By Dan Ambrose: Oscar De La Hoya says Ryan Garcia will be coming back on November 18th against a “top guy,” potentially in Los Angeles.
De La Hoya points out that it’s important to pick the right opponent for the recently knocked out 25-year-old Ryan (23-1,19 KOs), given what happened to him last April when he stepped it up against Gervonta Davis.
There had been talk recently about Ryan facing Ohara Davies (25-2, 18 KOs) for the WBA light welterweight title, given that the current champion, Rolando ‘Rolly’ Romero, is on the shelf with an undisclosed injury. That’s the guy that Ryan wanted, but that can’t happen.
Ohara is ranked #1 WBA at 140, but he’s more of a domestic-level British fighter than a true top-tier contender. If Ryan can’t beat him, it would be a sign that he lacks the goods to compete with upper-tier guys.
If he can’t even beat a fighter of Ohara’s level, it would show that Ryan isn’t cut out to fight at the world level.
“We’re currently working on a venue, but California taxes are killing us,” said Oscar De La Hoya to Fight Hub TV when asked when Ryan Garcia will be fighting next.
“It depends on the opponent and on what Ryan wants. We’ll be talking to him shortly, but we’re gunning for November 18th, live on DAZN. Hopefully, it’ll be in LA, but we don’t know.
“Not yet. I can’t really say anybody, or they add another zero behind the negotiations,” said De La Hoya when asked if he has anybody in mind for Ryan’s next fight.
“We’ll get a top guy. Look, Ryan is coming off a knockout loss. So me as a promoter, we have to make sure what’s best for his career, and match him up correctly and bring him back, and then go after the big gun,” said De La Hoya.
If De La Hoya is serious about getting a top 15 contender for Ryan Garcia to fight on November 18th, he’ll need to be careful because he’s fragile. Even the bottom-level contenders at 140 are dangerous punchers who have the power to stop Ryan with body shots.
Option for Ryan Garcia next fight
“We have that old saying, ‘It’s tough to get up and do road work early in the morning when you’re sleeping in silk sheets,’ and Ryan Garcia has been a millionaire by 23 years old,” said Chris Algieri to ProBox TV about Ryan Garcia, Golden Boy Promotions #1 money-maker in their stable.
“He hasn’t been one of the guys who had to fight, and you know he came up in the amateurs. He’s very high level, and he fought all the best guys, so he’s there.
“He’s been a fighter, but it seems like money can make you soft a little bit, and it seems like that might be the case with what’s going on with Ryan Garcia, now in reference to this potential match-up with Ohara Davies.
“Yeah, he’s a solid guy; he’s a solid British guy. His losses are to Jack Catterall and to Josh Taylor. So those are two top guys in the junior welterweight division. So if Ryan is going to really contend with the top guys at 140, he needs to get past a guy like Ohara Davies.
“Yeah, and why would he not do it? It’s a title fight against a guy who probably isn’t on the world class level the way that obviously Tank Davis is, obviously the way Josh Taylor is.
“He got stopped by Josh. He got outboxed by Jack Catterall. So yeah, the fight makes a lot of sense. I think this is from the fallout of Rolly Romero because he had that title, and then he was supposed to fight Ohara Davies, and I think that fell through. So now Ryan gets a chance to be a world champion.
“That’s the thing people forget. Ryan’s never been a world champion. He wasn’t a World Champion 135. He’s moved up to 140 now, and this is going to be his title opportunity. The fight makes a lot of sense, and the guy is capable, so I think it’s a good fight.
“We’re going to see if Ryan has any longevity in this sport. He’s going to have to look good in this fight,” said Algieri.
“But if he’s getting a shot after Rolly’s been stripped. Has he been stripped?” said Paulie Malignaggi about Rolly Romero.
“I think so,” said Algieri.
“How are you getting a shot after a loss? Is that one of the rules that they just decided to break whenever they want to? You can’t fight for a world title coming off a loss, but in some cases, you can. We’re back to the same conversation over and over like Groundhog Day here,” said Malignaggi.
