Boxing Dreams Come True: New Champions Schofield and Mendoza Crowned in Chicago

· Yahoo Sports

What to Know 

  • American Floyd Schofield is the new WBA World Lightweight champion after defeating Canada’s Lucas Bahdi in an action-packed main event in Chicago on Saturday.
  • In the co-main event, Sergio Mendoza scored an upset win over Ricardo Sandoval to become the new unified flyweight champion.
  • Chicago fans cheered knockout wins by Jahmal Harvey, Grant Flores, and Tristan Kalkrueth.

When two power punches come out to play in Chicago, the fans go home winners. But only one man leaves with a victory.

On Saturday, 24-year-old Floyd Schofield won a decision over Lucas Bahdi. Scores were 116-110, 119-108, and 115-111 for Schofield, who earned the vacant WBA lightweight title.

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Schofield said it felt like a dream. After focusing on boxing and passing up his chance to play football or soccer as a youth, he followed his father Floyd Senior’s long-term game plan as his trainer to become a champion on Saturday night.

Action and Skills Prove Entertaining in Chicago

Both fighters promised an all-action fight, but both had been out of the ring for some time. Scholfield of Austin, Texas (20-0, 13 KOs) was last in the ring 469 days after a stunning first-round knockout win over Tevin Farmer. Bahdi of Niagara Falls, Ontario (20-1, 15 KOs) hadn’t fought for 14 months, waiting for a title opportunity.

But neither man showed a shred of ring rust as both delivered on their promise at the Wintrust Arena in the early rounds, with Schofield and Bahdi coming out intending to make it a quick night.

Bahdi got Schofield’s attention with hard left hooks in round two, moving nicely around the ring. Schofield got it back in the third round, and the two men brawled along the ropes. Schofield landed a check hook that threw Bahdi off balance into the ropes, where he was held up. The referee properly called in a knockdown.

Floyd Schofield wanted to stop Lucas Bahdi, but his father and trainer Floyd Schofield Sr. helped him keep a cool head. Photo: Cris Esqueda, Golden Boy Boxing

Give credit to Bahdi for a resilient chin and an even more resilient nature, keeping himself in the fight and giving himself every chance to take back the rounds Bahdi was losing with the same kind of come-from-behind knockout win as in his fight against Ashton Sylve.

Bahdi rocked Schofield briefly in the sixth round, and Schofield credited his father with helping him keep a cool head instead of trying to get his revenge on Bahdi and doing something reckless.

Schofield boxed effectively, stayed on the back foot, and followed his father’s advice to prioritize winning each round through to the final bell. It was the right call to ensure Schofield and his father would return to Texas with the championship belt.

Badhi said he believed the fight was closer than the wide scorecards, but he acknowledged that Schofield’s movement prevented him from setting his feet and landing the power shots he wanted.

“We came into the fight knowing Lucas is a hard puncher. Not gonna lie, hats off to Lucas. I’m glad he can go back to his team and his family, and he’s safe,” said Schofield.

Father and son were once homeless in Austin, sleeping in their car and surviving. Schofield turned pro at age 18, and six years later he fulfilled their dream together. “I’m gonna go in the (back) room and cry. I’m keeping it real, y’all. I’m holding it together, but yo, we made it, man,” said Floyd Senior.

Lucas Bahdi felt the fight was closer than the scorecards. Photo: Cris Esqueda, Golden Boy Boxing

After the loss, Bahdi said he felt the fight was close. “I was the aggressor all night. He was moving a lot, a lot. But congratulations to him

“I got no excuses. He’s a great fighter, young kid, and congratulations. He had quick feet. Every time I tried to set and throw, he was gone. I couldn’t get him in the position that I wanted to let my hands go properly, but it was a great fight,” said Bahdi.

Schofield wants to unify titles, and while he named Abdullah Mason, the most exciting possible fight is with his Golden Boy stablemate, the WBC champion William Zepeda. But that showdown will come soon enough.

And The New: Sergio Mendoza Scores Upset Victory over Ricardo Sandoval

Sergio Mendoza showed up in Chicago as a late replacement opponent. He will return home to Hermosillo, Mexico as the new WBC/WBA World Flyweight champion.

It was the dream of a lifetime for Sergio Mendoza, becoming the new unified flyweight champion in an upset victory over Ricardo Sandoval. Photo: Cris Esqueda, Golden Boy Boxing

Mendoza of Hermosillo, Mexico (28-1, 24 KOs) defeated Ricardo “El Niño” Sandoval of Rialto, California (27-3, 18 KOs), dropping him three times in five rounds before referee Mark Nelson stopped the fight at 1:40 of round five. Sandoval loses his belts in his first title defense.

“The truth is, I don’t have words to describe this moment,” said Mendoza. “The emotions going through me are incredible, but all the hard work finally paid off.” Mendoza dedicated the win to his late brother, who passed away last year.

This year had been a tough one for Mendoza. He suffered his first loss by knockout in Tokyo against Thanongsak Simsri of Thailand for the IBF World Light Flyweight title. He decided it was time to move up to 112 pounds, and he said it made all the difference in his power and his performance.

Mendoza’s first knockdown was a flash knockdown from a body shot in round two, and it didn’t set off any alarm bells. Mendoza followed with an uppercut and Sandoval had to hold to make it to the bell.

By round four, Sandoval looked more like the champion everyone expected. Mendoza refused to back down, determined to make the most of his unexpected opportunity.

It paid off in round five. A lead left hook landed and dropped Sandoval for the fight’s third knockdown. Seizing the moment, Mendoza unleashed an arsenal of punches. Referee Mark Nelson held back to give Sandoval a chance, then stepped in to prevent any more damage.

“I felt like I had it in the bag, but he is really good,” said Mendoza of the finish. “He has a lot of experience and recovered quickly,” said Mendoza.

“There was so much sacrifice, so many sleepless nights and early mornings. I’m in shock right now. I just want to enjoy this with my family, my friends, my kids,” said the new champion. None of Mendoza’s family or friends came to Chicago so he could focus on this fight with his team. Now he’ll have plenty of time to celebrate with everyone in Hermosillo, Mexico.

For all the problems and well-deserved gripes over the state of boxing in 2026, performances like Mendoza’s are why we love this sport.

Sandoval was originally scheduled to face Puerto Rican light flyweight unified champion Oscar Collazo. Collazo suffered a rib injury during training. We can only imagine what Collazo was thinking as he watched at home.

Jahmal Harvey Proves He’s For Real With Knockout Win

Most Valuable Promotions has a rising star in U.S. Olympian Jahmal Harvey of Oxon Hill, Maryland (5-0, 4 KOs), who returned after a sensational knockout win just six weeks ago with an even better one on Saturday. Harvey blasted out Pedro Castro Casteneda of Ciudad Juarez, Mexico (9-2-1, 5 KOs) in the third round.

After working through the first two rounds, Harvey threw a left hook he later said he intended only as a set-up shot for a right hook intended to do the damage. He didn’t need that right hook.

“Everything was clicking,” said Harvey, with zero ring rust due to coming back quickly from his last win, and training in the meantime with the elite members of Team USA Boxing in Colorado working toward the Olympics in 2028.

Harvey said the lead left wasn’t intended to be the knockout punch. “I was kind of shocked it landed. I was trying to run him into my right hook, so I threw the left as a decoy, but it landed and knocked him out,” said Harvey.

Harvey said he’s always had power but didn’t deploy it as an amateur facing opponents just working to score with volume punching. Harvey says his deep amateur background and Olympic experience have him ready to move up the pro ranks quickly.

Opening the main card, MVP’s talented super featherweight from Salinas, Puerto Rico, Jan Paul Rivera(17-0, 7 KOs) worked over Abraham Valdez of Tecate, Mexico (14-3, 9 KOs) for a lopsided decision victory, winning all ten rounds. The scorecards read 99-89, thanks to a second-round knockdown, a point deduction, or a low blow.

Before the Bell Results from Chicago

Athough heavyweight Joshua Edwards got a TKO2 win, he was disappointed when his opponent retired due to injury. Photo: Cris Esqueda, Golden Boy Boxing

Tristan “Sweet T” Kalkreuth of Las Vegas (18-1, 13 KOs) added to the knockout tally in Chicago with a third-round knockout of previously undefeated Ivan Rosado of San Juan, Puerto Rico (12-1, 9 KOs) in the cruiserweight division. Kalkrueth treated fans to a backflip, which is impressive when done by a 200-pound cruiserweight.

U.S. Olympian Joshua “The Rocket” Edwards of Houston(8-0, 7 KOs) said he felt “disappointed” with his second-round TKO win over Craig Lewis of Detroit(15-10-1, 8 KOs), but he’ll take it. Edwards dished out the damage through those two rounds, causing Lewis to retire due to injury.

Middleweight Grant Floresof Thermal, California (14-0, 9 KOs) scored an impressive second-round knockout over Mikey Dahlman of Chicago (19-2, 17 KOs), then turned to the camera with a satisfied look.

Hometown favorite Cristian Williams of Chicago(15-0, 8 KOs) gave the fans at the Wintrust Arena a victory for the home team, dealing out an eight-round decision loss to Asa Stevens of Waianae, Hawaii(7-1-1, 2 KOs) in the bantamweight division. Scores were 78-74, 78-74, and 77-75.

MVP’s flyweight contender Naomy Valle of San Jose, Costa Rico (16-1, 9 KOs) delivered a solid offense through the first half to hold off a surging Sheyla Morenofrom Mexico City (5-2-1, 1 KO) for a decision win. Scores were

 

 

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