Floyd Schofield will be facing Joseph ‘JoJo’ Diaz in the co-feature bout on the Vergil Ortiz Jr. vs. Erickson Lubin card on November 8 on DAZN at the Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas. It’s a must-win situation for Diaz, who reached a point where he’s lost repeatedly over the last four years.
A Fan-Friendly Co-Feature Bout
It’s a fight that fans view as a significant step down for Schofield from his last contest against Tevin Farmer on June 28. Golden Boy’s team, of promoter Oscar De La Hoya and Eric Gomez, likely chose the former IBF super featherweight champion Diaz 34-8-1, 15 KOs) due to his fan-friendly style, hoping the fight will be as exciting as his last one against Regis Prograis on August 2, 2025.
#1 WBA and #3 IBF lightweight contender Schofield, 23, is still young enough to be moved slowly by Golden Boy. But at some point, they’re going to need to step him up against one of the world champions because he’s wasting some of his best years facing overmatched opposition.
Diaz’s Troubling Recent Record
Schofield’s first-round knockout of the former IBF 130-lb champion Farmer last June should have been a signal that he’s ready to begin fighting high-level fighters. That’s why it’s surprising that Golden Boy has chosen to match him against Diaz, who has lost seven out of his last nine fights. That’s a record of 2-7 for ‘Jo Jo’ Diaz since 2021.
Schofield had the opportunity to challenge WBC lightweight champion Shakur Stevenson earlier this year on February 22 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. However, four days before the fight, Schofield suddenly pulled out on February 18 due to illness.
“I feel like I’m at my best again. The past couple of years, I was dealing with a lot emotionally and in my personal life,” said Diaz to Fighthype, reflecting on how he’s feeling now following his close 10-round unanimous decision defeat against Prograis last August. “I’m back where I need to be.
Let’s hope for Diaz’s sake that he can recapture his prime form because he’s going to need it going against Schofield. ‘Jo Jo’ landed a lot of good shots on Prograis, hurt him a couple of times, and in the fight all the way until the end. However, Regis has been on a career slide, losing his last two fights before facing Diaz. We don’t know how much of Diaz’s performance was from him revitalizing himself and how much can be attributed to Prograis’ decline.
The Cost of a Canceled Fight
That was a missed opportunity because with his hand speed and punching power, he’d have had a good chance of upsetting Shakur. There’s been no interest on Stevenson’s part in giving Schofield a second chance to try and fight him. And after the way he obliterated Farmer in the first round, Schofield may never be given a voluntary title shot against Shakur. He’ll have to work his way into a mandatory spot.
