AFP PHOTOS
MANILA, Philippines — Oscar De La Hoya is ready to flex his powers as a promoter and he’s looking at an inter-generational bout between legend Manny Pacquiao and rising star Ryan Garcia.
The President of Golden Boy Promotions, in an interview with YouTube personality Snowqueen LA, said he is looking to quickly book the Pacquiao-Garcia fight as early as the end 2021.
“I would make that in a heartbeat,” said De La Hoya, h/t DAZN. “I would literally make that fight. And I would make that fight at the end of this year or the first quarter of next year. I love that fight for Ryan. That takes Ryan to a whole another level.”
Garcia has made it known that he’d like to fight Pacquiao despite being just a 22-year-old and being two weight classes below the Filipino ring legend.
Pacquiao currently holds the WBA (super) world welterweight champion while Garcia was coming off an impressive knockout win over Luke Campbell to become the WBC interim lightweight champion.
Nevertheless, De La Hoya is eager to make that fight into a reality in what he sees as a passing of the torch moment.
“When you’re inside fighting with a legend, it’s kind of like changing of the guards. When I fought Floyd Mayweather, and he beat me, Floyd Mayweather skyrocketed to superstardom,” said De La Hoya. “And when Manny Pacquiao fought me and beat me, he skyrocketed to superstardom. This would be the same thing.”
De La Hoya was one of the sport’s top draws during his peak in the 1990s and early 2000s–and, as he aged–was seen as the final hurdle for the fighters in the lighter weight classes to overcome.
Mayweather beat De La Hoya via split decision in 2007 while Pacquiao stopped him a year later after eight brutal rounds that ultimately became the final professional fight of the Golden Boy.
“It would be the changing of the guard for Ryan Garcia and Manny Pacquiao,” said De La Hoya, who also sees Garcia’s further potential outside the boxing ring.
“If you put together an Elvis Presley and Brad Pitt, a Canelo Alvarez, and Oscar De La Hoya, you have Ryan Garcia. If Ryan can somehow defeat Pacquiao, it’ll take his career to the next level. He’ll be transformed into a star overnight.”