Floyd Schofield Jr. had to laugh at the suggestions that he didn’t really want this fight.

A lot has been made about his decision to challenge three-division and reigning WBC lightweight titlist Shakur Stevenson (22-0, 10 KOs) this early into his career. The pair of unbeaten Americans will meet this Saturday as part of the loaded Riyadh Season show on DAZN Pay-Per-View from ANB Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Golden Boy Promotions chairman Oscar De La Hoya was admittedly hesitant but ultimately honored the wishes of the unbeaten lightweight and his father/head trainer Floyd Sr. to accept the opportunity. Stevenson (22-0, 10 KOs), The Ring’s No. 3 lightweight, cautioned that his opponent should have listened to his promoter, a Hall of Fame former six-division titleholder.

“It sounds good—we still gotta fight on Saturday,” Schofield noted during Ring Magazine’s “The Final Note” segment conducted from the Mike Tyson Boxing Club in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. “It is what it is.

“I just feel, I like to test myself. That was really it. I’ve read a lot of comments saying I’m just doing it for the money. It sounds good but at the end of the day, boxing is about challenges. I just want to challenge myself against the best.”

Schofield (18-0, 12 KOs) is not rated among The Ring’s top ten lightweights as he enters his first major title fight. However, his team decided after a modest 2024 campaign that it was time to advance from the rising contender stage straight to the top.

The 22-year-old Austin, Texas-based lightweight tore through the prospect phase of his career with four dominant wins in 2023. The temperature cooled a bit with a disqualification win over Esteuri Suero in an uneven performance last March 16 in Las Vegas.

Schofield returned to the fight-friendly city last Nov. 2, where he brushed off the first knockdown of his career to soundly outpoint Rene Tellez Giron. Immediately afterward, his attention shifted towards Stevenson, a former Ring and unified WBC/WBO champion at 130 who also held the WBO title at featherweight.

The fight was eventually signed but only Stevenson made his way to London for the Jan. 13 kickoff press conference to formally announce Saturday’s full fight card. Schofield was among several participants who could not attend the show, though it was only his absence which drew the most attention.

“I had passport issues and couldn’t get on the plane,” Schofield stated, confirming a prior report from The Ring. I was upset, myself. It was gonna be my first time in London, I was excited. You know, passport issues and I couldn’t make it.”

There were no such issues ahead of fight week, as evidenced by Schofield’s in-country presence. Little trash talk has surfaced thus far, though admittedly his father’s style more so than his own.

That shouldn’t be mistaken for a lack of confidence, or suggestive of buyer’s remorse.

“I gotta say I’m coming out victorious,” Schofield calmly insisted. “It’s what we train for.”