An empty arena, void of the buzz, energy and thunderous roar that comes with any big-hyped fight, could very well be the perfect conditions for some boxers in the ring.
Typically, part of the challenge of facing a titleholder such as WBO featherweight champ Shakur Stevenson is dealing with a passionate fan base. But with boxing returning without fans Tuesday night when Stevenson faces Puerto Rico's Felix Caraballo (ESPN, 7 p.m. ET), some believe a new type of contender could emerge out of this three-month coronavirus hiatus -- the kind that could thrive without the pressure of fighting under the big lights or with thousands of fans in the building.
Knocking out the element of fans for now due to COVID-19 restrictions could be the equalizer in the ring that some fighters need.
"I am going to be honest with you. I feel like this is where you are going to see who's a great boxer," said Kay Koroma, one of Stevenson's trainers along with Stevenson's grandfather and head trainer Wali Moses. "This is when you will really see people step up. You have a lot of boxers that are gym fighters. They're journeymen, but they look great in the gym. But when it comes to the lights and the crowd, they don't look like that.
"Now is their moment to grasp and show the world that they can fight," Koroma added. "It is going to be harder for those people that are meant to walk over them. Because now [gym fighters] are like, 'Oh, I don't got anybody to worry about, it is just us here. Oh, this is my moment.'"
Stevenson (13-0, 7 KOs) said he typically blocks the crowd out and doesn't believe he will be affected by not having fans at the MGM Grand Conference Center in Las Vegas against Caraballo (13-1-2, 9 KOs). But he does see the potential for upsets to happen for boxers who need a crowd behind their corner, especially late in a fight.
"Gym fighters ... they don't perform as good under the lights. I think they are going to get a lot more confidence with no crowd," Stevenson said. "And there are a lot of good fighters that do feed off the crowd. If you match the fighters that fold under the lights and you match them up against the fighters that feed off the crowd, you might see some upsets.
"I've met a bunch of [gym] boxers, they'll give me good ass work," Stevenson added. "And then I watch them perform outside the gym and I'm like, how did you give me good work? And you see what I do to these fighters -- and then you go fight a fighter that is way low caliber and then get beat?"
Former two-division world champion Timothy Bradley Jr., who will join Joe Tessitore, Andre Ward and Mark Kriegel for commentary on the fight remotely, also believes this very well could be the time when those who thrive in the gym with no one watching can finally see their skills translate when the fights count for real.
"Those guys have a chance to do something now because they are not going to be in front of a big, large crowd. They are not going to be spooked by that," Bradley said.
"In the gym, they are beating up world champions for three, four rounds," he added. "Now, no fans ... hmm!"
Bradley also sees the fan-less environment potentially impacting judges.
"Some fighters, they have a huge fan base and anything they do in the ring, it doesn't matter what it is, if it's flashy, everybody is screaming," Bradley said. "That has a big influence and impact on judges. And I think not having the fans, the judges should be able to have basically their own opinion and not be persuaded in any way by the fans."
And that is why Koroma sounds so excited about the possibilities that could come out of fights with no one in the seats. The pure skills could emerge, especially from fighters who shine when not many fans are watching in the arena.
"And that's the beauty of it -- now you are going to see who's really real," Koroma said. "You're going to see the journeyman become a contender."