Former novice star Raimer Walker isn’t giving Floyd ‘Child Austin’ Schofield any likelihood of beating WBC light-weight champion Shakur Stevenson on February twenty second of their struggle in Riyadh.
Walker sparred with Stevenson (22-0, 10 KOs) and located it unimaginable to land something on him, which made him wish to enhance his personal protection. He says the one punches he landed had been within the uncommon situations the place Shakur allowed him.
No Probability
Schofield (18-0, 12 KOs) and his dad, Floyd Sr., talked their manner into the title shot in opposition to Shakur. ‘Child Austin’ didn’t earn the shot the traditional manner by beating anybody of notice throughout his four-year professional profession.
Though the WBC doesn’t rank him within the prime 15, the World Boxing Affiliation has him ranked #2. He earned that rating by beating middle-of-the-road opposition moderately than contenders.
Schofield’s promoter, 1992 Olympic gold medalist Oscar De La Hoya, didn’t need him to take this struggle, feeling he was not skilled sufficient to struggle Stevenson. De La Hoya labeled Child Austin as a “novice,” and he wished him to develop extra earlier than combating for a world title.
It’s believed by some that Schofield is speeding into this struggle for the cash, desirous to get the good payday earlier than he will get uncovered by one of many contenders. It wasn’t signal that second-tier fighter Rene Tellez Giron dropped him in his final struggle on November 2nd.
Can’t wait to start out camp I miss sparring lol
— Shakur Stevenson (@ShakurStevenson) December 13, 2024
“He doesn’t have an opportunity. He gained’t stand an opportunity,” mentioned Raimer Walker to Fighthype about Floyd Schofield not having any shot at defeating WBC light-weight champion Shakur Stevenson on February twenty second in Riyadh.
“He talks one, however there’s a distinction between speaking and being in there with him [Stevenson]. I really sparred Shakur. He’s not going to have the ability to hit Shakur,” Walker mentioned about ‘Child Austin’ Schofield. “Truthfully, I don’t assume anyone can hit Shakur.
“Sure, it’s arduous [to land a jab on Shakur]. You bought to take what he provide you with. No matter he provides you, that’s what you’re going to land. If he don’t give it to you, you’re not going to land it. He’s probably the most defensive fighter I’ve ever been in with.”
It’s not honest to the followers that Shakur is defending in opposition to Schofield moderately than going through one among these proficient contenders:
- Andy Cruz
- Edwin De Los Santos: *Rematch for Shakur to point out that his poor efficiency from November 2023 was actually resulting from a hand harm and never as a result of he was frightened of the punching energy of De Los Santos.
- Raymond Muratalla
- Keyshawn Davis
- Abdullah Mason
“I discovered from that. It made me work on my protection much more,” mentioned Walker about his sparring with Shakur. “As soon as I seen I couldn’t hit him as a lot as I hit different folks, I needed to get my protection like that. I don’t know what it’s. He’s totally different. He works on hit and never get hit rather a lot. So, I’ve been engaged on that rather a lot too. I might see myself like that.
“Not early in my profession, however later as I become older,” mentioned Walker when requested if he might see himself creating right into a defensive fighter like Shakur, who doesn’t get hit.
Walker didn’t say whether or not Stevenson was on his bike the whole time, working across the ring throughout their sparring periods. We’ve seen that from Shakur in his fights with De Los Santos, Artem Harutyunyan, and Jeremiah Nakathalia. The one struggle within the final three years wherein Shakur appeared good was in opposition to Shuichiro Yoshino, and that fighter didn’t look world-class.
