What to Know
- The full lineup is now set for the October 10 fight card in Chicago, featuring undefeated lightweight contenders Floyd Schofield and Lucas Bahdi with the WBA World title at stake.
- The joint promotion between Golden Boy Promotions and Most Valuable Promotions will air on DAZN Boxing.
- Unified flyweight champion Ricardo Sandoval of Rialto, California, defends his titles against Sergio Mendoza of Mexico.
The undercard is set for the WBA Lightweight World Championship showdown between undefeated lightweight contenders Floyd “Kid Austin” Schofield III of Austin, Texas (19-0, 13 KOs) and “Prince” Lucas Bahdi of Niagara Falls, Ontario (20-0, 15 KOs).
The 12-round main event takes place Saturday, October 10, live worldwide on DAZN from Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Illinois. The event is presented by Golden Boy Promotions in co-promotion with Most Valuable Promotions (MVP).
Ricardo Sandoval Defends Titles in Co-Main
In the co-main event, Unified WBA and WBC World Champion Ricardo “El Niño” Sandoval (27-2, 18 KOs) of Rialto, California, will make the first defense of his unified titles against Sergio “Yoreme” Mendoza (27-1, 23 KOs) of Hermosillo, Mexico.
Mendoza stepped in on short notice after the unified light flyweight champion Oscar Collazo of Puerto Rico had to withdraw from the bout after sustaining a rib injury. The 12-round co-feature is presented by Golden Boy and BXSTRS Promotions.
“I’m very excited to still be fighting in Chicago and to have the opportunity to defend my titles for the first time,” said Sandoval. “I’ve been training extremely hard, and I’m ready to put on a great performance. I know the fans can expect an exciting fight, and I’m looking forward to stepping into the ring and giving them a show.”
“I want to thank the people who made this fight possible. I’m going to leave my soul in the ring to become world champion,” said Mendoza.
U.S. Olympian Jahmal Harvey Returns on Undercard
MVP’s U.S. Olympian Jahmal Harvey of Oxon Hill, Maryland (4-0, 3 KOs) will compete in an eight-round lightweight fight against Pedro Castaneda of Ciudad Juarez, Mexico (9-1-1, 5 KOs).
In a 10-round super featherweight fight, MVP undefeated Jan Paul Rivera of Puerto Rico (16-0, 7 KOs) will face Tecate, Mexico’s Abraham Perfecto (14-2, 9 KOs).
“I’m excited to be back again so quickly, on another great card!” said Harvey. “I’m keen to be really active and continue to excite the fans with dominant performances and viral knockouts. Come see me shine in Chicago, Saturday, October 10th live on DAZN.”
“I’m very happy to be stepping back into the ring in a new city like Chicago,” said Rivera. “This time, you’ll see the Jan Paul of old with strong defense and fast hands. I’ve added a nutritionist to my team and will be better conditioned than ever before.
“Many thanks to MVP, Golden Boy, and Universal Promotions who made it possible to return to the ring, this time on DAZN.”
Prelim Lineup
The preliminary card will stream live on the Golden Boy YouTube channel, sponsored by Scotch Porter.
Undefeated U.S. Olympian Joshua “The Rocket” Edwards of Houston (7-0, 6 KOs) will face Craig Lewis of Detroit (15-9-1, 8 KOs) in an eight-round heavyweight bout.
In a 10-round cruiserweight contest, Tristan “Sweet T” Kalkreuth of Las Vegas (17-1, 12 KOs) will face undefeated Ivan Rosado of Puerto Rico (12-0, 9 KOs).
In the opening bout, undefeated Grant Flores of Thermal, California (13-0, 9 KOs) will take on Mikey Dahlman of Chicago (19-2, 17 KOs) in a 10-round middleweight fight.
Also on the card, MVP’s rising contender Naomy Valle of San Jose, Costa Rico (15-1, 9 KOs) returns to the ring to face Sheyla Moreno of Mexico City (5-1-1, 1 KO) in an eight-round flyweight bout.
“Making my U.S. debut in a city like Chicago with MVP is an opportunity that could change my future,” said Valle. “I’ve learned so much from my trainer, José Benavidez Sr., during this camp, and now it’s time to show it in the ring.
“I know this is a huge test, and I’m preparing to give the best performance of my career. That night, I want to show everyone who Naomy Valle is and how far I’m determined to go.”
Movember Partnership Raises Money For Men’s Health
Golden Boy and Most Valuable Promotions have also announced a new partnership with Movember for the October 10 event, bringing the fight community together to raise awareness and funds for men’s health.
As part of the partnership, Golden Boy, MVP and Movember will host “Back Your Fighter,” a live fundraising stream during fight week and following the ceremonial weigh-in on Friday, Oct. 9, at Wind Creek Chicago Southland.
Fans can donate in real time to back their fighter, with the fundraising totals determining which fighters take the clippers in a live shave-off.
The shave-off and a free pop-up barbershop for fans are presented by grooming brand Scotch Porter. Fighters will participate alongside young athletes from Movember-funded youth sports programs in Chicago.
The livestream will be available on Golden Boy’s YouTube channel, with every dollar raised supporting Movember’s work in prostate cancer, testicular cancer, mental health, and suicide prevention.
Additionally, young athletes from West Side Chicago youth boxing program The Bloc, funded by Movember, will join the fighters on fight night. The Bloc is one of several Chicago youth sports programs Movember funds and implements Game Changers, a curriculum designed to build mental resilience and life skills in boys and young men, the same qualities of discipline, perseverance and resilience that the sport demands from every fighter stepping into the ring on October 10.
Tim Gnaneswaran, U.S. Director for Movember, said: “Boxing is a sport built on discipline and having good people in your corner, the people who are there for you when it gets hard. That is exactly what men’s health needs more of.
“From the boxers, to the fans, to the youth athletes from Movember’s Chicago programs who will be joining us, fight week in Chicago gives us a chance to turn one of the biggest nights in boxing into real awareness and support for men’s health.”
Ben Speelman, CEO, Scotch Porter, said: “The barbershop and the boxing gym have a lot in common. They’re where young men learn it’s okay to talk. Through Game Changers, The Bloc gives Chicago kids the tools to handle what happens outside the ring, and we’re proud to stand next to them and the fighters during fight week.”
Schofield vs. Bahdi is on sale and is priced at $300, $200, $125, $75 and $30 not including applicable service charges. Tickets for purchase will be available at Ticketmaster.com or GoldenBoy.com.
About Movember
Movember is the leading global movement working to change the face of men’s health. Since 2003, Movember’s community has raised almost $1.5 billion, funding over 1,320 projects in mental health and suicide prevention, prostate cancer, and testicular cancer
Committed to redefining the future of men’s health, Movember works alongside community members and expert partners to drive innovative research and scale evidence-based programs that address the most complex challenges facing boys, men and society today. To learn more, please visit Movember.com.
Gayle Falkenthal is an award-winning boxing journalist with more than four dozen awards for both written and video coverage from the Boxing Writers Association of America, Society of Professional Journalists, and San Diego Press Club, where she is the past president. She is the only woman journalist who is a full voting member of the BWAA. She is the Boxing Editor for NY Fights based in San Diego, California.
