Fighter of the Week (11/27-12/3): Floyd Schofield
As if the 135-pound division needed to get even more loaded with top-notch talent. It has itself yet another major player. 21-year-old "Kid Austin" Floyd Schofield III, of Austin, Texas, Continues to shine, and our 2022 Prospect of the Year continues to trend in the world championship direction. Schofield scored four knockdowns of rugged Mexican opponent Ricardo Lopez, electrifying the packed-out crowd in the Toyota Center in his home state of Texas and moving his record to 16-0 (12), answered any questions about his power, and took home our Fighter of the Week award to add to his collection.
Schofield continues to shine, whether it is with Golden Boy big-wigs watching ready to offer him a contract like he had to hang on his performance last some in Fort Worth when he blew away Rodrigo Guerrero on his first taste of a big-time card on the undercard of Ortiz-McKinson. Or like he did two months later when he headlines his first Golden Boy Live card and got rid of Daniel Rosas in less than round. Or like when he headlined the AT&T Center and picked up his biggest career win and dominated Haskell Rhodes. So he got another major opportunity Saturday night at the Toyota Center, the home of the surging Houston Rockets, on the undercard of Ryan Garcia. Schofield again seized the moment and gave a career-best performance. The 21-year-old from Texas's Capital City scored four knockdowns in the opening round to stop Tijuana’s Ricardo Lopez 1:51 into the opening round. Lopez opted to stand in front of the blue-chip prospect, who connected with a left hook that dropped the Mexican less than a minute into the bout. Schofield dropped Lopez again with the left hook 20 seconds later. The fight should have been stopped there. However, Lopez was allowed to continue, and the Texan unleashed a barrage of pin-point power shots that dropped Lope two more times until referee Joe Rodriguez finally waved off the massacre and gave Schofield his 12th knockout.
Schofield is inching closer to becoming the first world champion for Austin, Texas, and doing so in what appears to be the most talent-loaded division in the sport. Kid Austin is not only wise beyond his years, but the 21-year-old is also more skilled and powerful than your typical 21-year-old protege. He will look to replace Bam Rodriguez as the youngest champ in the world and could do so in short order. His likely next opponent will be either Jo Jo Diazx or perhaps former Golden Boy lightweight and Texan Hector Tanajara. Should he win, he would put himself in position to fight for a world title ahead of schedule and ahead of both Keyshawn Davis and Andy Cruz. Schofield is often not considered among those top blue-chip names. However, at just 21 and with noticeably more power, his clinging is far higher than Davis.
