One could argue that no fighter was under more pressure on Saturday than Floyd Schofield.

After being hospitalized the week of his scheduled fight against WBA lightweight champion Shakur Stevenson on Feb. 22 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and having to withdraw from the bout, he found himself at a crossroads against Tevin Farmer.

Farmer, a tricky southpaw who once held the IBF lightweight title, lost his last three fights — a close decision to interim WBC lightweight champion William Zepeda twice and current IBF lightweight champion Raymond Muratalla — but gave them everything they could handle.

It was the classic test between a young fighter looking to take the leap from rising prospect to contender and a veteran former champion looking to show they still belong. With his back against the wall, Schofield didn’t just squeak by with lingering questions about how good he is. Schofield delivered a demolition job, as he dropped Farmer twice before stopping him just more than a minute into the first round at Honda Center in Anaheim, California.

“It feels like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders,“ Schofield said after the win. “I’ve been doubted ever since what happened in February. A lot of people didn’t think I would win this fight. ... After what happened in February, I was depressed. I wanted to quit boxing. I didn’t want to be here so much because reading the comments got to me. My baby boy kept me afloat and he kept me pushing.”

Schofield (19-0, 13 KOs) did what Zepeda (33-0, 27 KOs) and Muratalla (23-0, 17 KOs) couldn’t do across 32 rounds in the ring with Farmer. Farmer (33-9-1, 8 KOs) hadn’t been stopped since 2012, when he was knocked out by former junior lightweight champion Jose Pedraza in the eighth round.

Schofield, 22, first sent Farmer to the canvas with a big right hand. Not long after Farmer rose to his feet on shaky legs, he was sent crashing to the canvas again by a right uppercut and left hook from Schofield. Farmer got to his feet once more, but after another barrage of punches, referee Gerard White stopped the fight 1:18 into the first round.

The first-round stoppage was Schofield’s seventh of his career.

There’s no shortage of options for Schofield the next time he steps in the ring. With him ranked No. 2 in the WBA, he may not be far off from landing a title shot. Gervonta “Tank” Davis (30-0-1, 28 KOs) holds that lightweight title and will rematch Lamont Roach on Aug. 16 after their controversial draw on March 1.

Schofield also could finally face Stevenson (23-0, 11 KOs), should he get past Zepeda on July 12 on The Ring’s “Ring III” pay-per-view show at Louis Armstrong Stadium in Queens, New York, on DAZN PPV.

“Me and Shakur have unfinished business,” Schofield said at the post-fight press conference. “That’s going to eventually happen, and I’ll be able to prove what I was going to do in February.”

What was supposed to be a stiff test turned into an emphatic statement and the most impressive win of Schofield’s career. Months of disdain and disappointment went out the window as he proved he should firmly be in the conversation with the rising stars in the division.

There’s no telling what the future could hold for Schofield in a loaded weight class that also includes Abdullah Mason, but Saturday was a significant step in the right direction.

Now, Schofield against any of the top guys at 135 would be an appealing matchup.