Oscar De La Hoya Questions Ryan Garcia's Move to Dana White, Backs Eddie Hearn in Boxing Rivalry
Oscar De La Hoya Backs Eddie Hearn Against Dana White in Boxing Dispute
Oscar De La Hoya has openly supported Eddie Hearn amid the public feud with Dana White, highlighting a clash within boxing circles. Speaking on Uncrowned’s The Ariel Helwani Show, De La Hoya said, "I am Team Eddie right now, because he’s cooking Dana." This conflict has gained attention especially over White's role in the upcoming December 11 fight between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua.
De La Hoya hinted at plans for his own showdown with White and Zuffa Boxing, promising a powerful response in the future. For now, he enjoys watching Hearn take the spotlight. "It's the funniest thing I've ever seen," he remarked. "Eddie is just funny and harmless, which is why we get along now despite past differences. He knows how to handle his fighters and promote them well."
Strong Criticism of Dana White and Zuffa Boxing
The Golden Boy founder was less kind towards White and his company, Zuffa Boxing. After months of White urging fans to judge Zuffa by year-end results, De La Hoya has already formed his opinion. "If I were a teacher, they’d be getting an F," he stated bluntly.
He accused Zuffa of merely renting fighters instead of building champions from the ground up, calling the approach "crazy" and "ridiculous." De La Hoya emphasized that boxing demands emotional investment and personal connection with fighters, qualities he believes White lacks. "Dana doesn’t care about fighters personally; it’s all about numbers and shareholders for him," De La Hoya added.
He criticized how Zuffa handled former WBC light heavyweight champion Oleksandr Gvozdyk, who was released via email after just one fight under the promotion. De La Hoya said, "You don’t fire a fighter by email. That’s not how boxing works."
Dispute Over Ryan Garcia Fight Promotion
De La Hoya expressed frustration over being sidelined during the September bout between Ryan Garcia and Conor Benn, which was promoted by Zuffa Boxing and Golden Boy but positioned as a TKO and Zuffa event. Despite being Garcia’s promoter, De La Hoya was denied his contractually agreed ringside seat.
"They gave me tickets, but not where I was supposed to sit," he said. De La Hoya praised Garcia’s knockout win but lamented his exclusion from the event. He plans to address this issue soon on his social media series Clap-Back Thursday but indicated legal matters prevent him from revealing full details yet.
Interestingly, De La Hoya claimed Dana White was not behind his exclusion, saying, "Dana has no say whatsoever here. I can’t discuss it until the smoke clears." Despite this, De La Hoya and Garcia have since talked and remain on good terms.
Future of Ryan Garcia and Potential Opponents
Ryan Garcia still has one fight left on his Golden Boy contract, with sources suggesting another remaining deal with DAZN. De La Hoya hopes to continue working with Garcia beyond the current deal, though Garcia has previously indicated he might not re-sign.
When asked about Garcia possibly joining Zuffa Boxing under Dana White, De La Hoya was doubtful. "I don’t think that’s a good fit for him," he said.
Looking ahead, De La Hoya revealed who he wants Garcia to face next: "The guy I wanted from the start is Devin Haney. Devin Haney and Teofimo Lopez are the biggest fights for Ryan. He’s at an elite level and deserves to fight the very best." He praised Garcia's competitive spirit and desire to prove himself against top opponents.
