Oscar De La Hoya wants Ryan Garcia to face Devin Haney or Teofimo Lopez in May 2027, saving his final contracted Golden Boy fight for a big payday. The downside for Ryan is that waiting until Cinco de Mayo would leave him inactive for roughly eight months before facing either opponent.
“Obviously we want to build a major fight for Ryan in May. I believe that Ryan should be fighting on those dates. He’s the guy that should be taking the throne on Cinco de Mayo,” De La Hoya told Fight Hub TV.
“A Devin Haney or a Teofimo should be next.”
Ryan has discussed returning in December or January, but De La Hoya said he spoke with DAZN and there were no dates available in those months. Neither Haney nor Lopez is secured, with Oscar describing informal discussions rather than official negotiations.
You can understand why De La Hoya wants to wait. Ryan has one fight left with Golden Boy, and Oscar wants it to be a big one. A Haney rematch or a fight with Lopez would likely bring in far more money than Angel Fierro or Pitbull Cruz.
If Ryan finishes his contract against either of those two, Golden Boy could miss out on the bigger payday that follows. De La Hoya wants to continue working with Ryan, but there is no guarantee he will sign another deal.
Ryan has a reason to want that earlier return. Neither Haney nor Lopez is an opponent you want to face after eight months out. Fighting in December or January would keep him busy rather than sending him straight into a difficult fight after a long break.
The trouble is that saving the fight for May benefits Golden Boy more than it helps Ryan stay ready. Oscar gets the chance to cash in on a major event, but Ryan has to beat Haney or Lopez after eight months on the sidelines.
