CHICAGO — Floyd Schofield claimed the vacant WBA lightweight world title on Saturday night at the Wintrust Arena, securing a unanimous-decision victory over Lucas Bahdi with scores of 116-110, 119-108, and 115-111. Following the result, promoter Oscar De La Hoya publicly signaled his intent to arrange a title defense against Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis, who was previously stripped of the belt and designated as the WBA ‘champion-in-recess’ earlier this year.
“This is boxing, the best have to fight the best. If Tank comes back, let’s make Tank Davis. Why not? I was a fighter, man. Let’s go, let’s make the best fights happen!” De La Hoya stated to Fight Hub TV. The designation of champion-in-recess grants Davis the right to challenge for the full title upon his return, which is currently expected in early 2027.
The path to a potential matchup remains dependent on Davis confirming his interest to become the mandatory challenger. Should Davis opt to pursue other reported comeback opponents, such as George Kambosos or Stephen Fulton, he would forfeit his claim to the title. In that event, the WBA would look to the next available contender in its ratings, with former WBA super-lightweight world champion Jose ‘El Rayo’ Valenzuela positioned as the likely successor for the mandatory spot.