22-year-old Floyd Schofield Jr. is set to face Tevin Farmer on June 28 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, as part of the undercard for Jake Paul vs. Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. However, in the lead-up to the bout, fans have revisited a lingering question: Why did ‘Kid Austin’ withdraw from his scheduled fight against Shakur Stevenson?

Schofield was originally slated to take on the WBC lightweight champion in Saudi Arabia on February 22. But in a surprising twist, he pulled out at the last minute, forcing Stevenson to instead face England’s previously undefeated Josh Padley. Although Stevenson cruised to a dominant victory, Schofield’s sudden withdrawal sparked controversy and raised eyebrows across the boxing world.

What happened to Floyd Schofield before the Shakur Stevenson fight?

Ahead of his fight against Stevenson, Schofield was forced to pull out of the fight due to a sudden illness. The 22-year-old missed the Grand Arrivals in Riyadh, leading to speculation that weight management issues were to blame. However, Stevenson’s worst fear had become a reality. Schofield’s promoter, Golden Boy Promotions, clarified that Schofield was “taken to the hospital as a precautionary measure”. Images of him being hooked up to machines immediately went viral. The British Board of Control (BBBofC), overlooking the fight, ultimately canceled his appearance “in the interest of Schofield’s health and safety.” 

However, to this day, the true nature of the illness has not been revealed. The fight was supposed to be Schofield’s first-ever world title fight. Unfortunately for both, it didn’t go that way. However, this wasn’t the end of the story. In the aftermath of his hospitalization, Schofield’s father hurled accusations of alleged poisoning, and utter chaos unfolded.

Did Shakur Stevenson poison Floyd Schofield Jr.? 

After the cancellation of the fight, Floyd Schofield’s father, Schofield Sr., hurled accusations at Stevenson’s team, claiming foul play was involved. “Only a soft team would poison an opponent,” he wrote on X. “You’re soft and we still want to fight your soft self.” However, Schofield Sr. didn’t stop there.

He urged fighters like Teofimo Lopez and Gervonta Davis to stay away from Stevenson’s camp, accusing them of being part of a “very dirty team.” Despite his outburst, Schofield Sr. later backtracked. “In all due respect, we cannot blame Shakur or his team… All things are forgiven.” While the poisoning claim made headlines, there wasn’t any evidence to support it. 

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Now, months after the mystery illness and subsequent debacle, Kid Austin is returning to the ring against a veteran in Tevin Farmer. With it he will aim to put to rest the allegations that he pulled out of the Shakur Stevenson fight intentionally. If all goes well for him tonight, it would be interesting to see whether the pair ever end up fighting each other in the future. What do you make of the whole situation?