Shakur Stevenson was acting more aggressively than usual today, looking like he was trying to punk his fill-in opponent Josh Padley at the weigh-in, getting in his face, pointing fingers, and shoving him at the weigh-in for their lightweight undercard fight this Saturday, February 22nd, in Riyadh.
The weird part is that Padley (15-0, 4 KOs) can probably punch as hard as Shakur, and he only has four knockouts on his record. If he takes the fight to him, he might pull off an upset. I doubt the judges will give it to Padley, but he’d expose Shakur like Edwin De Los Santos did.
Tough Guy Act
Stevenson (22-0, 10 KOs) acted like he had a chip on his shoulder, trying hard to intimidate the fringe contender Padley (15-0, 4 KOs), who his promoter, Eddie Hearn, personally recommended to Turki Alalshikh as the sub after Floyd Schofield came down with an illness and was removed from the fight.
That behavior would work better with fans if Shakur were fighting someone good with a chance of beating him, like Andy Cruz, Abdullah Mason, or Raymond Muratalla. But to do this against a domestic-level fighter brought in as a last-minute replacement is low.
It’s pretty obvious that Shakur is insecure after turning in consecutive poor performances against Artem Harutyunyan and Edwin De Los Santos. What fans of Stevenson had abandoned ship after seeing that he’s not what they originally thought.
This is not the opponent that Shakur needs for him to win back the fans and create new ones. Stevenson should have vetoed Padley’s choice and insisted on a better opponent, like Jadier Herrera or someone else. At least if he had fought that guy, fans would give him credit if he won, but he might. That’s probably why the hard-hitting 22-year-old Cuban Herrera (16-0, 14 KOs), because he’s too good and might win.
Shakur weighed in at 134.1 lbs and Padley at 134 today at the weigh-in.
“It’s what dreams are made of. This is what you get into boxing for. A world title shot, the pinnacle of the sport. I’m going to grab it with both hands,” said Josh Padley to DAZN Boxing during today’s weigh-in, talking about the opportunity that has been given to him to fight WBC lightweight champion Shakur Stevenson as a replacement opponent on Saturday night. “Tune in on Saturday night to see it.”
“I told him I’m going to beat his a***. There’s a lot of energy going on. He’s got a lot of energy. Let’s settle it in the ring,” said Shakur. “I stayed focused, I stayed locked in. Opponent switching don’t do nothing for me, but I’m going to shine. I’m going to shine tomorrow, and tomorrow is my time.
“In the amateurs, you fight anybody and everybody. This is nothing new for me. I’ve been here before. It’s showtime. Let’s do it. I promise you I’m going to remind them. Tomorrow is my time. I’m coming to have fun, and I’m putting belt to a**,” said Stevenson.
Will @Joshpad pull off the upset against @ShakurStevenson⁉️#BeterbievBivol2 | #RiyadhSeason | Feb 22, live on DAZN: Click link in bio to buy | @Turki_alalshikh pic.twitter.com/YM1xjH3EuK
— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) February 21, 2025
Last Updated on 02/21/2025
