San Antonio Express-News (Sunday)
Schofield on the mend after a bizarre fight in Las Vegas
Just days after surviving a deep gash above his right eye and winning a foul-plagued, five-round fight by disqualification at The Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas, San Antonio lightweight Floyd Schofield was surprised to find himself back in harm's way upon his return home.
With his head still throbbing from an accidental head butt during the fight — and the 12 stitches it took to close the cut in his right eyebrow — Schofield went toe-to-toe with a different kind of pain.
He was scheduled to have his wisdom teeth removed.
“My face is swollen from the fight, and now my jaw will be swollen, too,” he said. “I guess my timing could have been better. But at least I'll get it over with.”
Schofield ended up winning the dental duel by knockout. There were no complications and healing reportedly is under way.
The fight against Esteuri Suero of the Dominican Republic is another story altogether.
The 21-year-old Schofield won to remain undefeated at 17-0. But it was messy. It was painful. And it was not easy.
Suero, 23, had a reputation of being something of a dirty fighter, having been penalized for low blows and for biting an opponent — a la Mike Tyson — during a fight a year ago in Las Vegas.
“But nothing like this,” Schofield said.
Suero's infractions this time included head butts, intentionally holding with one hand and delivering low blows with the other, and lifting Schofield up and slamming him to the canvas.
After repeated warnings by referee Raul Caiz Jr., Suero was penalized one point in each of the second and fourth rounds.
Finally, Caiz disqualified Suero at the 2:07 mark of the fifth round.
“Every time I'd catch him with a hard punch he'd follow with something dirty,” Schofield said. “When he kept doing it despite the referee's warnings, I was shocked and surprised. But I kept my composure.
“I was like, ‘You're not even going to listen to the ref ?'”
Suero answered seemingly the only way he knows — by fouling. Before he was done, Suero threw his shoulder into Schofield and hit on
the break.
“He was desperate,” said Michael Miller, Schofield's manager and former co-manager of San Antonio legend “Jesse” James Leija. “He felt Floyd's power and tried to change the subject.”
Even though Schofield found a way to win, it came with a price.
His habit of sometimes leaving his feet and leaping in with his punches, resulting in a clash of heads and cuts to the face, caught up with him again.
During a fight in July at the Frost Bank Center, Schofield required 16 stitches to close a cut on his left cheek.
He left his feet to throw a punch then, too, resulting in a clash of heads. The cut is completely healed now.
Against Suero, it happened in the opening round. Schofield's corner handled the 2-inch cut well, keeping the bleeding under control. It enabled Schofield to
concentrate on fending off Suero's dirty tactics.
But the habit of leaping in with his punches is one Schofield's handlers say he needs to address.
“Floyd overdid it,” Miller said. “He got in a big hurry trying to take him out and they clashed heads. He knows it.
“I think he learned a lot. Be more patient, don't be in a hurry. He also learned how to handle a nasty fighter.”
Luckily for Schofield, the doctor regarded as the foremost plastic surgeon in Nevada just hired by promoter Oscar De La Hoya was at ringside for the fight.
He stitched up Schofield in the dressing room afterward. The cut required six internal and six external stitches to close.
Schofield vowed to correct the habit in the gym and once his face heals, step up in competition and be wiser about scheduling dental procedures so close to a fight.