“Shakur would never fight Kid, just like Tank would never fight Kid,” Schofield Sr. told MillCity Boxing.

Schofield Sr. insisted his criticism was not personal towards Shakur and argued that top fighters were simply chasing bigger paydays in the bigger leagues rather than taking hazardous fights for less money at lightweight.

“They were getting bigger fights at 140 pounds for 20, 15 million,” Schofield Sr. said. “Why come in here where there’s a risk of getting knocked out for much less money?”

The most essential part of Schofield Sr.’s argument revolved around Shakur’s lack of knockout power and whether he would be able to keep his aggressive punches away for 12 rounds.

“Shakur only had 11 knockouts,” Schofield Sr. said. “There is no way he would fight someone like Kid and be able to last 12 rounds.”

Schofield senior believes his son’s combination of speed, movement and power would pose major stylistic problems for Stevenson.

“How could he sustain a powerful puncher like Kid that gave him movement and speed?” Schofield Sr. said. “That would be the wrong style for Shakur.”

Schofield senior also criticized what he sees as current boxing matchmaking, arguing that too many fighters avoid tough opponents to protect undefeated records and maximize earnings.

“There is no way you can build a legacy by skating horrendously, picking players,” Schofield Sr. said.

Stevenson has recently been linked to possible future fights against Devin Haney and Gervonta Davis as Schofield continues to establish himself in the lightweight division.

Shakur also has a built-in defense against criticism that he never fought Schofield, as the two fighters were already scheduled to fight on February 22, 2025, before Schofield was pulled from the fight during fight week in Riyad, around February 18-19.

Stevenson later questioned whether Schofield was fully prepared for the fight, while Schofield’s team maintained that the withdrawal was related to medical issues and the committee’s decision to remove him from the card.

Mike Tyson wasn’t the only shocker in boxing. He repeatedly caused chaos in sports.

From horrific knockouts to complete public collapse, Tyson’s career has become the wildest that heavyweight boxing has ever seen.

World Boxing News documents five moments that left the sport in disbelief.

1. Tyson wins the Junior Olympics in eight seconds

Long before he won world titles and became world notable, Tyson was already terrifying adult men in Fresh York gyms as a teenager.

When he was just 15 years elderly, Tyson demolished Joe Cortez in eight seconds at the Junior Olympics, a terrifying display of speed and violence that quickly spread throughout amateur boxing circles.

The news spread quickly as the coaches immediately realized that something terrifying was rising within their ranks.

2. Tyson becomes the youngest heavyweight champion in history

On November 22, 1986, Tyson defeated Trevor Berbick in two rounds to become the youngest heavyweight champion in history at the age of just 20.

The finish became one of boxing’s most unforgettable images.

Berbick desperately tried to get up after Tyson’s latest attack, but stumbled in the ring before falling again as the referee stopped the fight.

The heavyweight division suddenly became the property of a destroyer who seemed unbeatable, and Tyson not only won the division, he devoured it.

3. Buster Douglas achieves the impossible

Tyson looked unbeatable in 1990 before everything changed in Tokyo.

Buster Douglas entered the fight as a massive underdog and was expected to only survive a few rounds before Tyson obliterated him like everyone else.

Instead, Douglas recovered from an eighth-round knockout in which he knocked out Tyson and then knocked him out in one of the biggest upsets the sport has ever seen.

The reaction inside boxing was one of disbelief, as the thought of Tyson losing seemed barely real at the time.

Overnight, the aura surrounding him disappeared.

4. Tyson goes to prison

In 1991, Tyson’s life extended far beyond boxing when he was accused and later convicted of rape and sentenced to prison a year later.

This defeat shocked the sports world.

Just a few years earlier, Tyson was the most feared athlete in the world. Suddenly, boxing’s biggest star was headed to prison as his career and reputation collapsed around him.

The man who once seemed untouchable suddenly became completely powerless.

The story reached far beyond boxing and permanently changed Tyson’s public image.

5. Tyson bites Evander Holyfield’s ear

Nothing captured Tyson’s events better than the night he bit Evander Holyfield’s ear in 1997.

Frustrated, livid and heartbroken in his rematch after being knocked out in the first fight, Tyson stunned millions of viewers around the world by biting Holyfield during the fight, causing chaos in the ring and outrage around the world.

The images became enduring boxing history. Even now, decades later, many fans still can’t believe they saw it live.

Tyson’s career brought boxing fear, violence, scandal, destruction and moments so unbelievable that they still seem unreal.

That’s why sport still can’t stop talking about it.

About the author

Phil Jay is the editor-in-chief of World Boxing News (WBN) and a boxing veteran with over 15 years of experience. Read the full biography.

“You know what he told me at the end of the fight?” Teofimo Sr. said Punsh Dunk Boxer canal. “He said, ‘Dad, he made me feel like a little kid.'”

Teofimo Sr. then suggested that something outside the ring may have mentally affected his son before the fight.

“I said, ‘Man, I know, bro. I know what happened. “I don’t know what happened to you, but I don’t know if anyone threatened your ass and what happened in that fight,” Teofimo Sr. said. “He won’t tell me, but that wasn’t my son in that fight.”

Teofimo Sr. insisted that the strategy going into the fight was for Lopez to stay disciplined and attack Stevenson from the outside rather than throw punches at close range.

“The whole plan was to outsmart this kid, stay on the outside and outsmart him,” Teofimo Sr. said. “Then he just came in from the beginning and got punished.”

The longtime coach compared the performance to Teofimo’s tougher performance against Arnold Barboza Jr. and argued that the difference between the two fights was obvious.

“That wasn’t my son in that fight,” Teofimo Sr. repeated. “Everyone knows that my son is a skillful fighter.”

Teofimo himself also appeared frustrated while discussing the criticism surrounding the defeat, and defended his willingness to take risky fights.

“I want to come back,” Lopez said. “Canelo was just avoiding David. But when I go and fight David, they say, ‘Well, he got beat up.’ What do you think would happen with Canelo?

Teofimo also stated that he will continue to favor many of the top names from different divisions.

“I could beat any person Canelo beat. I could beat any person Triple G beat. I could beat any person Caleb Plant beat,” Lopez said.

The comments quickly sparked reactions from fans online, especially Teofimo Sr.’s suggestion that something may have affected his son’s psyche heading into the Stevenson fight.