By: Sean Crose
“I’m not suing him for money, he’s not suing me for money.” So said Golden Boy Promotions honcho Oscar De La Hoya on Wednesday while being interviewed on The MMA Hour. “I just want him to honor my contract. That’s it.” De La Hoya was talking about his former protégé, Ryan Garcia, who he’s now engaged in a legal battle with. “Just honor your contract,” De La Hoya continued. “That’s it. You have obligations, right? I want you to fight. I want you to be a legend.”
As De La Hoya sees it, he’s been looking out for the popular Ryan Garcia, despite what Garcia, who feels Golden Boy promotions has been derelict in its duties, may believe. “Do you think I wanted him to fight Tank Davis with a rehydration clause?,” he asks rhetorically . “Hell no. I’m looking out for him, but he has people that are whispering in his ear. ‘Oh, Oscar is bad. Go with this other promoter who will take care of you more. You’ll make more money.’” To De La Hoya, such whispers are nonsense.
“Guess what?,” De La Hoya asks rhetorically. “Ryan just made 30 million plus dollars. I’m not doing anything wrong here. I’m trying to create a legend. What better person than me to guide your career, to mold you into this superstar boxer who people will respect. But all these whispers, man, all these whispers.” Ultimately, however, De La Hoya indicated he’s willing to take it all in stride.
“Look,” he said, “I’m a promoter, and I’m gonna be a promoter until I’m Bob Arum’s age…I love the sport. I love boxing. It gave me everything I have. I hate it, but I love it. And fighters come and go.” Yet De La Hoya also makes it clear that he’s willing to work again with Garcia. “Yeah,” he says, “absolutely. I still have several years in this contract.”
De La Hoya is a busy man at the moment. Aside from the legal friction between himself and Garcia, he’s the subject of an upcoming documentary on HBO. “If you are a fan,” he tweeted on Tuesday, “a hater, a lost soul or just an individual who is happy and figuring out life one day at a time, a Doc. About my life will debut on HBO Max 24 and 25 of this month. Let’s just say that all the shit you talk about me is nothing compared to what I lived.”
