De La Hoya On Davis Vs. Schofield

Oscar De La Hoya has not closed the door on Gervonta Davis versus Floyd Schofield — he has just made clear it is not opening anytime soon.

The promoter offered his most candid assessment yet of where the WBA lightweight title situation stands. The message is that Schofield needs to fight someone else first, Davis needs to sort out his life, and the fight everyone wants exists somewhere down the road rather than on any calendar currently being discussed.

"I love the fight. I love the fight for Schofield, I love the fight for Gervonta. Gervonta is one of the best fighters out there today, I love Gervonta," De La Hoya said. "But the fact of the matter is, Gervonta is a champion in recess. So what we feel is, let Schofield fight the next available top contender, who could be maybe Lucas Bahdi — that would be a terrific fight for the full world title. Schofield will be a force to be reckoned with, a world champion, and maybe down the road, we can make that Gervonta fight happen,” De La Hoya

The WBA's champion in recess designation is technically reversible. The organisation has reinstated fighters in similar situations with Seiya Tsutsumi and Antonio Vargas in recent months, and Davis' commercial value is significant enough that the governing body would likely accommodate a reinstatement if all parties were genuinely motivated to make the fight.

Davis has not fought since his controversial majority draw with Lamont Roach Jr. in March 2025, now fifteen months ago. Schofield has not fought in a year himself. Two inactive fighters, one absent champion, and a mandatory deadline that already passed without resolution add up to a situation where the path of least resistance is exactly what De La Hoya is describing/

"He has to take care of his issues. And I understand if he does have issues, because every fighter goes through issues and problems. Maybe he's trying to figure out life in general. I do wish him the best, I hope he does figure it out, because we do miss him in the ring. I hope that one day we get Floyd Schofield with Gervonta Davis,” De La Hoya

The implication is clear without being stated directly. Davis is dealing with matters outside the sport that are not resolved, and until they are, the fight is theoretical regardless of what the WBA rankings or the mandatory deadline might suggest.

For Schofield, the answer is to keep moving. A win over Bahdi for the full WBA title builds his credentials.