When a boxing event features as many as seven high-profile fights, the chances of everything going smoothly without any match cancellations are quite low. In this case, bad luck has deprived us at the last minute of two of the announced bouts for The Last Crescendo, the event scheduled for tomorrow at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh. However, the two fighters forced to withdraw for health reasons, Floyd Schofield and Daniel Dubois, have been swiftly replaced. Stepping in for them will be England’s Josh Padley and Congo’s Martin Bakole.
The first fighter to withdraw was 22-year-old American Floyd Schofield, who was set to face WBC lightweight world champion Shakur Stevenson but fell ill on Tuesday. His withdrawal was accompanied by bizarre statements from his father, who accused Stevenson of orchestrating his opponent’s poisoning—claims that will likely prompt the champion to take legal action.
Replacing Schofield will be 29-year-old Englishman Josh Padley, who last September, during the Riyadh Season event in Wembley, defied the odds by defeating the much-favored Mark Chamberlain via unanimous decision.
“Paddy,” as the British boxer is nicknamed, is living a true sporting fairy tale. Just a few days ago, he was working his usual morning shift as an electrician when he received the call offering him the chance to fight for a world title and earn the biggest purse of his career.
If the Stevenson-Schofield matchup didn’t generate much excitement among fans, who have not reacted with particular frustration to the challenger swap, Dubois’ withdrawal has left many disappointed. His IBF heavyweight world title fight against Joseph Parker was highly anticipated, with predictions for the outcome evenly split.
However, Dubois has been more than adequately replaced, as Martin Bakole is a highly rated fighter coming off a series of dominant victories. Of course, there is a legitimate concern that the Congolese boxer may not be in peak condition—his next fight was originally scheduled for May, and it’s hard to imagine him performing at 100% tomorrow with such short notice and no specialized training camp.
Nevertheless, given the extremely limited time available, a better solution was nearly impossible to find. Credit must be given to both fighters stepping into the ring—Parker, for not insisting on an easier opponent after the last-minute change, and Bakole, for seizing this huge opportunity despite the risk to his career.