Floyd Schofield has every right to be brash. An unbeaten prospect who recently signed a promotional deal with Golden Boy, Schofield cannot wait to show off his improving skill-set on a big stage and take names in a loaded lightweight division.

Schofield does see himself realistically becoming a contender in the next year or so, but he pledges to maintain a balance of humility and confidence on the road to a world title shot.

The 20-year-old will face Daniel Rosas tonight at the Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, California. The eight-round bout will headline a six-bout Golden Boy Promotions card that will stream live on DAZN (9 p.m. ET/ 6 p.m. PT).

At Wednesday’s weigh-in, Schofield weighed in at 134.8 pounds. Rosas weighed 132 pounds.

Schofield (11-0, 9 knockouts) made his debut under the Golden Boy banner in his last bout on August 6, dropping former world titleholder Rodrigo Guerrero twice en route to a knockout win after the fifth round. Schofield has stopped four of his last five opponents. 

He will face a fighter in Rosas (22-5-1, 14 KOs), who resides in Mexico City and has won five of his last eight bouts. Schofield was all business in his preparation for the Rosas fight, as he did not want a letdown from the Guerrero fight.

“I felt I worked harder during this camp,” Schofield told The Ring Tuesday afternoon. “I was more disciplined during this camp. I just have a different game plan. For the Guerrero fight, I was a little anxious. I plan on settling down for this fight. Pick my shots more perfect for this fight. I want to get the stoppage in this fight. That’s my goal. I worked hard on that for this camp.

“I trained in Houston for this fight. I sparred with Justin Pauldo. I only had one sparring partner. I didn’t really spar with any big name fighters for this camp.”

After fighting on club shows throughout the South, including Tampa, San Antonio, and Atlanta, Schofield was approached by Golden Boy, which is run by CEO Oscar De La Hoya. 

Schofield was grateful for the opportunity to sign with the Southern California-based promotional company but admits he had a difficult time comprehending what was happening after receiving the initial phone call. 

“When Oscar first hit me up, I thought it was fake,” said Schofield, who made his pro debut less than a month and a half after turning 18. “I’m not going to lie. I thought it was a joke, some kind of joke. But once I found out that they were really interested in me being part of the (Golden Boy Promotions) team, I felt my maturity level grew because a big name promoter wanted to sign me. It was a crazy feeling. I’m forever grateful for the opportunity and I won’t let them down.

“I want this performance (tonight) to reflect that I want to again be a main event fighter. I don’t only want to showcase to (Golden Boy CEO) Oscar (De La Hoya) and (partner) Bernard (Hopkins) but to the rest of the world that I’m more than just a puncher. That I have skills. I can be patient. I can set my punches up. I’m definitely looking forward to putting on a master-class performance and stopping him early. If I don’t, I’m ready to go all eight (rounds).”

It may realistically be a while before Schofield faces the upper echelon of the lightweight division. Facing the likes of Ryan Garcia and Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis will have to wait.

Schofield does have a chip on his shoulder that he considers himself a contender in the making and believes it is just a matter of time before the best in the division will eventually have to face him. 

“I feel I’m ready to be a contender now or at least next year,” said Schofield. “The time is going to come. People tell me that I’m not ready. That I need to be patient. That’s just going to give me time to work on my craft and get better and mature. I feel like I’m ready now. Soon the world is going to see that if it’s not now, then it’s going to be two years from now. It’s going to happen.”

Even at 20, Schofield’s ego may get inflated, but his father/ trainer Floyd, Sr. brings him back down to reality. 

“My Dad always has to bring my ego down. Sometimes I get that way (overconfident), but then my Dad tells me that there’s a lot to work on. I’m only 20 years old. I have a lot more growing to do. The sky’s the limit. 

“My Dad always brings my ego down as soon as I say one slick, confident thing. He tells me I’m not there yet. That’s my Dad, my trainer telling me that. He knows me. And then I always choose to stay humble. No one likes a boastful or overconfident dude. Plus being humble keeps you balanced and staying out of trouble. People like humble guys.”

Schofield hails from Austin, Texas, where he has a modest following. His past, which included a time when he and his father were homeless, is well-documented.

He hopes to fight often in his hometown, including one day fighting for or defending a world title belt.

“I get a lot of love and support from Austin. I haven’t been back in a cool minute because I’ve been traveling everywhere. Hopefully I could get a fight there in Austin at the (football) stadium at the University of Texas. That’s my goal. Have my first world title fight there. That’s what we’re working towards. I appreciate everybody and I love everybody for supporting (me).”

In the co-main event, former world titleholder Anabel Ortiz (32-5, 4 KOs) of Mexico City will square off against Guatemala City’s Maria Santizo (10-1, 6 KOs) in an eight-round junior flyweight bout. 

Francisco A. Salazar has written for The Ring since October 2013 and has covered boxing in Southern California and abroad since 2000. Francisco also covers boxing for the Ventura County (California) Star newspaper. He can be reached by email at [email protected] or on Twitter at FSalazarBoxing

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