Floyd Schofield is on the right track. He’s a hot shot prospect at 135 pounds and has shown the type of talent leaving many believing he’ll eventually become a world champion. Those championship hopes though, at least according to many, are still a few years away. Schofield and his team, however, believe the time is now.

In his 19th pro fight, there will be no tune-ups against no-hopers or eliminations against faded belt holders. Officially, Schofield (18-0, 12 KOs) will take on The Ring’s No. 3 ranked lightweight and the current WBC titlist, Shakur Stevenson.

Born in New Jersey but raised in Austin, Texas, Schofield’s nickname of “Kid Austin” fit him like a glove. Richardson Hitchins, the newly crowned IBF junior welterweight champ, loves Schofield’s alias. But merely due to the irony of it heading into his showdown against Stevenson.

“He’s still a kid,” said a chuckling Hitchins during an interview with FightHype.com.

Hitchins likes the 22-year-old talent but views him as someone lacking substance and experience. Stevenson, on the other hand, is seemingly in his physical prime. He's 27, a three-division champion, and holds a universal position on most pound-for-pound lists.

When last seen, Stevenson (22-0, 10 KOs) made it look incredibly easy against Artem Harutyunyan. As a result, bigger fights were on his radar. A matchup with Gervonta Davis was mouthwatering, a Devin Haney showdown screamed technical fireworks while Vasiliy Lomachenko seemed like a battle of the minds. None, though, came close to taking place, leading to this bout against Schofield.

Confidence isn't something that Schofield is lacking. His smile and hubris-filled attitude, nevertheless, is a mirage, something that Hitchins can see right through. It’s a cliche in the sport of boxing to say that everyone has a chance but Hitchins isn’t even willing to say that. If Stevenson and Schofield were taking their rivalry to a basketball court then maybe. But in terms of boxing? Absolutely not.

“He can’t beat Shakur. I think it’s easy work for Shakur. Maybe in basketball, he can beat Shakur but I know Shakur is nice in that but as far as boxing? Nah.”

That spotless record that Schofield holds is only a few weeks away from being muddied according to Hitchins. But while a loss is inevitable in his opinion, he believes the 22-year-old made the right decision.

“It was smart for him to jump on the opportunity right now. It’s not a lose/lose. You losing to a pound-for-pound guy. If he wins, he’s on top of the world.”