- Floyd Schofield Jr withdrew from his world title fight with Shakur Stevenson
- British electrician Josh Padley has stepped in to face Stevenson on short notice
- He completed an electrician shift on Wednesday before flying to Saudi Arabia
British electrician Josh Padley will switch to boxing gloves for his tools of choice on Saturday night after accepting a last-minute world title shot in Saudi Arabia.
The part-time sparky from Yorkshire was not supposed to be in the ring this weekend, but he has jumped at the opportunity to fight on the big stage following a late withdrawal in Riyadh.
US superstar Shakur Stevenson was due to defend his WBC lightweight title against fellow countryman Floyd Schofield Jr, but the latter pulled out after being hospitalised due to illness.
Attention quickly turned to finding a replacement, and Padley got the call after winning on the undercard of Daniel Dubois‘ demolition of Anthony Joshua in September.
Padley still had to complete his shift on Wednesday, before a video emerged of him jumping in his van to head to the airport.
The amusing footage sees Padley being asked what he’s doing before he replies: ‘We’re off to Saudi!’
Josh Padley had to finish his electrician shift on Wednesday before heading to Saudi Arabia
He will now take on US superstar Shakur Stevenson (pictured) in Riyadh on Saturday night
Padley has stepped in to replace Floyd Schofield Jr after an accusation was made that he had been poisoned
Padley may not be a full-time boxer, but he still holds an impressive 15-0 professional record.
His victory over Mark Chamberlain – who Saudi chief Turki Alalshikh had previously hailed as his favourite fighter – in September was a breakthrough moment, and he will now get the chance to win a world title.
However, the task ahead of him is a steep one, with Stevenson also unbeaten and a three-weight world champion after winning a silver medal at the 2016 Olympics in Rio.
But Stevenson will need to refocus after a chaotic week in Saudi that has seen Schofield Jr pull out amid an allegation that he was poisoned.
Schofield Jr’s father posted a photo of his son in his hospital bed on Wednesday and vehemently denied he was ‘ducking’ the fight.
According to The Sun, leaked messages reportedly from Schofield Sr accused unnamed people of poisoning his son, a wild theory that has since circulated online.
A text sent to Schofield Sr was leaked online and read: ‘This isn’t something to take lightly Sr. I’m not trying to play no games.
‘I got love for y’all and looking out, but they spiked your son.’
A screenshot of the message was then shared on social media by Schofield Sr, who affirmed his belief that his son had been targeted in a statement given to talkSPORT.
Schofield Jr’s father posted a concerning photo of his son in a hospital bed on Wednesday, and an allegation circulated online that the boxer had been poisoned
Padley now gets his chance after winning on the undercard of Daniel Dubois’ demolition of Anthony Joshua in September
‘Floyd will be ok and make a full recovery… someone tried to kill him,’ he said.
A statement from Schofield Jr’s promoters Golden Boy on Wednesday confirmed the lightweight challenger ‘fell ill’ before being released from hospital, with no mention of the poisoning accusation.
‘Yesterday, Floyd “Kid Austin” Schofield Jr. fell ill and was transported to the hospital as a precautionary measure,’ the statement read.
‘In the interest of Schofield’s health and safety, the British Boxing Board of Control made the decision to cancel his scheduled bout against Shakur Stevenson.
‘Schofield has since been discharged from the hospital and is awaiting the results of his medical evaluation. We extend our gratitude to HE Turki Alalshikh, SELA, and the medical professionals who provided Schofield with care.’
Schofield’s loss is Padley’s gain, and the Brit will now aim to shock the world by beating Stevenson just 72 hours after finishing his electrician shift.