De La Hoya Agrees to Schofield-Zepeda Unification, Then Pauses

Oscar De La Hoya agreed to a Floyd Schofield-William Zepeda lightweight unification during a DAZN post-fight interview, but only after first steering the conversation toward a different fight entirely.

The moment came right after Schofield beat Lucas Bahdi to win the vacant WBA lightweight title. DAZN's Chris Mannix pushed De La Hoya on unifying his new champion against Golden Boy's other lightweight titleholder, William Zepeda, who holds the WBC belt. De La Hoya's first instinct was to pivot to Abdullah Mason or "any world champion in the WBC," before Mannix circled back to the obvious in-house fight. "We'll make that fight happen then," De La Hoya eventually said, after initially floating Mason as an alternative.

Why De La Hoya Hesitated on Zepeda

The hesitation makes sense once you look at who signs the checks. Golden Boy currently controls both lightweight champions, which means Schofield and Zepeda can each headline their own title defenses, build separate followings, and pull in opponents from rival promotions. Unifying them in-house guarantees Golden Boy loses one of its two title-holding stars overnight. A fight with Mason, who is promoted by Top Rank, carries real risk too, but a Schofield win there adds a second belt to Golden Boy's stable rather than subtracting one. That math alone explains why "anybody" got a lot less appealing once Zepeda's name came up.

Can Schofield vs. Zepeda Even Happen Next?

Sanctioning body paperwork stands in the way regardless of what De La Hoya wants. Zepeda has a WBC-ordered mandatory against interim titleholder Jadier Herrera, with purse bids set for October 20. Mason also has business to attend to, with Joe Cordina sitting as the WBO's number one contender. Any Schofield-Zepeda unification would likely need the WBC and WBA to grant exceptions or wait on those obligations to clear first, so nothing is close to being signed.

Betting Angle

Stylistically, Zepeda projects as the harder voice for Schofield to deal with than almost anyone else at 135 pounds. Zepeda's pressure and nonstop output are built to wear down boxers who like to work behind a jab and control range, which is exactly Schofield's game. If this unification does get made, expect Zepeda to open as a live underdog or even a narrow favorite depending on how the market reads Schofield's title-winning performance against Bahdi. Until purse bids resolve the Herrera situation and a date actually gets put on the fight, there's nothing concrete to price, but this is a matchup sportsbooks will want on the board the moment it's official.

Frequently Asked Questions

Did Oscar De La Hoya agree to a Floyd Schofield vs. William Zepeda unification fight?

Yes, Oscar De La Hoya said "We'll make that fight happen then" during a DAZN interview, though only after initially suggesting Schofield fight Abdullah Mason instead, and no date has been set.

What is standing in the way of Schofield vs. Zepeda happening next?

William Zepeda has a WBC-ordered mandatory defense against interim champion Jadier Herrera, with purse bids scheduled for October 20, which would need to be resolved before a Schofield unification could proceed.

Why did Oscar De La Hoya seem hesitant about unifying his own two champions?

Floyd Schofield and William Zepeda are both promoted by Golden Boy, so unifying their titles means Golden Boy loses one of its two champion assets, unlike a fight against an outside titleholder like Abdullah Mason.