June 28: Former Champion Tevin Farmer vs. WBA No. 2 Lightweight Floyd Schofield on the Paul vs. Chavez Card

A 10-round lightweight bout has been set between former IBF Super Featherweight World Champion and current WBC No. 9 ranked lightweight Tevin Farmer (USA, 33-8-1, 1 NC, 8 KOs) and WBA No. 2 and IBF No. 8 ranked Floyd Schofield (USA, 18-0, 12 KOs). The fight will take place on June 28 (June 29 Japan time) at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, as part of the “Paul vs. Chavez” event.

Farmer, now 34, faced WBC Interim Lightweight Champion William Zepeda (Mexico, 33-0, 27 KOs) twice—in November of last year and again this March. In the first fight, held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Farmer entered as a heavy underdog but surprised many by scoring a knockdown in the fourth round. Using slick technique, he managed to evade much of Zepeda’s pressure and made the fight competitive, ultimately losing by a close split decision with scores of 95-94, 95-94, and 94-95.

In the rematch held in Cancún, Mexico, Farmer struggled early on against Zepeda’s body attacks. However, from the middle rounds onward, he used his signature technical skills to evade Zepeda’s relentless pressure and gradually made up ground with quick combinations. Despite his efforts, he suffered another close defeat, with the judges scoring the bout 116-112, 115-113, and 114-114.

After the fight, Golden Boy Promotions’ Oscar De La Hoya—who promotes Zepeda—revealed plans to match Farmer against Floyd Schofield. Earlier this month, Farmer himself confirmed that he had received an offer from De La Hoya.

Floyd Schofield, 22, was originally scheduled to challenge WBC Lightweight World Champion Shakur Stevenson (USA, 23-0, 11 KOs) on February 22 (February 23 Japan time) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. However, he withdrew from the fight just four days before due to illness.

The British Boxing Board of Control (BBBofC), which oversees boxing events in Saudi Arabia, requires fighters to undergo a weight check two days prior to the official weigh-in. Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Boxing, who represents Stevenson, speculated that Schofield had encountered issues making weight.

Schofield’s last appearance in the ring was on November 2 (November 3 Japan time) at The Theater at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, where he headlined a Golden Boy Promotions event. He won a 12-round decision against Rene Tellez Giron (Mexico, 21-5, 13 KOs).

In the Giron fight, Schofield had boldly predicted a dominant performance. While he showcased impressive speed and control in the early rounds, he was unable to fully contain Giron’s pressure. In the 11th round, he was unexpectedly dropped by a left hook.

The official scorecards read 118–109, 118–109, and 116–111. Despite the loss, Giron stepped out of the ring with pride, as if he were the victor, while Schofield—though declared the winner—left with clear areas for improvement revealed by the bout.

Now scheduled to face former champion Tevin Farmer, the talented Schofield expressed his determination, saying, “Sharing the ring with a former world champion like Farmer is a huge opportunity to silence those who doubt me and my skills. And I truly believe I will come out victorious.”

In this clash of technicians against the southpaw Farmer, all eyes will be on what kind of boxing Schofield brings to the ring. One thing is certain: the winner will take a significant step closer to a world title shot.

The main event of the night, as the event title “Paul vs. Chavez” suggests, will feature popular YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul (USA, 11-1, 7 KOs) taking on former WBC Middleweight World Champion Julio César Chávez Jr. (Mexico, 54-6-1, 1 NC, 34 KOs) in a 10-round cruiserweight bout. The event is co-promoted by Golden Boy Promotions and Paul’s own Most Valuable Promotions (MVP).

On the undercard, WBO Cruiserweight World Champion and WBA Super Champion Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez (Mexico, 47-1, 30 KOs) will defend his title in a WBA mandatory bout against former WBA and IBF world champion Yuniel Dorticos (Cuba, 27-2, 25 KOs), who is currently ranked No. 1 by the WBA and No. 11 by the WBO in the cruiserweight division.

Also featured is a 10-round welterweight clash between Raul Curiel (Mexico, 15-0-1, 13 KOs)—ranked No. 6 by the WBC, No. 8 by the IBF, No. 12 by the WBA, and No. 15 by the WBO—and Victor Ezequiel Rodriguez (Uruguay, 16-0-1, 9 KOs).

Another 10-round welterweight bout is scheduled between the undefeated Abuisus Griffin (USA, 17-0, 16 KOs) and Julian Rodriguez (USA, 23-1, 14 KOs).

While the undercard features a strong lineup of quality matchups, the main event—Paul vs. Chávez Jr.—has been met with heavy criticism from serious boxing fans and insiders. Top Rank’s Bob Arum bluntly stated, “That’s not boxing.”

While I completely agree with Arum’s sentiment, Jake Paul has already announced that following the fight with Chávez Jr., he plans to take on WBA Lightweight World Champion Gervonta Davis (USA, 30-0-1, 28 KOs) in a 10-round, 3-minute exhibition match at a contracted weight of 195 pounds. From a different angle, this has drawn significant attention from those who view boxing through a non-traditional lens.

Chávez Jr., now 39 years old and known for a string of underwhelming performances, is likely seeing this bout as his final curtain call—or more accurately, a last money grab. In his most recent fight on July 20 of last year (July 21 Japan time) in Tampa, Florida, he faced 39-year-old former MMA fighter Uriah Hall (Jamaica), who had only one prior four-round pro boxing match. The fight, a six-round cruiserweight bout, turned out to be a dull affair. Chávez Jr. failed to showcase the supposed gap in boxing experience and came away with an unremarkable win after a nearly two-year and eight-month hiatus from the ring.

By contrast, on November 15 last year (November 16 Japan time), former three-belt undisputed heavyweight champion Mike Tyson (USA, 50-7-2 NC, 44 KOs), at age 58, showed some flashes of his old form when he faced Paul in an exhibition at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. However, expectations that Chávez Jr. can deliver a similar performance are low—and whether or not that prediction proves accurate may be the only real point of interest in the Paul vs. Chávez Jr. fight.

Weight management issues can potentially lead to serious in-ring accidents. The oversight system of the BBBofC (British Boxing Board of Control) is truly outstanding.

This article has been translated and published with permission from BOXING MASTER.

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