With just days away from the WBC lightweight championship in Saudi Arabia, disaster has struck the highly anticipated boxing match. It appears that Shakur Stevenson won’t be putting his title up for grabs on 22nd February as Floyd Schofield was forced to pull out. But what could have been the reason behind canceling the fight at the last minute? Well, that’s what we’re going to find out in this article.

The show must go on, as the saying goes, and Shakur Steven is actively seeking a replacement for Floyd Schofield. However, it wasn’t his opponent who pulled out by himself, as it was the British Boxing Board of Control who made that decision for Schofield. Here’s what we know.

Why Did Floyd Schofield pull out of Shakur Stevenson Fight?

As reported by The Ring, concerns started to grow when Floyd Schofield failed to turn up at the Grand Arrivals for this weekend’s Last Crescendo PPV. At first, people believed that he might have failed to submit a weight check, which led him to miss out on the Grand Arrivals. However, it was later discovered that the 18-0 boxer had been suffering from an illness.

The news of the illness eventually reached the British Boxing Board of Control, and they decided that it was better to pull him out of the lightweight title bout while looking out for a possible replacement for Stevenson. Meanwhile, there have been rumors popping up about some foul play from Shakur Stevenson’s end, as he’s been accused of poising his 22-year-old rival. Let’s take a look at that front.

Did Shakur Stevenson’s Team Spike ‘Kid Austin’ before the Riyadh Fight?

After rumors on social suggested Floyd Schofield had been poisoned, fingers were pointed at SNAC and the reigning WBC lightweight champion’s massage therapist as having something to do with it. But the 22-year-old defended them, and posted, “It was not SNAC… please keep them and Victor out of this, please.”

But then, some leaked messages came to light which saw Floyd Schofield’s father accusing some unnamed people of creating the whole situation. There was also another message that his father received, hinting at the potential involvement of Shakur Steven’s team, which also made rounds on social media. That message read: “This isn’t something to take lightly Sr. I’m not trying to play no games. I got love for y’all and looking out, but they spiked your son.”

Now unbeaten boxer Josh Padley seems to be in the running to replace Floyd Schofield, but in the midst of that, Shakur Stevenson has broken his silence over the poisoning accusations. He’s looking to bring the law into the mix.

Stevenson Considering Legal Action After Poisoning Claims by Schofield Sr.

A report from Brunch Boxing suggests that Shakur Stevenson might be taking the legal route following the accusations of poisoning Floyd Schofield. This means that the WBC lightweight champion will be filing a lawsuit against the 22-year-old’s father. But as of now, there are no concrete details on the probable legal action from Stevenson. Meanwhile, the champ’s manager, Josh Dubin, has spoken about the accusations with a firm warning to Floyd Schofield Sr.

“This fighter [Schofield] should get advised on the defamation laws in our country,” Josh Dubin told the BoxingScene. “Saying these things that slander Shakur does not come without legal consequences. Saying that his food was poisoned will not go unrecognized. [Schofield] is being put on notice right now. People might think there’s a kernel of truth in these lies [regarding the poisoning] by his father, when it seems to be a way for him to make an excuse he’s not going to fight.”

Well, there are sure to be more developments on this issue in the coming days. Meanwhile, it remains to be seen if Shakur Stevenson can find a replacement for his title defense in time before this weekend.