2022's Prospect of the Year is off to a great start in 2023. Floyd "Kid Austin" Schofield, of Austin, took another massive step towards becoming the first world champion from the Capital City.
20-year-old Schofield put together a dominant performance to go 10-rounds for the first time in his career and pick up the unanimous decision over Alberto Mercado in Golden Boy's co-main event on Saturday night at the YouTube Theatre in Inglewood, California, to move his record to 13-0 (10).
Kid Austin scored a second-round knockdown and was robbed of at least one more knockdown in the eighth on hod way to picking up the 100-89 decision on all three cards. After a measured but dominant opening round, Schofield got going in the second. Dropping his man with a straight right hand and remained in control throughout the remainder of the fight. Landing with thudding right hands and would switch in and out of the southpaw stance and back into the conventional stance. Opening a huge lead on the cards and recognizing that Mercado wasn't going to be an easy out and was not willing to engage and completely content on simply going to the distance. Schofield stopped pressing on the gas, full throttle, and put on a boxing clinic during the second half of the fight.
The Austinite badly hurt and wobbled his overmatched opponent with a left hook that landed flush on the jaw of Mercado and put him down, but the knockdown was ruled a push. Schofield stayed calm and in control dominating the final six minutes. Landing flush one-twos that snapped the head back of his fleeing opponent, who was able to run out the clock and make the final bell. Something that Schofield hasn't done in his last six fights when Houston native Darryl Hayes went all six rounds with Schofield in 2021.