A world title fight on the undercard of Daniel Dubois' upcoming showdown with Joseph Parker has been cancelled in light of shock 'poisoning' claims, and now the boxing promoters responsible for the event have responded with a statement.
On Saturday night in Saudi Arabia, British heavyweight champion Dubois will defend his International Boxing Federation (IBF) title against former champion Parker.
The bout featuring Dubois – who rocketed to global fame after knocking out Anthony Joshua at Wembley Stadium last September – is the main attraction of the evening, but the stacked card below the the heavyweight fight has led to some observers labelling the show one of the most stacked events in recent boxing history.
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The co-main event is a highly-anticipated rematch between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol for the undisputed light heavyweight crown.
However, the planned title fight between WBC lightweight champion Shakur Stevenson and challenger Floyd Schofield will no longer go ahead.
Just days before the two fighters were due to square off, Schofield was removed from the card by the British Boxing Board of Control after he fell ill. But the boxer's father offered another – controversial – explanation.
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In a post to Schofield’s X page, which is believed to be run by his father and trainer, Floyd Schofield Snr, it was claimed the 18-0 fighter had been 'poisoned'.
The post, which has since been deleted, said: “They poisoned my son...Shakar massage lady wiped a cream on my son.”
And now Golden Boy, the event's promoters, have issued a statement in an effort to clarify the situation.
"Yesterday, Floyd 'Kid Austin' Schofield Jr. fell ill and was transported to the hospital as a precautionary measure," the statement began.
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"In the interest of Schofield's health and safety, the British Board of Boxing Control made the decision to cancel his scheduled bout against Shakur Stevenson.
"Schofield has since been discharged from the hospital and is awaiting the results of his medical evaluation. We extend our gratitude to His Excellency Turki Alalshikh, SELA, and the medical professionals who provided Schofield with care."
Stevenson is expected to remain on Saturday's fight card, when he will instead face unbeaten British contender Josh Padley.
Topics: Boxing, Boxing News
Ryan Baldi