De La Hoya Maps Out Floyd Schofield's Next Move After Title Win

Floyd 'Kid Austin' Schofield walked out of the weekend with a world title and an unbeaten ledger at 19-0 (13 KO), taking a decision over Lucas Bahdi in a fight his promoter called a true No. 1 versus No. 2 affair. Oscar De La Hoya handed the 135-pound prospect a straight A for the performance, pointing out that Bahdi is arguably the heaviest hitter in the division.

The headline, though, is what comes next. De La Hoya laid out a short list of options and left little doubt about his favorite: William Zepeda, in-house under the Golden Boy banner. He also floated Top Rank's Abdullah Mason as a rival-promotion possibility, but kept circling back to Zepeda as the fight to make.

Why Zepeda Is the Pick

De La Hoya's logic is about style, not just name value. He noted Zepeda doesn't carry Bahdi's one-shot power, but makes up for it with relentless punch output — the kind of volume that tends to produce ugly, fun, high-pace fights. Against a counter-puncher like Schofield, who can box and move, that's a clean stylistic clash.

There's a history here worth remembering. Before Bahdi shared a ring with Schofield, he'd already upset a prospect, so the 'A' grade isn't empty promoter talk. Schofield also arrived off a first-round knockout of Tevin Farmer, meaning he's spent recent outings swinging between quick finishes and full-distance championship rounds — useful range for a 24-fight résumé that's only now hitting title-level opposition.

The Drawing Board

De La Hoya said the plan is to regroup and let Schofield steer, which is the polite promoter way of saying nothing is signed. The Mason route would require cross-promotional cooperation, never a given, while Zepeda keeps the money and the matchmaking under one roof.

For now, Schofield holds the belt and the leverage. De La Hoya clearly wants the Zepeda fight, and on paper it's the most compelling test for a lightweight who's done everything asked of him so far. The next camp announcement will tell us whether ambition or convenience wins out.