Oscar De La Hoya: “The biggest fight out there for Ryan (Garcia) will be the one against Manny Pacquiao”

By: Sean Crose

He may have been knocked out by Gervonta Davis earlier this spring, but there’s no doubt that Ryan Garcia remains one of the most famous boxers in the world. The young Californian decides who to fight next, the announcement will be big news. However, where exactly will a young, famous and tough boxer like Garcia go after his first defeat? Garcia’s promoter, the Golden Boy himself, Oscar De La Hoya, has an interesting contender. Talk to Marcos Villegas’s battle centerDe La Hoya admits that retired legend Manny Pacquiao is definitely a possibility.

“The reason why we can talk about it now, and it’s a viable option, is because Manny Pacquiao has been entangled in a (legal) lawsuit he’s involved in that doesn’t allow him fighting in the United States,” De La Hoya said. Now that the legal issues have been resolved for the Philippine icon, De La Hoya feels a fight with Garcia could be a real possibility. “It was a very realistic choice for both of them,” he said. While Pacquiao is now in his forties, his legendary fame continues to support him. People might want to see what the greatest of all time is still in him. And a boxer like Garcia, who is about to lose badly, can actually be an attractive opponent.

As De La Hoya sees it, Pacquiao-Garcia will be “the biggest fight for both of them,” perhaps at an attractive weight. “I can see that fight happening at 142, 143,” De La Hoya said. “Of course, there are other big opponents that Garcia has to face, which De La Hoya is not afraid to bring up in the interview. “It was with Rollys, Pitbull and Teofimo Lopez,” he said of Pacquiao as a possible opponent.

Of course, mentioning a potential Garcia-Pacquiao fight is a far cry from actually doing a Garcia-Pacquiao fight. Given the fact that Pacquiao’s prime days are long over and he really has nothing else to prove in the ring, a fight between him and Garcia could actually be nothing but a dream. a fantasy, or an idea that a good promoter like De La Hoya could roll out into the media for consumption in order to keep his boxer’s name in the headlines. Still, the name Pacquiao still ignites fans’ minds, even if a fight with young Garcia could lead to a collective eye roll. In other words, the man known as PacMan is still capable of attracting fans. “I think Manny Pacquiao is the biggest fight that can go,” De La Hoya said.