Floyd Schofield has pulled out of his WBC lightweight title fight against Shakur Stevenson just days before the event. Schofield reportedly fell unwell, leading to his withdrawal from what's been called one of the greatest fight cards in boxing history.
Barry McGuigan, the former world featherweight champion, didn't hold back his thoughts on the situation. In an interview with talkSPORT, McGuigan said:
"It's interesting, there's a number of things that could have happened but the first thing I think about when I hear a situation like that, I'm not denying that the kid's not well but you think 'oh he's swallowed, he's bottled it'."
McGuigan, now 63, went on to explain his reasoning:
"That's what you think and of course I don't know what his medical condition is but that was my initial thoughts. I think he swallowed it, I genuinely think he bottled it. I'm not saying he's not unwell, he could be, but I just feel like the whole situation has come down on him and he's in a really tough fight on a huge bill and he's under a lot of pressure and he might have wanted out. It wouldn't at all surprise me if that was the case."
The Irish boxing legend knows a thing or two about big fights. He captured the WBA featherweight title in 1985, outpointing Eusebio Pedroza at Loftus Road Stadium in London. After hanging up his gloves, McGuigan became a respected trainer and manager, working with two-weight world champion Carl Frampton for most of his pro career.
The show must go on, and a replacement has been found for Schofield. Josh Padley, an unbeaten 29-year-old British fighter, will step in to face Stevenson. Padley's most notable win came against highly-rated Mark Chamberlain at Wembley Stadium last September.
Stevenson, the WBC lightweight champion, hasn't taken kindly to Schofield's withdrawal. The fight was set to be the co-main event on a card headlined by the highly anticipated rematch between undisputed light heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol.
