Schofield vs Lopez Prediction: Showcase for Schofield
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Grant Young
Considering that one of the boxers in this fight is a gigantic favorite, making a Schofield vs Lopez prediction for the WBA International Lightweight Title Saturday night might seem redundant.
And while that may end up being the case, hardcore boxing fans are still clamoring to see Floyd Schofield enter the ring for the co-main event of Saturday's Garcia vs Duarte card. In a sport littered with can't miss prospects, Schofield is seeking a way to rise above the rest — and this fight against Ricardo Lopez presents a perfect opportunity to do so.
But let's not be so quick to count out Ricardo Lopez, either. This warrior has seen and done everything in that ring, and may have a few tricks in store for us all on Saturday. If he does indeed have an ace up his sleeve, perhaps a Floyd Schofield vs Ricardo Lopez prediction isn't as cut and dry as it seems.
Garcia vs Duarte: Schofield vs Lopez Prediction
Floyd Schofield Preview
At 21 years old, Floyd “Kid Austin” Schofield (15-0 with 11 KO's) seems destined to become boxing's next big thing. This 135 pound warrior has mauled every opponent he has faced thus far, and asserted himself as a central point of conversation for this weekend's Garcia vs Duarte fight card — largely because he is the card's biggest favorite.
And one look at Schofield's fights explain why.
Not only will Saturday's fight be the fourth for Schofield this calendar year, but his most recent unanimous decision victory against Haskell Rhodes back in July displayed his dominance. While many people expected Schofield to secure a knockout in the fight, Schofield's consistently brutal body work and lightning fast right cross nearly had Haskell knocked out at multiple points.
The only reason that a Schofield vs Lopez prediction would fare any different from Schofield's last fight is that he's more likely to finish Saturday's fight with a knockout.
He should be able to find Lopez's chin early and often, blast him with hooks and jabs to the body, and perhaps put him on the canvas as soon as the second round. After all, 8 of Schofield's 11 Knockouts have occurred in the first or second round.
Ricardo Lopez Preview
Ricardo “Explosivo” Lopez (15-7-3, 12 KO's) is facing an uphill battle this weekend. Yet, considering that Lopez scored a second round knockout victory against Adalberto Garcia back in August, he seems to have righted the ship from the two straight losses he suffered before that.
If he can enter the ring showcasing the same form he displayed in his last fight, perhaps a Schofield vs Lopez prediction won't be so easy to make as most of us imagine.
In that last fight, Lopez was able to utilize some crisp head movement to stay out of the way of his opponents biggest punches. His best offense also occurred on the counter, as he was able to utilize Adalberto Garcia's aggression against him and get a second round finish.
Lopez should look to employ that same strategy against Floyd Schofield on Saturday. Considering that Schofield is heavily favored to win this fight, is performing in front of his home crowd in Texas, and is defending his WBA International Lightweight Title all means that he'll be looking to put on a show.
If Lopez — wily veteran that he is — can use that aggression against Schofield, then he might stun Saturday's crowd. While Lopez was an afterthought during today's Garcia vs Duarte press conference, a shocking knockout will make him the talk of the boxing world come Sunday.
Our Floyd Schofield vs Ricardo Lopez Prediction: Fast Finish From Schofield
Our Schofield vs Lopez prediction is that Floyd Schofield will knockout Ricardo Lopez in the fourth round.
Let's be honest: this fight is set up for Floyd Schofield to succeed. And with Schofield's fast, powerful fighting style, Lopez might be able to get out of the way of his haymakers for the first few rounds, but eventually Schofield's right cross is going to connect. And when that happens, we don't expect Lopez to last in the ring much longer.
We like a fourth round knockout (currently +550) because we do think that Lopez has good enough defense to evade Schofield's offense for the first few rounds. In fact, there's a chance that Lopez can last all 10 rounds; in which case Schofield at decision at +340 is an appealing bet.
Regardless of how you think the fight will finish, we can't see this fight ending in any other way than Floyd Schofield getting his hand raised — and will be leaving the ring a whole lot richer than he was when he entered it. Hopefully Lopez will last long enough for this fight to be worth our interest, and that it serves as an appropriate co-main event for Saturday's Garcia vs Duarte card.
Grant Young is a sports writer from San Francisco. He has had two professional Muay Thai fights: he got knocked out in one, and got a knockout in the other. When it comes to his favorite fighters, it's Israel Adesanya, and then it's everyone else.
