Floyd Schofield won the vacant WBA lightweight title Saturday night, using his speed and movement to beat Lucas Bahdi by unanimous decision in a fight that tested his ability to recover under pressure.
The judges scored it 116-110, 119-108, and 115-111 at Wintrust Arena in Chicago. Schofield (20-0, 13 KOs) earned the belt, but Bahdi (20-1, 15 KOs) made him work considerably harder than the widest card suggested.
Schofield established his jab early, darting into range with combinations before moving away. Bahdi answered with heavier punches and body work, showing that he could trouble the quicker fighter when he found openings.
A left hook sent Bahdi into the ropes in round three, earning Schofield a knockdown and an early advantage. Bahdi absorbed the setback and continued looking for opportunities to land his power shots.
The sixth became a fierce round in which both fighters were hurt. Bahdi badly rocked Schofield with heavy punches, but Schofield fired back rather than allowing the Canadian to take complete control. His willingness to trade made the fight entertaining, although it also gave Bahdi the kind of contest he needed.
Schofield returned to movement and counters in the following rounds. That approach forced Bahdi to chase, and his difficulty cutting off the ring allowed Schofield to collect points without remaining in punching range.
The refereeing became a talking point in the ninth when a Bahdi right hand sent Schofield’s knee to the canvas without a knockdown being called. Bahdi received credit for a knockdown in round eleven, though their feet tangled during that incident.
Schofield stayed mobile in the twelfth and reached the final bell. He showed enough boxing ability to win, along with the toughness to recover when Bahdi hurt him. The next step is tightening his defense: his speed won rounds, but trading unnecessarily repeatedly exposed him to Bahdi’s biggest weapon.
