By Jim Calfa: Golden Boy promoter Oscar De La Hoya had a meeting with Top Rank boss Bob Arum in what is believed to be the start of negotiations for a mega-fight between WBO light welterweight champion Teofimo Lopez & Ryan Garcia for Super Bowl weekend next year on February 10th.
Teofimo is one of the two fighters De La Hoya is interested in matching Ryan (23-1, 19 KOs) against for a massive title fight in the first quarter of 2024.
The other fuy De La Hoya potentially wants for Ryan is Devin Haney, as long as he wins his December 9th contest against WBC light welterweight champion Regis Prograis.
Ryan has a dangerous tune-up fight to get out of the way against Oscar Duarte (26-1-1, 21 KOs) on December 2nd, possibly in Texas. Although the fight is technically a warm-up level contest against a guy that Ryan should handle.
Duarte has power, has won his last 11 fights, and he’s going to be plenty motivated to defeat Ryan. This fight is like a Super Bowl for Duarte, and he’s going to be coming to take Ryan apart.
“What a great meeting with the Bob [Arum] father. I’m calling on all promoters to unite and make the biggest fights and the best fights possible for boxing fans,” said Oscar De La Hoya on Instagram about his meeting with Top Rank promoter Bob Arum about putting together a mega-fight between Ryan Garcia & WBO light welterweight champion Teofimo Lopez on Super Bowl weekend on February 10th next year.
It would be better for Ryan if he took another fight before fighting for a world title, preferably against a true 140-pounder, someone like Sandor Martin, Richardson Hitchins, or Steve Spark.
Kingry back on December 2nd
“Ryan Garcia is back on December 2nd. I believe he’s going to fight Oscar Duarte in Texas,” said Chris Mannix on his podcast, talking about Ryan Garcia’s next fight in December. I’m a little surprised he’s fighting Oscar Duarte. Another one of the names was Pedro Campa.”
Should Ryan Garcia be fighting a 140-pound fighter?
“That fight made a little more sense to me. He’s fought Teofimo Lopez before but doesn’t have a lot of power and was outclassed at 140. Duarte is a 135-pounder, but he is physical,” said Mannix.
“He’s going to bring the fight to Ryan Garcia, but maybe he gets knocked out. Ryan Garcia counter-punches him like he’s counter-punched a lot of guys in his career, but this is a tougher-than-expected fight in my mind in Ryan’s debut at 140,” said Mannix.
Big fights out there for Ryan Garcia if he wins against Duarte.
“Duarte is on a nice run, winning eleven fights in a row since suffering his only loss, but he is a 135-pounder, and Ryan Garcia is a 140-lb fighter. I would at some point like to see him fight a 140-lb fighter,” said Keith Idec.
“He has now fought Javier Fortuna. The Tank fight was at 136 pounds at a catchweight in the biggest fight of the year; I have no problems with that, but otherwise, he [Ryan] hasn’t fought a 140-pounder, and he is a 140-lb fighter now.
“So, I don’t like that part of it, but Duarte is kind of the level of opponent that I expected him to come back against. This is his [Ryan] first fight with Derrick James as his trainer and his first fight coming off s defeat.
“I have no problem with the level of opponent, but I would have preferred it to be against a 140-pounder because, assuming he wins this fight, there are some really big fights for him in the 140-lb division against the winner of Haney-Prograis and [Teofimo] Lopez, which would be a cross-promotional type of fight, but a fight that the public would be very interested in.
“I would prefer him fighting a 140-pounder, but I have no problem with the level of opponent he’s fighting.”
