The Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol rematch card has just lost one of its championship bouts. The Ring recently took to X to disclose that Shakur Stevenson will no longer be facing Floyd Schofield. Fortunately, it isn't due to Stevenson not being able to fight.
Instead, his opponent, Schofield, withdrew from the matchup after suffering from food poisoning. Two options were highlighted in Moussa Gholam and Josh Padley, and the revelation comes as a blow to boxing fans.
The bout between Stevenson, a long-hyped star, and Schofield, an undefeated prospect, was one that had drawn tremendous interest. Both men were to compete for Stevenson's WBC lightweight title. Now, though, Stevenson has been linked to Gholam and Padley.
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Neither Gholam nor Padley are scrubs, though. Gholam is 22-1 and has punching power similar to Stevenson. Meanwhile, Padley is unbeaten at 15-0. Unfortunately, both men would be stepping in on extremely short-notice, leaving them as underprepared as can be for the most important bout of their lives.
It is a lose-lose situation for Stevenson, who is expected to emerge victorious over any opponent come fight night. While there was prior uncertainty, Stevenson is now set to face Padley. A win does little for Stevenson besides extending his undefeated record and preserving his reputation as the next great thing.
Meanwhile, a loss would be disastrous, given that Padley is a boxer of little renown and he is coming in on a short-notice. Now, the two men will square off in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Feb. 22.
Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol main card is otherwise unscathed
Fortunately, fight fans will find the Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol event to be largely unblemished. Besides the Shakur Stevenson vs. Floyd Schofield fight falling through, the rest of the card has remained ironclad, with the headline bout serving as the main attraction.
The first contest between Beterbiev and Bivol was contested in October 2024. Beterbiev, a brutal knockout artist, went to a decision for the first time in his career.
The 40-year-old was declared the winner via majority decision, but many felt that Bivol had done enough to earn the judges' decision.