Leaked footage of Shakur Stevenson training in camp for his fight against Floyd Schofield in 46 days has shown he is still not using his surgically repaired right hand to train for his WBC lightweight title defense on February 22. He prefers his right hand, doesn’t want to use it, and focuses on his left hand.
Unfortunately, that strategy won’t work for Stevenson against Schofield. He will be in attack mode from round one, and if Schofield runs like he did against Edwin De Los Santos, he will chase him like a hungry cat.
Training material reveals weakness
The southpaw Stevenson (22-0, 10 KOs) is still reduced to using only his left hand, which was the situation in his close win over Edwin De Los Santos in 2023. In the video, Stevenson barely uses his right hand, which he shows don’t trust it. It’s too soft.
If Shakur’s right hand falls apart on him against Schofield, there’s no way he’ll be able to stand his ground and fight this type of fighter. He won’t be able to hold Floyd back with only one hand working for him.
For this fight against the young 22-year-old Schofield (18-0, 12 KOs), it is imperative that Shakur (27) has more than just his left hand working for him. This guy can punch, and he will attack him relentlessly. That’s how Floyd fights; he and his father know Shakur is fragile.
“I think if Floyd Schofield can fight long, use a lot of pressure and use that jab (he’ll beat Shakur). The jab is key to Shakur’s style,” said Oscar De La Hoya Fight Hub TV.
Shakur’s added bulk
Stevenson now looks like a middleweight, having put on weight since his last fight against Artem Harutyunyan six months ago on July 6. He will have to take that weight because he looks like a fat 160 lbs. Stevenson doesn’t look healthy or anything like a professional athlete.
I don’t know what he ate to get that big, but he needs to stop poaching the cookie sister. He looks like an old drummer in a 1960s rock band.
That weight is going to have to come off. Shakur will walk away from the kitchen table and control his eating if he doesn’t want to get stuck and drain 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 bloating with the six months he’s been out of the ring.
In contrast, Schofield looks sculpted and already in fighting shape. It’s youth, of course, but it’s also hard work. He doesn’t sit around eating and watching his belts or posting on Twitter 24/7.
