ill and was hospitalized.
The 22-year-old missed the Grand Arrivals, with rumors circulating that it was due to weight management issues. According to a statement from Golden Boy, the Austin-based contender was taken to the hospital “as a precautionary measure,” and the fight was subsequently canceled. He was later discharged.
“In the interest of Schofield’s health and safety, the British Boxing Board of Control made the decision to cancel his scheduled bout against Shakur Stevenson,” reads the statement.
Floyd Schofield (18-0, 12 KOs) was scheduled to make his first attempt at a title, challenging Houston-based Shakur Stevenson (22-0, 10 KOs) for his WBC lightweight belt. The 27-year-old Stevenson now makes the second defense of his 135-pound strap against Josh Padley (15-0, 4 KOs).
Padley, took the fight on short notice. In his previous bout last September, the unbeaten 29-year-old English challenger defeated Mark Chamberlain by unanimous decision.
The Stevenson vs Padley bout is featured on the undercard of Artur Beterbiev vs Dmitry Bivol 2.